Died March 27, 2020
Priest New York, New York
The Rev. Jorge Ortiz-Garay was a father figure to many in his Brooklyn congregation.
“Father Jorge was someone who cared for others before himself,” said the Rev. Joseph Dutan, Jorge’s close friend and colleague. “He would set you straight and correct you if you did something wrong. More than a father, he was an actual father who guided our community that is mainly Hispanic and low-income immigrants.”
Jorge grew up in Mexico, and after receiving his law degree, he followed his calling to the priesthood to the United States. He was ordained in the Archdiocese of Newark in 2004 and was moved to the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2009.
He was a pastor at St. Brigid Church in Wyckoff Heights, an area straddling Brooklyn and Queens, and he was the coordinator of the diocese’s ministry to Mexican immigrants.
The pastor had chronic bronchitis and started showing symptoms of the coronavirus in early March. On March 27, Jorge, 49, died at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn.
Joseph said that many looked up to the pastor. “In times of difficulty, Father Jorge would tell his people ‘ánimo,’ meaning courage,” he said. “Have faith, have courage.”