For 28 of its 41-year history, the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, has been led by a bishop with either past or eventual ties to the Diocese of Brooklyn — a number that will only grow with the appointment of Bishop-elect Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez.
“It’s funny, even before this was a possibility, Bishop Barbarito always called Palm Beach the sixth borough of New York,” Bishop Robert Brennan told The Tablet. “It is interesting that that relationship continues. It’s a great synergy that we have, and it’s a great church down there in Palm Beach.”
Founded in 1984, the Diocese of Palm Beach covers five counties in southeast Florida and serves more than 240,000 Catholics across 53 parishes and missions. The region is diverse, with a strong Haitian, Creole, and Asian presence, as well as a growing Hispanic population.
Previously under the jurisdiction of the then-Diocese of Miami, on October 24, 1984, Pope John Paul II named Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Daily of Boston the founding bishop of the newly created Diocese of Palm Beach.
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That same year, the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens was dedicated. The diocese began with 38 parishes serving about 103,000 Catholics.
Bishop Daily led the diocese for six years, until he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn. He served as the bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn for 13 years until 2003, and remained as bishop emeritus of Brooklyn until his death in 2017.
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Between 1990 and 2003, the Diocese of Palm Beach had three different bishops, including a less than a year-long stint in 2002 from Bishop Seán O’Malley, who left following his appointment as archbishop of Boston. The eventual Cardinal O’Malley would go on to lead the Archdiocese of Boston until 2024 and become the founder and first president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
In 2003, the Diocese of Palm Beach got its fifth bishop, and another with a connection to the Diocese of Brooklyn, when Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Ogdensburg to take the helm.
Before his stint in Ogdensburg, Bishop Barbarito had served as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Brooklyn since 1994. He was ordained an auxiliary bishop by Bishop Daily, who at that time still had nine years left in charge of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Bishop Barbarito has remained in the Diocese of Palm Beach for the last 22 years, which he said has been a “great joy.” He said he will stay there in retirement.
“While I am also from Brooklyn, I will remain here in Palm Beach, which has become my home as it has for so many others from New York,” Bishop Barbarito said in a statement announcing his retirement. “I am very pleased when I am told that my Brooklyn accent has become even more pronounced since I have been in Palm Beach.
“I thank all of you for being the wonderful family of faith, hope, and love that you are.”