Remembering Bishop Sullivan

The Most Reverend Joseph M. Sullivan, a retired Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, passed away on June 7.

Sullivan succumbed to injuries he sustained in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway on May 30 in Syosset, New York.

“We mourn the passing of Bishop Joseph Sullivan,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. “During his tenure, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens became a nationally recognized provider of social services. Even in retirement, Bishop Joe continued to serve on many boards for Catholic hospitals and health institutions. He epitomized the best of our Church’s teaching and the fundamental option for the poor. He was an outstanding priest.”

The Brooklynite attended St. Ephrem’s elementary school, and St. Michael’s Diocesan High School. He was ordained in 1956 by Archbishop Thomas E. Molloy in St. James Cathedral in Brooklyn. He has served on many human services board on the national, state, and local level, including chairmanship of the Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens.

Borough President Marty Markowitz shared kind words about Sullivan. “All of Brooklyn joins me today in mourning the passing of Bishop Joseph Sullivan. Bishop Sullivan was not just a spiritual leader to Catholics in the Diocese—he set an example for followers of all faiths and creeds,” he said. “I was honored to know him and look to him, as did many elected officials, for guidance and insight throughout my career. Bishop Sullivan was Brooklyn’s spiritual Borough President whose leadership in the faith community cannot be overstated, and he leaves an enduring legacy of compassion and charity. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family as we remember not just a great Brooklynite but a truly great man.”

The wake for Sullivan will take place Monday, June 10 from 2-5 p.m., and 7-9 p.m. at McLaughlin & Sons Funeral Home, 9620 Third Avenue, and Tuesday June 11 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be a Vigil Mass at 7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Hope R.C. Church, 61-21 71^st Street (Eliot Avenue and 72^nd Street) on Tuesday, June 11.

The funeral mass will take place Wednesday, June 12 at 11 a.m. at Church of St. Ephrem, 929 Bay Ridge Parkway. The burial will be to follow, at St. John’s Cemetery, 8001 Metropolitan Avenue. All services are open to the public.