From Brooklyn to the Islands: The Redemptorist captain who steered with truth

By Fr Robert Christo

Vicar for Communications

Archbishop Emeritus Edward  Gilbert CSsR of the St Alphonsus Villa community, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, died on October 15, 2025, at the age of 88. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1936, he professed Redemptorist vows in 1959, was ordained in 1964, earned a doctorate in canon law and served as professor, seminary rector, provincial superior, Bishop of Roseau (1994–2001), and Archbishop of Port of Spain (2001–2011).

From the brownstones of Brooklyn to the bright blue shores of the Caribbean, Archbishop Gilbert lived as a steady captain steering by the compass of truth and brevity.

He was known for sentences that could cut through the heart: “Upfront, be truthful, and I’ll stand by you. Otherwise, you’re on your own.” His were sermons in miniature—brief, pointed biblical, profound, and bold.

During his years in Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago, he brought discipline without dryness and spirituality with structure. A canonist by training, he believed good Church order was not bureaucracy but love in motion and ministry that hit the mark.

In Roseau, Dominica, he convened the first diocesan synod, inviting clergy, Religious, and laity to chart the Church’s mission together in family life, youth, training, and finance. He appointed the first female diocesan chancellor, launched The Dominica Catholic newspaper, and ensured everyone had a voice at the helm.

As Archbishop of Port of Spain, he strengthened formation, deepened structure, promoted collaboration, and blended reverence with Caribbean colour—once approving the use of floral malas at a church dedication in Princes Town, proving that Catholic worship could wear island heritage and beauty gracefully.

He was a man of one-liners and long vision. I remember him visiting the Remand Yard, Golden Grove Prison with us during Christmas prison ministry—the place reeked of sweat, filth, and despair.

He leaned over and whispered, “Christo, get me outta here!” We both giggled. Even there, his eyes saw grace beneath the grime. He often told me, “Your ordination is ontological…this cultural integration is profound but a bit much for me .”

Those words still sincerely anchor my soul. He pushed junior priests into the peripheries—Cedros, Point Fortin, Tortuga, the rough seas of mission—so they could learn that Christ dwells where comfort ends.

He was not everyone’s idea of soft, but he was everyone’s idea of solid. When I once protested, “There are priests who seem to be doing little, why me again?” he replied, “When they want to be priests, they will tell me.”

His leadership was firm but fatherly, grounded in Scripture and seasoned with sharp laughter. Beneath the Brooklyn grit was a Caribbean grace that made people feel both corrected and cared for.

When he retired at 75, Archbishop Gilbert returned to his Redemptorist community in Florida but never stopped praying for “we people.” He followed The Catholic News faithfully and rejoiced in every sign of renewal.

His episcopal service stretched 17 years across two dioceses, yet his true legacy lies in the countless hearts he formed to love truthfully and serve humbly.

Like St Paul, he could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).

His voyage is complete, the sails furled, the captain at rest. May the Master welcome him with the words every faithful servant longs to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord.”

From Park Slope to Port of Spain, we shared similar work beginnings in rough inner cities in NYC, both without silver platters but full of character and grace. Archbishop Gilbert steered with truth, charted with wisdom, and loved with the heart of a true Redemptorist. May he rest in peace.