Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop Emeritus of Brooklyn
Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio
BISHOP EMERITUS OF BROOKLYN
Overview
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on June 16, 1944, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, attended the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey, was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest for the Archdiocese of Newark in 1970, and was named Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II in 1986.
From 1985 to 1991, he served as executive director of the Office of Migration and Refugee Services at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). On October 31st, 1996, Bishop DiMarzio received his Doctor of Divinity (DD). Bishop DiMarzio was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of Newark in 1996, where he served as Vicar for Human Services and executive director of their Catholic Charities agency. In 1980, Bishop DiMarzio earned a Master of Social Work from Fordham University and a Doctorate of Social Work Research and Policy (Ph.D.) from Rutgers University in 1985.
In July 1999, Bishop DiMarzio was appointed as the Sixth Bishop of Camden, New Jersey, and served there until October 2003, when he was installed as the Seventh Bishop of Brooklyn.
Bishop DiMarzio was visionary in implementing a regionalization plan for Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens, ensuring that every parish in the diocese maintained an affiliation with a Catholic school. He also led the effort to establish lay boards to govern the schools and, through his plan, Preserving The Vision, formulated his commitment to offering a Catholic education to every student and family who wanted one.
Bishop DiMarzio focused on the future of the Church, dedicating time and resources to recruiting men and women to religious life. As the seventh Bishop of Brooklyn, he ordained 104 priests to serve in the diocese. He also established the House of Discernment, which was instrumental in the increased number of men entering the seminary. Bishop DiMarzio’s tenure was also marked by a period of growth in those answering the call to serve in the Permanent Diaconate.
As leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Bishop DiMarzio was at the forefront of change to right the wrongs of clergy sexual abuse. He was one of the first Bishops nationwide to institute an independent toll-free reporting line that automatically reports claims to the appropriate county district attorney. Throughout his episcopacy, Bishop DiMarzio regularly met with victim-survivors of clergy sexual abuse and instituted an annual Mass of Hope and Healing to pray for them.
Bishop DiMarzio served as a consultant for the John Jay Report, a 2004 independent study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Using surveys completed by Roman Catholic dioceses, researchers analyzed “the nature and scope of the problem of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests and deacons in the United States.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops commissioned the study.
Bishop DiMarzio continued to be a champion of the faith and service to God’s people during his tenure as Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn for more than 18 years. He was a powerful advocate for the rights of immigrants in Brooklyn, Queens, and beyond. Bishop DiMarzio has also spoken forcefully against the ills of racism and established a Commission on Racism and Social Justice.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio was succeeded by the 8th Bishop of Brooklyn, the Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, on November 30, 2021.
Bishop DiMarzio currently serves as chairman of the board of the Center for Migration Studies. He is a member of the boards of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), the USCCB Migration Committee, and the Migration Policy Institute. Bishop DiMarzio is also a member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. Previously, the Bishop chaired the boards of the Migration Committee of the USCCB, CLINIC, the Finance Committee of Catholic Relief Services, and the Migration Policy Institute. From 2003 to 2005, Bishop DiMarzio served as the U.S. representative to the Global Commission on International Migration, a United Nations-sponsored commission.
