Diocese of Brooklyn Honors 19 Deceased Clergy
Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated a Mass at Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston for clergy who died between October 2025 and October 2026.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Catholicism
The Diocese of Brooklyn held its annual Mass for deceased clergy at Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston on November 5, 2026. The Mass honored 19 clergy members who died between October 2025 and October 2026.
Why it matters
The annual observance, usually held within days of All Souls' Day, gives the diocese's priests, deacons and bishops a shared moment to remember colleagues who served Catholic parishes across the New York City area.
The Mass honored 19 clergy members who died between October 2025 and October 2026, including Father Godofredo Felicitas, who died in March at age 72, and Deacon Ramon Lima, who died November 25, 2025, at age 88 and was ordained in 1977. The extraction does not state causes of death or a prior-year comparison.
The players
Bishop Robert Brennan
Bishop Robert Brennan is the leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn who celebrated the Mass for deceased clergy.
Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio
Nicholas DiMarzio is a retired bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn who joined the Mass on the altar and prayed in the diocesan crypt.
Diocese of Brooklyn
The Diocese of Brooklyn is the Roman Catholic jurisdiction that serves parishes across Brooklyn and Queens.
The details
Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated the Mass, joined on the altar by Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio, auxiliary bishops James Massa and Witold Mroziewski, and auxiliary bishop emeriti Neil Tiedemann, Raymond Chappetto, Octavio Cisneros and Paul Sanchez. Afterward, clergy processed to the Bishop's Chapel on the lower level, where Brennan, DiMarzio and the auxiliary bishops prayed in the crypt where previous diocesan bishops are interred.
Timeline
March 2026: Father Godofredo Felicitas died at age 72.
November 25, 2025: Deacon Ramon Lima died at age 88.
October 2025 to October 2026: 19 diocesan clergy members died during this period.
November 5, 2026: The Diocese held the Mass at Immaculate Conception Center.
Health Landscape
The annual Mass follows the Catholic liturgical practice of praying for the dead around All Souls' Day, a tradition the diocese maintains each year. The observance fits a recurring calendar rather than a single event, which is why it is typically held within days of that feast.
Parishioners across New York City who worked with the honored clergy may find the diocese's annual remembrance a familiar occasion for prayer. The observance is held at a diocesan site in Douglaston, so residents of Queens and Brooklyn parishes may follow the schedule through their own parish communications.
The takeaway
Honoring clergy each year gives parishioners a structured way to remember the priests and deacons who served their communities. Readers who wish to pray for the deceased can do so at their own parish during the All Souls' season.
Further reading
For more on the Church's traditions around honoring the dead, explore Catholicism coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Tablet.
