October 27, 2025

With deep reverence and heartfelt sorrow, St. John’s University remembers the life and ministry of Rev. Stephen Charles Bicsko, C.M., a devoted Vincentian priest whose life was a testament to compassion, faith, and service to others.

Fr. Bicsko passed peacefully on October 23. He was ordained on May 30, 1970, at Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, PA

Fr. Bicsko, affectionately known around the Queens, NY, campus as “Bisk,” spent 33 of his 55-year priestly vocation at St. John’s, where he impacted the lives and careers of generations of undergraduates who learned from his example and were inspired by his commitment to others, especially the poor and underserved. He served the St. John’s community with distinction from 1983 to 2016.

“The branches of the Fr. Bicsko family tree grew in different directions but are all rooted in his humble Vincentian example to see the joy in serving others,” observed Brian Browne ’93C, ’97G, Associate Vice President of University Communications and Public Affairs, who first met Fr. Bicsko as an undergraduate in the late 1980s. “Countless St. John’s alumni professional careers and personal lives were guided and influenced by his unique ability to make giving back and giving to others a meaningful cause.”

The word cause was both a noun and a verb to Fr. Bicsko. He was a longtime mentor and adviser to a student-led volunteer organization called C.A.U.S.E. (Community and University Services in Education). The campus volunteer organization, which had been housed for years in a temporary trailer situated behind the student University Center, was a predecessor to the Office of Academic Service-Learning. 

Fr. Bicsko was ever-present at campus events; liturgies and social occasions often found him dressed down, rolling up his sleeves to offer a helping hand to whatever must be done. Throughout his Vincentian vocation, he embraced and espoused various causes, including service to the poor, championing the importance of women in leadership, promoting peace and nonviolence, advocating for racial equality, and fostering ecumenical dialogue and respect, to name a few.

One branch of the Bicsko family tree is Arthur Gianelli ’91C, M.B.A., MPH, FACHE, now President and Chief Transformation Officer at One Brooklyn Health. When addressing graduates at the graduate-level Commencement Exercises for St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on May 18, 2022, Mr. Gianelli reflected:

“During my sophomore year, I was approached by Fr. Bicsko and asked to consider running a student organization called C.A.U.S.E. The organization had its origins in the 1960s, and its purpose was to serve disadvantaged residents of New York City and introduce less fortunate children to what life might be like on a college campus. Yet, the energy behind C.A.U.S.E. had dissipated by the late 1980s. It was an organization in need of renewed leadership.

Fr. Bicsko was the ‘cool priest’ on campus. He was acutely sensitized to issues of poverty and race, and he was just rebellious enough to make the work of leading a student organization seem like a great adventure. 

Still, I didn’t say yes right away. It would take two more years to summon the courage to become whatever it was that Fr. Bicsko saw in me. It was worth the wait. We rousted C.A.U.S.E. from its near moribund status and positioned it as the leading student organization on campus.

So, the most important lesson I was taught at St. John’s didn’t occur in a classroom. It came from actual experience, from the Vincentian connection of learning to the provision of service to those less fortunate.”

Fr. Bicsko served the Catholic Church and the Vincentian community with unwavering dedication. Known for his gentle spirit and pastoral heart, he ministered to countless souls, gently offering comfort, guidance, and spiritual nourishment. His vocation was not merely a role—it was a calling he embraced with humility and grace.

“I remember Fr. Bicsko from my very first years in Student Affairs,” recalled Jackie Lochrie ’94Ed, ’99GEd, ’08PD, ’24Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs. “He always had a kind word and kept even the most chaotic scenarios comprehensible, never venturing far from his calm and cool demeanor. 

He gave me the Dr. Seuss book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, when I completed my master’s degree. Little did I know how foreshadowing it would be. 

I was present at many marriages and baptisms of my St. John’s colleagues and classmates who were honored to have him celebrate these most meaningful sacraments. Many legacies at the Queens campus continue because of his ever-caring spirit and Vincentian charism, which he brought to those who worked or were fortunate to interact with him.”

Throughout his years of service, Fr. Bicsko was a beacon of hope to those in need. Whether in the pulpit, at the bedside of the sick, or in quiet prayer, he embodied the Vincentian charism of serving the poor and marginalized. His presence was a source of peace, and his words carried the wisdom of a life steeped in prayer, service, and reflection. He had a dry, droll sense of humor and a mischievous grin that could light up a room or defuse a tense situation.

His off-campus home, shared with other Vincentians, was a place to entertain students and friends, and the lively dinner conversations he encouraged were a mix of prayer, politics, and pop culture. 

Fr. Bicsko mentored students and young campus professionals with his example and a willingness to question authority, push boundaries, and move long-established procedures toward new ideas and innovation. Never straying from Catholic principles, he demonstrated the universality of service to others, including non-Catholics and those of no faith.

“When I was a new professional just starting at St. John’s, Fr. Bicsko’s office was next door to mine,” recalled Lucy A. Pesce, Executive Director for Mission Initiatives. “He not only helped me to understand what it meant to work at a Catholic and Vincentian university, but also showed me how to do it with genuine care, compassion, and a healthy dose of humor. He will be greatly missed.”

Eventually, Fr. Bicsko faced a severe health crisis with courage and faith. With his physical health slowed, he retired from his role as Chaplain at the School of Law in 2016.

The twilight years of his life were spent with his Vincentian confreres at St. Catherine’s Infirmary in Philadelphia, PA. While his memory dimmed and his mind clouded, there were glimpses of his fighting spirit and the quick wit that characterized his well-lived life.

The legacy he leaves behind is etched in the hearts of all who know him. His career and ministry, marked by kindness and devotion, continues to inspire those of us who walk the path of service and faith.

The University honors Fr. Bicsko not only for what he did, but for who he was—a faithful servant, a compassionate shepherd, and a beloved member of the Vincentian/St. John’s family. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Relatives and friends are invited to his viewings, Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Vincent’s Seminary, 500 East Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144. 

The Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. 

Interment will be held on Wednesday after Mass at Princeton Abbey & Cemetery, 75 Mapleton Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. 

At St. John’s, Fr. Bicsko will be remembered at the 12:15 p.m. Bereavement Mass on November 6 in St. Thomas More Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Catherine’s Infirmary, 500 East Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144.