Deacon Was Queens’ Mainstay

Deacon Francois Innocent, a retired deacon of the Diocese of Brooklyn, died on Aug. 3 at age 96.

Deacon Innocent was born on April 13, 1930, and was ordained a deacon in 1990. He served at Incarnation Church in Queens Village.

Deacon Innocent was raised in Port-auPrince, Haiti, the second of 10 siblings.

He met his wife, Bernadette, there, and they were married in 1960. They had three children: Francois Bernard, Patrick, and Myriam.

The family moved to New York and settled first in Brooklyn and then lived in Queens Village for over 50 years.

Deacon Innocent earned degrees in agronomy and economic development. He worked for over 25 years as a computer programmer for the NYC Department of Transportation before
retiring in 1999.

Deacon Innocent was predeceased by Bernadette. They have six grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

The funeral Mass for Deacon Innocent was celebrated on Aug. 15 at Incarnation Church in Queens Village.

Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski was the principal celebrant, and Father Pascal Louis was the homilist.

“You did your best to support your children and so many people in Haiti. You did your best to provide love, affection, and compassion to the unfortunate people,” Father Louis said. “You may now go and rest in the peace of Christ.”

Burial followed at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.