Brooklyn Pastor Dies From Coronavirus, Diocese Says

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — A Bushwick pastor less than a year into heading his congregation is the first Catholic priest nationwide to die from coronavirus complication, according to the Brooklyn Diocese said.

Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, 49, passed away March 27 at a hospital not far from St. Bridget's Church, where he ministered to worshippers on the border between Brooklyn and Queens, a diocese release stated.

He was particularly involved in ministering to Mexican immigrants and hailed from Mexico City himself, the diocese said. Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio delivered online statements in both Spanish and English.

“This is a sad day and a tremendous loss for the Diocese of Brooklyn. Father Jorge was a great priest, beloved by the Mexican people and a tireless worker for all of the faithful in Brooklyn and Queens,” DiMarzio said in a statement.

To keep up to date with coronavirus developments in New York City, sign up for Patch's news alerts and newsletter.

Ortiz-Garay was known as "Father Jorge," the diocese said. He was ordained into the priesthood at the Archdiocese of Newark in 2004 and arrived at St. Joseph's in Prospect Heights after his move to the Brooklyn Diocese in 2009, according to a release.

He served as St. Brigid's administrator for about five years before he was installed as its pastor on July 13, 2019, a release states. The diocese officially made him a priest of the diocese in December, according to a release.

Parishioners might know him best for being the diocese's coordinator of ministry to Mexican immigrants or his work organizing a torch-lit pilgrimage through Brooklyn and Queens for the Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day, a release states.

As of Monday morning, 790 people in New York City have died from coronavirus-related complications out of 36,221 confirmed cases, according to city data. Queens and Brooklyn have the most reported cases.

Coronavirus In NYC: What's Happened And What You Need To Know