Gerald Michael Barbarito (born January 4, 1950) is an American prelate of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He has served as bishop of the

Diocese of Palm Beach The Diocese of Palm Beach ( la, Dioecesis Litoris Palmensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Florida. The patron saint of the diocese is the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Que ...

in Florida since August 28, 2003. He previously served as bishop of the

Diocese of Ogdensburg The Diocese of Ogdensburg ( la, Dioecesis Ogdensburgensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in New York. It was founded on February 15, 1872. It comprises the entirety of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jeff ...

in Northern New York from 1999 to 2003 and as an auxiliary bishop of the

Diocese of Brooklyn The Diocese of Brooklyn is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the U.S. state of New York. It is headquartered in Brooklyn and its territory encompasses the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. T ...

in New York City from 1994 to 1999.

Biography

Early life and family

Gerald Barbarito, the son of Anna Marie LaPorte Barbarito and Samuel A. Barbarito, was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 4, 1950. He began his studies for the priesthood at Cathedral Prep Seminary in

Fort Greene, Brooklyn Fort Greene is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Flushing Avenue and the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the north, Flatbush Avenue Extension and Downtown Brooklyn to the west, ...

, graduating in 1967.

Education

Barbarito continued his studies at Cathedral College in Douglaston,

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, where he earned a bachelor degree in 1971. His theology studies took place at Immaculate Conception Seminary in

Huntington, New York The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. ...

, where he received a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...

degree in 1975 .Before his ordination to the priesthood, Barbarito served as a deacon at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in

Astoria, Queens Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeast ...

, for one year.

Ordination and pastoral work

Barbarito was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn by Bishop

Francis J. Mugavero Francis John Mugavero (June 8, 1914 – July 12, 1991) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Brooklyn from 1968 to 1990. Early life and ordination Francis John Mugavero (pronounced Ma-GUV-e-ro) was born on June 8, 1914 in the ...

at St. Francis of Assisi Church on January 31, 1976. After his ordination, Barbarito was assigned to St. Helen's Parish in

Howard Beach, Queens Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered to the north by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, to the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, to the east by 1 ...

. He remained there until 1981, when Bishop Mugavero appointed him assistant chancellor. Barbarito held this position for one year, then went to the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

School of Canon Law The School of Canon Law is the only faculty of Catholic canon law in the United States. It is one of the twelve schools at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.Licentiate of Canon Law Licentiate of Canon Law ( la, Juris Canonici Licentiatus; JCL) is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law. Licentiate ...

. Barbarito was named the vice chancellor of the diocese in 1984, remaining in that position until 1992, when Bishop Thomas V. Daily appointed him secretary. Barbarito served as master of ceremonies for Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Joseph Denning from 1984 to 1990. Barbarito has served on the

College of Consultors A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e., a counselor. In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions: *in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by ...

, the Priests' Personnel Board, the

Presbyteral Council A presbyteral council or council of priests is a group of priests chosen to assist the local ordinary in an advisory capacity in the governance of a Roman Catholic diocese. Canon 495 of the Code of Canon Law lays down that every diocese must have ...

and as an appellate judge at the diocesan tribunal. He has also served as a consultant to the Canonical Affairs Committee of the

National Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...

. Barbarito is a member of the Catholic Biblical Association and the

Canon Law Society of America The Canon Law Society of America or CLSA is a professional association dedicated to the promotion of both the study and the application of canon law in the Catholic Church. The Society's membership includes over fifteen hundred men and women who ...

Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn

Barbarito was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

on June 28, 1994. He was consecrated on August 22, 1994. Bishop Thomas V. Daily served as

principal consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

, with Bishops Joseph Sullivan and René Valero serving as co-consecrators. Barbarito was assigned as regional bishop for Brooklyn Vicariate East as well as vicar for ministry for the diocese. As the vicar for ministry, he assisted with the ongoing formation of priests. His office was in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn.

Bishop of Ogdensburg

On October 26, 1999, Pope John-Paul II appointed Barbarito as bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg. He filled the vacancy left when Bishop

Paul Loverde Paul Stephen Loverde (born September 3, 1940) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. Loverde served as bishop of the Diocese of Arlington in Northern Virginia from 1998 to 2016. Loverde previously served as bishop of the Diocese ...

was appointed the

Bishop of Arlington The Diocese of Arlington ( la, Dioecesis Arlingtonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 70 parishes across 21 counties and se ...

nine months prior.

Bishop of Palm Beach

On July 1, 2003, Barbarito was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the fifth bishop of the

to succeed Bishop Seán O'Malley who had been named archbishop of the

Archdiocese of Boston The Archdiocese of Boston ( la, Archidiœcesis Bostoniensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New England region of the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the whole of ...

. Barbarito was installed on August 28, 2003, at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola. It was announced on January 30, 2015, that Barbarito would be undergoing surgery for a

brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...

Personal views

Barbarito considers himself to be a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and an opponent of

abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...

for women.Statement from Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito Regarding Recent Abortion Legislation
/ref>

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barbarito, Gerald Michael 1950 births Living people People from Brooklyn Catholic University of America alumni Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn Roman Catholic bishops of Ogdensburg Roman Catholic bishops of Palm Beach 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Religious leaders from New York (state) Catholic University of America School of Canon Law alumni