The Catholic Diocese of Brownsville announced funeral arrangements for Bishop Emeritus Raymundo J. Peña, who died Friday at the age of 87.
Peña’s death was announced in a news release that same day following statements the Brownsville diocese issued on Facebook, calling for prayers for the bishop.
“Bishop Peña passed away about 4:20 p.m. at San Juan Nursing Home on the grounds of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine,” the diocese said in a news release Friday evening. “He had been hospitalized recently for several days at Rio Grande Regional until Thursday evening.”
Peña, who served as head of the Brownsville diocese for 14 years until his retirement in December 2009, was the fourth Hispanic in the United States to be appointed a bishop in 1976.
A Rosary vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville. A viewing will be held Wednesday at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle – National Shrine in San Juan from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The general public will be allowed to participate in Wednesday’s viewing.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle – National Shrine in San Juan and will be followed by the interment. Both the rosary and the funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the Brownsville diocese’s YouTube channel.
The Brownsville diocese is asking for donations to the Seminarian Vocation Fund in lieu of flowers. Donations can be made by visiting www.osvonlinegiving.com.
