The ORDO – A Daily Remembrance

The Ordo is a book found in almost every church sacristy to help the celebrant of the Mass in two ways. Upon entering the sacristy, it is checked for the order of the celebration: color of vestments, type of feast, scripture readings for the Mass, and some brief information about the saint if a saint’s feast is being celebrated that day. So, the Ordo provides any and all liturgical information to make things run smoothly at the altar and in the ambo (pulpit). But there is also another important and most useful reason to consult the Ordo: it also contains a necrology, that is, a list of all the deceased Diocesan bishops (ordinaries and auxiliaries), priests, and deacons who have been ordained for the diocese. It gives the celebrant a chance to look over the list of deceased for that day so that he can give them a silent memento in the Eucharist he is about to celebrate.

We have a very unique situation in the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Brooklyn and Queens. Founded in 1853, the Brooklyn diocese served all four counties of Long Island (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk) until 1957, when the Diocese of Rockville Centre was created. Now Rockville Centre serves Nassau and Suffolk. The Ordo that we use serves both dioceses. Many Ordos serve more than one diocese. There is a very close connection between the priests of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre, not only because of the proximity of the counties they serve, but also because many (not all) of the priests studied together in the same seminary. So, this has closely bonded us even after “the split” as it’s called, in 1957. There is not only the geographical connection but also a fraternal bond or connection which we treasure forever.

For me personally, having been a priest of Brooklyn for 54 years and a Bishop for the last 13 years, looking at the Ordo each day gives me a chance to call to mind not only my classmates but also other priests, some with whom I studied in the seminary, others I have lived with, or worked with in one way or another. I attended many of their funerals, some of which were close friends or others for whom I was representing the diocesan Bishop. It never ceases to amaze me when I look at the year they died and realize time and time again how quickly the years go by.

Priests ordained for the Brooklyn diocese but who died as priests of the Rockville Centre diocese are given the distinct BKN/RVC recognition. Whereas priests ordained for Brooklyn who served their whole life in Brooklyn are listed BKN, and priests who were ordained for Rockville Centre after its founding in 1957 are listed as RVC. Deacons do not have that issue, since the Permanent Diaconate did not begin till the late 1970’s. It’s a history lesson to read the Ordo each day, and it is a reminder of the many, many years of service given by the clergy to Long Island.

As we bishops, priests, and deacons get older, we realize how grateful we are to have been chosen by God for these ministerial roles. We realize that one day God will call us to give an accounting of ourselves, and the stewardship of the gifts entrusted to us! One day, our names will be listed in the Ordo too! Hopefully, the younger generation of clergy that follows us will look upon these pages of deceased clergy and remember them in prayer and at Mass as we have done for so many years. May all the deceased clergy of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre rest in the peace of Jesus Christ, the High Priest!