Diocese of Brooklyn mourns death of another priest to die due to COVID-19

The Diocese of Brooklyn mourned the death of another priest due to COVID-19.

Father Gioacchino Basile died on Saturday, April 4 as a result of the coronavirus. He is the second priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn to fall victim to the virus.

He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark.

Basile, 60, had been ministering as Pastor of Saint Gabriel Church in the East Elmhurst section of Queens.

Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas DiMarzio discussed the death.

“Father Gioacchino Basile, a native of Calabria, Italy who died today, was small in stature, but mighty in energy for the Lord,” he said. “Unfortunately, Father’s underlying health conditions made it difficult for him to fight the virus. In addition to English and Italian, Father spoke Spanish fluently and ministered well to all of the people of his parish and the faithful of the Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens.”

Basile was to mark his 25th Anniversary of his ordination later this year.

Basile was born on February 8, 1960, and ordained a priest on May 27, 1995. He first ministered as Parochial Vicar at Saint Joseph’s in New Jersey, was then released to work in the Diocese of Ponce (Puerto Rico).

He was then released to the Diocese of Brooklyn and assigned Administrator of Saint Gabriel’s in 2008.

According to the Diocese of Brooklyn, Basile immediately cultivated a vibrant sense of community in the parish, most notably with the institution of an annual parish celebration of the Feast of St. Gabriel, the Patron Saint of the parish, celebrated on February 25.

Funeral arrangements are private and a Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later time.

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