Bishop-elect Chau shares his experiences as a priest
Pedro Bismarck Chau entered Saint Andrew’s College Seminary at Seton Hall University in 2001. The man who would become the newest Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, and the first Nicaraguan-born bishop in the United States, was 34 years old at the time.
“I was the second-oldest person there,” Bishop-elect Chau told Jersey Catholic. “Most of the others were in their late teens and early twenties.”
When he knelt in the seminary chapel to pray the Liturgy of the Hours on his first day at Saint Andrew’s, “I didn’t even know how to use a breviary,” the bishop-elect recalled. He also shared how those in charge of his formation were always reminding him that he was in a period of discernment. In his heart, he felt certainty that he was being called to the priesthood, however.
“I remember thinking to myself, ‘This is where I need to be,’” Bishop-elect Chau said. “I felt sure God was calling me to be there.”
While at Saint Andrew’s, Bismarck Chau earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Seton Hall. He then pursued theological formation at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, earning master’s degrees in theology and pastoral ministry. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark in 2008.
Following God’s plan
“I have been a priest for seventeen years now, and it’s been great,” he said. “Looking back at all my assignments, it’s amazing how God brought me to this moment.”
Much of Bishop-elect Chau’s ministry has been devoted to working with young people. After first serving as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mount Virgin in Garfield, New Jersey, he was appointed associate director of CYO and Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese. Later, while serving as pastor of St. John’s Church and St. Patrick’s Pro-Cathedral, he also served as campus minister at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University in Newark.
The bishop-elect has also been an assistant director of vocations and a member of the Priest Personnel Board.
Most of those assignments came as a surprise. Bishop-elect Chau said that he has often had to set aside his ideas and expectations to accept God’s plans for his life. He was hoping to take a break from youth ministry, for instance, when the Office of Youth Ministry called him. “After praying and talking to people, I realized that’s where God wanted me to go,” Bishop-elect Chau said. “And, I must tell you, my time there was amazing. Three months into my time there, I already began seeing the fruits, and I said, ‘Lord, thank you. This is where you needed me to be.’”
Helping those who face difficulties
He often shares such experiences with young people who find themselves struggling in life.
“Many young people don’t know where they want to be or what to do with their lives,” Bishop-elect Chau said. “I always tell them, talk to other people, because by talking to other people, God can speak to you as well.”
In 2021, recognizing that the young people and married couples he was encountering needed mental health support, Bishop-elect Chau obtained a master’s degree in professional counseling from Seton Hall.
Years before that, the experience of trying to help his deaf sister led him to learn American Sign Language. He has long served as a chaplain to the Archdiocese of Newark’s Deaf Ministry Services.
“Other people learn Spanish to minister to Spanish-speakers; I learned sign language to minister to those who sign,” Bishop-elect Chau said. “It’s been a great blessing.”
Creating a place of welcome and community
For the last five years, Bishop-elect Chau has served as rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which he refers to as “a beautiful gem.” While caring for such a historic site carries great responsibility, he said that his initial mandate from Cardinal Tobin was simple: “When I came to the cathedral, he told me, ‘Bismarck, your job is to bring people here.’”
The first thing Father Bismarck did was to gather his staff and share his vision of what he wanted the cathedral to become. “For instance, I said to the ushers: ‘You have a huge responsibility,’” the bishop-elect said. “‘You are the face of Christ and the welcoming hands of Christ when people walk into the cathedral. Always keep that in mind. You don’t know what people are going through. A smile and a welcome can change someone’s life.’”
“If you want to create a welcoming, warm community, that starts not just with the environment, but the people,” Bishop-elect Chau said.
“A lot of people are church shopping right now,” he added. “They jump from one place to another. We want to keep them because they feel that this is a place where they belong.”
The bishop-elect is proud that so many people now consider the cathedral their spiritual home. “It’s a very diverse and vibrant community that is truly hungry for the Lord,” he said.
At an August 17 gathering to celebrate his upcoming consecration, many parishioners commented on how Father Chau had made them feel part of a family. “We’re really going to miss him,” one woman, Marie, told Jersey Catholic. “But we’re also really excited for the whole Archdiocese. He’s going to be a wonderful bishop.”
“Dios es mi fuerza”
This past spring, on April 15, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, called Father Chau with news of his most unexpected assignment yet – Pope Francis had appointed him an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark.
“I was shocked, because I’m sure there are more qualified guys than me,” Bishop-elect Chau said. “But for some reason, when I got the call, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. In my mind, I thought, ‘Well, this is what you want from me now, Lord.’”
That day was full of meetings; it was not until later in the afternoon that he had a chance to process the news. He prayed the Rosary – the sorrowful mysteries, since it was a Tuesday. That night, he was unable to sleep.
Reflecting and writing about all that had happened, he recalled a phrase from that day’s first reading: “For now the Lord has spoken, who formed me as his servant from the womb…” (Isaiah 49:5).
“I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness!’” Bishop-elect Chau said with a laugh.
The end of the same line from Isaiah also sprang to mind: “…my God is now my strength!” He realized that the same point was reflected in the day’s responsorial psalm and Gospel reading. That is how he came to choose “Dios Es Mi Fuerza” as the motto on his episcopal coat of arms.
A servant of God and His people
Following the death of Pope Francis, the bishop-elect’s appointment was not formalized until Pope Leo XIV was elected, with the announcement of his appointment by the current pope on May 30.
Bishop-elect Chau said that he remains humbled at having been chosen for his new role. He is still learning what will be expected of him as an auxiliary bishop who will serve as the Regional Bishop of Hudson County. “I’m excited to work with the entire Archdiocese to support Cardinal Tobin’s mission and plans,” he said. “The one thing I know for sure right now is that I want to make myself available to my brother priests in Hudson County and support them. That’s where I would like to start.”
The bishop-elect added that he has been deeply moved by the excitement of the many Nicaraguans living in exile in New Jersey who have reached out to him since his appointment was announced.
“The persecution of the Church in Nicaragua is really open,” Bishop-elect Chau said. Bishops have been jailed, as well as priests who simply prayed for their imprisoned bishops. “Other priests have been put in jail for no reason at all,” he added somberly. “It really is a difficult situation.”
He has also been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement he has received from the wider Hispanic community and his brother priests.
“I know people in the Archdiocese have been praying for me,” the bishop-elect said. “I just ask them to keep praying to help me follow God’s will and that He gives me the wisdom that I need, so that I can hear with his ears, see with his eyes, and speak the truth.”
“I want to be a servant of the Lord; and being a servant of the Lord means being a servant of the people,” Bishop-elect Chau concludes. “That’s what I want my episcopate to be, of service. I pray that the Lord may continue to give me that desire.”
You can view a photo gallery featuring more images of Bishop-elect Chau’s ministry HERE.
READ MORE: Bishop-elect Chau reflects on his journey to God and the priesthood
Featured Image: Bishop-elect Pedro Bismarck Chau (Photo courtesy Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart)
