Frank Joseph Rodimer

Rodimer was born in Rockaway, New Jersey, and ordained to the priesthood on May 19, 1951. He studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., from where he obtained his licentiate in theology in 1951 and doctorate in canon law in 1954 for a thesis entitled The Canonical Effects of Infamy of Fact: A Historical Synopsis and Commentary, which was published by the Catholic University of America Press.

In June 1954, Rodimer was appointed Assistant Chancellor of the Diocese of Paterson and Secretary of the Diocesan Tribunal. During this time, he served as Assistant Pastor to St. Brendan's Parish in Clifton. He was later appointed first Diocesan Director of Sacred Liturgy. He was named Priest-Secretary of Bishop James J. Navagh and attended the sessions of the Second Vatican Council as Navagh's principal aide. In December 1964, he was appointed Secretary of the Diocesan College of Consultors. In his capacity as Priest-Secretary, Rodimer was present in Rome when Bishop Navagh died in October 1965, and was responsible for returning to New Jersey with the body of the bishop for burial services. Under his predecessor Bishop Lawrence B. Casey, Rodimer was Administrator of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Sparta from April 1967 to January 1968, at which time he became Pastor of St. Paul's Parish in Clifton. He also served as the Diocesan Chancellor, and in that capacity, was elected Diocesan Administrator by the College of Consultors upon Casey's death in June 1977.

On December 5, 1977, Pope Paul VI appointed Rodimer the sixth Bishop of Paterson, the first native-born bishop in the diocese. He was ordained bishop on February 28, 1978, with Archbishop Peter Gerety of the Archdiocese of Newark as principal consecrator, and Archbishops Joseph Bernardin of Cincinnati and Peter Poreku Dery of Tamale, Ghana serving as co-consecrators.

As bishop, Rodimer wrote a weekly column for the diocesan newspaper, The Beacon. He also established a $7 million diocesan endowment to support Catholic schools, parishes and other diocesan ministries through fund raising. With corporate leaders, Rodimer established the Tri-County Scholarship fund which continues to provide scholarships to needy students attending Catholic schools conducted by the diocese and parishes in Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties.[1] During his tenure, Rodimer made public his opposition to capital punishment and permanent replacements for striking workers.[2]

Although he once declared, "I fear for a society which deplores but does little or nothing to address the horrible daily realities which many of our children face",[2] Rodimer admitted his "own inadequacy" in failing to prevent at least four of his clerical colleagues, with whom he shared a Long Island beach house, from committing sexual abuse.[3] Rodimer retired as Bishop on June 1, 2004, after twenty-six years of service. He was succeeded by Newark Auxiliary Bishop Bishop Arthur Serratelli. In later years, Rodimer's decision to approve of the Vatican naming Serratelli as his successor gave him criticism, due to sex abuse allegations facing Serratelli's longtime superior, Archdiocese of Newark Archbishop Theodore McCarrick.[4] Reporting in 2020 also revealed that a Diocese of Paterson priest had informed Rodimer in the late 1980s of allegations that McCarrick had sexually abuses boys at his beach house and that Rodimer had responded that he would contact U.S. representatives of the Vatican.[4]

Rodimer died on December 6, 2018 at his residence in St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Totowa, New Jersey, aged 91.[5]

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson Official Site
• USCCB - Press Release