When Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio submitted his resignation to the Vatican on June 16, 2019, little did he know that, more than two years later, he would still be serving as Bishop of Brooklyn.

An international expert in the field of migration with a doctorate in Social Work, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio has been at the forefront of the debate over immigrants’ rights and policies, both internationally and nationally, that govern the movements of peoples.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio arrived in Brooklyn in 2003, shortly after news of the clergy sex abuse crisis was breaking across the United States.

While hundreds of priests may appear at major diocesan functions, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a clergy shortage.

For the past 18 years that Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio has been the spiritual leader of Brooklyn and Queens, making tough decisions that have been both popular and not so popular, according to colleagues.

Nicholas DiMarzio grew up in Newark, New Jersey, right across the street from the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart where he grew up knowing the priests and eventually becoming an altar server.

Reflecting on these almost 18 years, I recognize how fast time has gone and try to recall some of the accomplishments during this time.