Advancing Our Church

Advancing Our Church


37. Msgr. John J. Bracken

July 29, 2023

Published: November 03, 2019



Today we finish our coverage of the 2019 International Catholic Stewardship Conference with an interview with Msgr. John J. Bracken. Msgr. Bracken stopped by our booth at ICSC this year, and we had a terrific impromptu interview about his life as a priest and his career not only as the Vicar General for the Diocese of Brooklyn but also as the very first Director of Development. He has been a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn for over 52 years. Msgr. Bracken is a bit of a legend because he literally created the job of a Development Director right at the time in history when the Bishop’s pastoral document, Stewardship: A Disciples Response, was published. Monsignor talks about his career, his calling, and the nature of Stewardship. Please enjoy this interview with our host, Jim Friend.



About Msgr. John J. Bracken

A native of Richmond Hill, he attended St. Benedict Joseph School; Cathedral College, Brooklyn; St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore; and St. Louis University. He served as an assistant at St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, 1967-77. Msgr. also served at St. Teresa, Woodside, 1977-80; and Our Lady Help of Christians, Midwood, 1980-84. He was the Episcopal Vicar for Queens North, 1984-91; and director of the diocesan Development Office, 1991-2009. He was named Vicar General for Temporalities in 2004. In addition, he has been the administrator of Holy Name parish, Windsor Terrace, 2009-10. Msgr. Bracken was the administrator of Our Lady Help of Christians and administrator of St. Mary Star of the Sea-St. Gertrude. He also served as a member of the Priests Senate and a member of the Diocesan Board of Consultors. He was on the board of directors for the Office of Pastoral Communications at St. Joseph’s Hospital.



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