Special Message on
the Golden Jubilee of Priestly Ordination of
the Golden Jubilee of Priestly Ordination of
BISHOP GERALD M. BARBARITO
On a day such as this, Saturday, January 31, in the year 1976, Deacon Gerald M. Barbarito was ordained to the sacred priesthood at the Parish Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Astoria, Queens, New York. It was the feast day of Saint John Bosco, the great Italian priest-educator who became a living sign of unwavering love for the Church and the Blessed Mother, and of tireless dedication to God’s mission, particularly in the pastoral care and formation of young people. During his period of transitional diaconate, Deacon Barbarito had faithfully served that vibrant parish community, and in keeping with the custom of the time, it was there that he was ordained a presbyter through the laying on of hands of the then Diocesan Bishop of Brooklyn, the Most Reverend Francis J. Mugavero, himself a native son of Brooklyn.
Fifty years later, that priest ordained in 1976 now stands—by the grace of our Lord—as the Bishop of Palm Beach, celebrating his Golden Jubilee of priestly ordination in a most eloquent and profoundly ecclesial manner: by conferring the sacrament of Holy Orders upon another deacon, Mr. Jedidiah Preble. What a singularly beautiful and providential way to mark fifty years of a life configured to Christ the Priest—by becoming once again a living instrument, a pontifex, a bridge through whom God grants that same sacred grace to a new generation.
In this sacred moment, Bishop Barbarito embodies the enduring fruitfulness of the priesthood itself: a ministry that does not turn inward upon past achievements, but continually gives itself away in service to the future of the Church. As the Lord promised, “I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16). Today, that promise is made visible as the grace once received is now faithfully handed on.
The ordination of Deacon Jedidiah Preble on the very day of Bishop Barbarito’s priestly jubilee stands as a powerful sign of apostolic continuity and hope. It is the Church’s living testimony that the call of Christ—“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19)—continues to resound across generations, drawing new hearts to generous service for the People of God. In this sacred exchange of grace, the Bishop, marked forever by the fullness of the priesthood, becomes once more the servant through whom Christ Himself acts, as the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: “Every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God” (Hebrews 5:1).
On this golden anniversary, the Diocese of Palm Beach gives thanks to God for fifty years of faithful priestly ministry marked by humility, perseverance, pastoral charity, and an unwavering love for the Church. We rejoice not only in the past that is rightly honored today, but also in the future that is born anew at the altar. May the Lord, who began this good work, bring it to fulfillment (cf. Philippians 1:6), and may Bishop Barbarito’s witness continue to inspire priests, seminarians, and all the faithful to lives of generous and joyful service to Christ and His Church. It is especially fitting that this jubilee be celebrated on the feast of Saint John Bosco, for whom Bishop Barbarito has long held a special devotion—so much so that he chose to include this great saint of priestly fatherhood and youthful hope within his episcopal coat of arms, as a lasting sign of a ministry shaped by pastoral charity, confidence in divine providence, and a deep love for the young and for the future of the Church.
Ad multos annos.
+Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez
Bishop-Elect of Palm Beach, Florida
January 31, 2026
Video Message
From Bishop-Elect Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez
From Bishop-Elect Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez
"Big City Catholics" Podcast
with Bishop-Elect Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez
with Bishop-Elect Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez
Podcast of the Diocese of Brooklyn hosted by Bishop Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn and Reverend Christopher R. Heanue, Rector of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph and coordinator of the Ministry to Irish immigrants.
