When he was the pastor of St. Gabriel, Father Gioacchino Basile had a big dream — renovate the church and make it more beautiful for his parishioners. His dream has been realized but, tragically, he didn’t live to see the finished product.

When he was the pastor of St. Gabriel, Father Gioacchino Basile had a big dream — renovate the church and make it more beautiful for his parishioners. His dream has been realized but, tragically, he didn’t live to see the finished product.
The body of the late-pastor of St. Gabriel’s Church in East Elmhurst, Father Gioacchino Basile, one of the diocesan priests who died April 4 due to complications associated with COVID-19, will make its way home to Calabria, a region in southern Italy. On Sept. 8, parishioners gathered outside of Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen, Carroll Gardens, to bid their final farewell to their beloved pastor and friend.
The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn has learned of condolences from Pope Francis over the death of two priests serving the Diocese of Brooklyn due to coronavirus.