James Massa

James Massa (born September 3, 1960) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn in New York City since 2015 and as rector of St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York since 2020.

Biography

Early life James Massa was born on September 3, 1960, in Jersey City, New Jersey to Andrew and Irene Gilbert Massa. Having decided to become a priest, James Massa attended Boston College in Boston Massachusetts, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology and history in 1982. He continued his education at the Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut, where he received a Master of Theology degree in 1985.

Priesthood

Massa was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn at St. Theresa's Church in Woodside New York, on Oct. 25, 1986 by Bishop Francis Mugavero. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Massa to the following positions:

Assistant pastor at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Forest Hills, New York (1986 to 1990). He also served as an adjunct professor at Saint John's University in Queens, New York (1987 to 1989) Chaplain at Queens College, City University of New York in Queens (1990 to 1993) Chaplain and professor at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas (1993 to 1996) Professor at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts (1997 to 2001), Massa received his Doctor of Systematic Theology degree from Fordham University in New York City in 1997. Professor at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Lloyd Harbor, New York, (2001 to 2005).