STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When Bishop Peter J. Byrne was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese by Pope Francis in 2014, the emotion he felt was shock.
“I didn’t have the usual smooth path through the seminary,” Byrne said. “Sometimes men who are appointed bishops have been educated in Rome at some point, but I was not. It was obviously gratifying, so it was ultimately a good shock. But at first, it was just shock.”
Byrne, who has spent 23 serving parishes on Staten Island, turned 75 on July 24, and as required by Canon Law, on his birthday, submitted his letter of resignation. On October 5, Pope Leo XIV accepted his retirement.
Pictured is Bishop Peter Byrne giving the opening prayer the St.Joseph’s Day Dinner which was held at the Old Bermuda Inn on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Steve White fro the Advance/SIive.com)
Byrne grew up in Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan. His parents, John and Dorothy Byrne, were devout Catholics. “The idea of becoming a priest came into my head at an early age, but I was kind of afraid of it,” he said.
As a boy, Byrne loved to play sports and served as an alter boy. He attended Cardinal Hayes High School in the South Bronx. “Cardinal Hayes had a lot of priests on the faculty when I was there. They positively influenced me a lot,” he said.
He went to Fordham University, majoring in history. “Toward the end of my career at Fordham, I started taking more philosophy classes, because I was thinking of going to the seminary.”
Pictured is Bishop Peter Byrne giving the benediction at the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony on Sept.11,2025. (Steve White for the Advance/SILive.com)Steven White |Advance/SIlive.comSteven White |Advance/SIlive.com
In 1974, he enrolled at Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York. In 1977, he took a leave absence to become a teacher.
“I was at Bishop Ford in Brooklyn for five years as a layperson,” he said. “I had a strange career. I never anticipated becoming a bishop because when I was in the seminary I left and came back. But having that experience helped me in mysterious ways. When you try to give a sermon, it helps if you have a background trying to get a message across to teenagers. It was good preparation.”
Byrne returned to Saint Joseph’s Seminary in 1983 and ordained as a deacon in May of 1984.
“I remember taking the vow of celibacy,” he said. “I had complete assurance at the point. I was convinced this was what God wanted me to do, so there was real conviction.”
Byrne was ordained as a priest in December of 1984. He spent the next eight years at Saint Theresa’s Parish in Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, followed by two years at Saint Thomas Aquinas in the Bronx.
Pictured is Bishop Peter Byrne con-celebrating the Red Mass.Staten Island Advance
In 1994, he was appointed administrator of Immaculate Conception in Stapleton, where he also lived. “It was really nice,” he said. “I got there when I was 43 and when I left I was 62, so it was the heart of my career in many ways.”
“They had a school at the time; it’s since closed,” he said. “I tried to make it an active parish, even though it was not that big. But I really enjoyed my time there.”
Byrne was very active in the days following September 11. “I went over there when we had the opportunity presented to do blessings of the remains. After 9/11, people were very interested in having the clergy involved. They were looking for consolation and hope, so just our presence was important to them.”
What are his days like as a priest? “You say mass, you have your prayers, you do things a pastor does, like visit the sick, or you meet with parishioners and try to organize the place. You have a supervisory role. People might bring concerns to you about different things that happen throughout the sland,” he said.
“Confession is one of the more consoling aspects of being a priest,” he said. “You’re an instrument of God’s mercy.”
“One of the things that surprised me over the years is how grateful people are,” he said. “You think you are doing something very small, but they’re very appreciative if you’re present at a funeral or a wedding, a baptism. One of the great surprises is how much gratitude you get.”
In 2013, Byrne left Immaculate Conception R.C. Church to serve as the pastor of Saint Elizabeth Parish in Manhattan. He returned to Staten Island and now serves as the pastor of the Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church in West Brighton.
He is very active in the pro-life movement. “I was always involved with that, even as a layman, especially during the time I was a teacher. I’d always organize the trip to Washington, the March for Life. I’ve tried to be supportive of the Good Council Home, a home for unwed mothers here on Staten Island.”
Byrne has concerns about the future. “The lack of vocations to the priesthood worries me, that not many young men are choosing this path,” he said. “We certainly need priests and it’s a very rewarding life.”
“I’m grateful that I am able to persevere in the vocation. I feel blessed. The fact that I have good health means that the Lord has other things for me to do. So I try to figure out what that is day by day.”