Most Reverend Robert F. Garner, Auxiliary Bishop, Passes at 80 Most Reverend Robert F. Garner, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, died Monday, December 25, 2000. He was 80 years old. Born in Jersey City on April 27, 1920, he was the second of eight children to Michael Garner and the former Mary O'Keefe. Bishop Garner was ordained into the priesthood in 1946 upon completing his studies at Seton Hall University and Immaculate Conception Seminary. Then Father Garner was named associate pastor of Mt. Carmel Parish, Jersey City, where he learned to speak Italian and served for six years. In the 1950s he was sent to Blessed Sacrament Parish in Newark. Among our Jewish brothers and sisters who resided in the neighborhood, the parish formed a warm relationship with the largest Jewish house of worship in the state. As associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament, he directed the parish's award-winning Golden Knights Drum Corps. Until the late 1960s, he led the group of boys up to age 21 on cross-country tours as they racked up honors in competitions, including numerous national awards from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 1967, Father Garner was appointed administrator of Christ the King Parish in Jersey City, where he devoted time to religious education and the formation of new converts. He also was touched by the poverty in the area and reached out to help those in need. The priest helped establish a morning breakfast program for 200 city children, mapped out strategies to arrange for affordable housing and low-cost mortgages and created a local network that found residents job opportunities. In 1971, Father Garner was named pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in Jersey City. During that same year, he was instrumental in the formation of the Jersey City Priests Association, which spoke as a single voice for the residents concerning economic, religious and social issues. On June 25, 1976, along with Bishop Joseph Francis and Bishop Dominic Marconi, Bishop Garner was ordained to the episcopacy by Archbishop Peter L. Gerety at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. The Most Reverend Theodore E. McCarrick, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Newark, said "Bishop Garner would have been 25 years a bishop this Spring. In that almost quarter of a century, he never ceased to be a most pastoral and caring priest. He will be missed by the faithful of the Archdiocese of Newark and by myself." Bishop Garner, who retired on July 11, 1995, had said retirement "only means letting go of administration; my priestly life will continue." In June 1996, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. During his pastorate, Father Garner ministered not only to Catholics or other Christians. He decided to establish his own apostolate to Jewish Hospital because he thought patients might like to see another smiling face from the old neighborhood. Since 1987, Bishop Garner has been involved in the Interfaith Brotherhood-Sisterhood Breakfast, held annually in Bergen County. The event brings together individuals from varying backgrounds and faiths. The funeral will be at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge St., Newark, on Friday, December 29, at 1 pm.
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