Auxiliary Bishop René Valero (1930-2019), the first Hispanic bishop in the Diocese of Brooklyn, was known and respected for his work with older adults and immigrant communities, according to Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio, who described him as a trailblazer.
“He did a lot of work with Catholic Charities and the aged. That was his area,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “And he took responsibility for Hispanic ministry.”
Auxiliary Bishop Valero worked under Bishop DiMarzio for approximately two years, from 2003, when Bishop DiMarzio first came to the diocese, to 2005, when Auxiliary Bishop Valero retired.
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“He became very symbolic,” Bishop DiMarzio explained. “The Hispanic community is very large in our diocese, and his being the first Hispanic auxiliary bishop was very meaningful to them.”
René Valero was born on Aug. 15, 1930, the son of Cesar and Maria Valero, immigrants from Venezuela. He grew up in Manhattan, felt a call to the priesthood, and began seminary training at Cathedral College in Brooklyn. He completed his training at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York, and was ordained in 1956.
After his ordination, he served at St. Michael-St. Edward Parish in Fort Greene for a year, then at St. Agatha Church in Sunset Park for three years. In 1960, he entered Fordham University’s School of Social Service to study social work and earned a master’s degree in 1962.
Shortly after, he began working at the Family Service Office of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and later became director of Kings County, then director of the Office for the Aging.
From 1974 to 1980, he was the coordinator of the Hispanic Apostolate for the diocese and, for much of that time, also served as chairman of the board of the Northeast Hispanic Pastoral Center and as a member of the board of Catholic Relief Services.
He was named an auxiliary bishop in 1980. Three years later, Bishop Francis Mugavero appointed him director of the Catholic Migration and Refugee Office.
When Thomas Daily became bishop of Brooklyn in 1990, he established the Committee on Racial Harmony and asked Auxiliary Bishop Valero to chair it.
During much of his time as an auxiliary bishop, he served as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Jackson Heights.
“He was an interesting personality,” Bishop DiMarzio recalled. “He swam every day. He was quiet. And he enjoyed smoking cigars.”
Auxiliary Bishop Valero retired in 2005 and moved into the Bishop Mugavero Residence, a residence for retired clergy, in Douglaston. He died on March 10, 2019.
In 2022, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens opened the Bishop René A. Valero Senior Residence in Astoria, a 102-unit apartment building for senior citizens, in his honor.