Rev. Michael J. Burke

Father Michael Burke, 67

Father Michael Burke died March 11 at the age of 67. He faithfully served as a priest of the Paterson Diocese for 42 years.
The reception of the body and viewing will be on Thursday, March 15, from 4 to 8 p.m. at St. Brendan and St. George Church, Lakeview and Crooks Avenue here. An evening Prayer Service will be held at 7:30 p.m.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m. in St. Brendan and St. George Church. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.
Born in Oswego, N.Y., Father Burke was ordained a priest on May 15, 1976 by Bishop Lawrence Casey in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. During his priestly ministry, he was involved in parish ministry, teaching history and business law at Morris Catholic High School in Denville and working with the diocesan Tribunal.
He also had served as director of legal services and director of special programs at Catholic Family and Community Services in Paterson, an agency of diocesan Catholic Charities. During his time with Catholic Charities, he was a practicing attorney specializing in the field of immigration and nationality law. He also supervised the special child health services, early intercession program, the northeast regional early intervention evaluation team, teen counseling and family counseling programs.
He was graduated from LeMoyne College, Syracuse, N.Y., with bachelor's degree in philosophy; earned a master's degree in Sacred Theology from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Seton Hall University's School of Law.
In 2000, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in London. He was a member of the American Bar Association and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He was a member of the board of trustees of Family Service League and served in the Morris County Children's Consortium. In 2005, he was sworn in as an officer of the U.S. Supreme Court.