Background
Gilbert, Edward Joseph was born on December 26, 1936 in Brooklyn.
archbishop bishop Catholic priest
Gilbert, Edward Joseph was born on December 26, 1936 in Brooklyn.
He studied for the priesthood at Street Mary"s College Seminary, North East, Pennsylvania and Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, New New York
He served as bishop of the Diocese of Roseau in Dominica, from 1994-2001. He was the Archbishop of Portuguese of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago between 2001-2011. Early life & Ministry
He was ordained a priest on June 21, 1964.
He earned a Doctor of Canon Law degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, District of Columbia. From 1968 - 1969 he was involved in parish ministry in Brooklyn.
He was assigned to the faculty at Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary from 1970-1984. He served as professor of Canon Law for 14 years, academic dean for six years and the seminary rector for six years.
In 1984 he was elected the Provincial Superior of the Baltimore Province, a position he held until he was named bishop. Bishop of Roseau
On July 1, 1994 Blessed John Paul II named him the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Roseau.
He was consecrated by Archbishop Kelvin Edward Felix of Castries on September 7, 1994.
The principal co-consecrators were Bishops Ronald Gerard Connors, C.Ss.R. of San Juan de la Maguana and Eustaquio Pastor Cuquejo Verga, C.Ss.R. of the Military Ordinariate of Paraguay. During his six years in Roseau Bishop Gilbert worked to reorganize the diocese. He inaugurated the Diocesan Synod, which involved the clergy, religious and laity in all its aspects.
All areas of church life were studied and four areas were selected for on-going pastoral care: family life, youth, training and finances.
Gilbert promoted vocations to the priesthood and religious life. He modernized church structures, which included the appointment of the first woman to be the chancellor of the diocese.
He also created the Dominica Catholic, a quarterly diocesan newspaper. Archbishop of Portuguese of Spain
Saint John Paul II named Bishop Gilbert the 11th archbishop of Portuguese of Spain on March 21, 2001.
He was installed in Portuguese of Spain on May 5, 2001.
Archbishop Gilbert served the archdiocese for eleven years until his resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on December 26, 2011.