When the COVID-19 pandemic first gripped the nation in March 2020, few communities felt its pain more acutely than the parishioners of Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Highlandtown.

The largely Hispanic faith community, composed heavily of immigrants, suffered significant loss – reporting 36 COVID-related deaths within the first weeks of the pandemic, many of them young adults in their 30s and 40s.
Amid fear and heartbreak, Redemptorist Father Bruce A. Lewandowski, then pastor of the parish, provided a steady and reassuring presence for the community.
Omar Pineda, a parishioner originally from El Salvador, recalled how Father Lewandowski stepped up in the crisis. Understanding that delayed COVID testing could be deadly, the priest worked with civic leaders to host free testing clinics on parish grounds – each drawing more than 500 people.
But his concern wasn’t limited to physical health. Pineda remembered how Father Lewandowski made sure every Mass was livestreamed, helping parishioners remain spiritually connected amid isolation.
“There was one time when I saw Father Bruce alone in the church, crying,” Pineda said. “It was during Holy Week – when our church normally would have been packed, with two Masses at the same time, and now it was empty. He just said, ‘I miss everybody. I miss you guys.’”
To keep traditions alive, the priest invited parishioners to hang palms on their doors on Palm Sunday and to symbolically wash the feet of loved ones on Holy Thursday. Videos were shared on parish social media.

During the pandemic, Pope Francis elevated Father Lewandowski to bishop. The Ohio native, who had served at Sacred Heart of Jesus since 2016, was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Baltimore in a mostly empty Cathedral of Mary Our Queen Aug. 18, 2020.
Once in-person liturgies resumed, Pineda recalled seeing Bishop Lewandowski (who continued as pastor for about a year into his episcopacy) regularly don a backpack disinfectant kit and spray pews between Masses.
“We all felt very close to him,” said Pineda, calling him one of the hardest-working priests he has ever met.
The way Bishop Lewandowski handled the pandemic mirrored how he approached other challenges in Baltimore. His tenacity and care were evident in his leadership of the Seek the City to Come pastoral planning initiative and his encouragement of synodal listening.
Grateful for his service
As Bishop Lewandowski prepared for his May 20 installation as the 10th bishop of Providence, R.I., people from throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore thanked him for his nine years of ministry here.
Archbishop William E. Lori offered a May 4 farewell Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, and employees of the Catholic Center shared their well-wishes at a May 8 dessert reception.
Hundreds from the Hispanic community gathered May 10 at Sacred Heart of Jesus for a festive sendoff, complete with a Mariachi band and traditional foods from Spanish-speaking countries.

“I just have to say that Bishop Bruce is the most brilliant savant I have ever had the opportunity to work with,” said Geri Royale Byrd, former director of Seek the City.
Byrd worked closely with the bishop through the multi-year effort that involved listening to parishioners and enlisting their help in drafting a plan that ultimately resulted in merging 61 Baltimore-area parishes into 30 worship sites.
“By ‘savant,’ I mean that he operates with a compassionate brilliance and a humility that is resounding,” Byrd explained. “He doesn’t just walk the walk. He knows it. He feels it. He feels with you. He put his whole heart and soul into it.”
Adrienne Curry, director of the archdiocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministries, noted that Bishop Lewandowski had a very difficult job in leading Seek the City. Change is never easy, she said, and he had to face many angry or hurting people throughout the process. He listened to everyone, she said, even those who were upset with him.
“I know a lot of the decisions were very agonizing for him because we talked about it,” Curry said, noting that Bishop Lewandowski often gave her a ride to various Seek the City community meetings throughout the region. “I’m sure he prayed over it. That’s part of being a priest and especially part of being a Redemptorist.”
Members of the Black community appreciated his honesty, his upfront manner and his compassion, she said. The bishop was supportive of efforts to advance the canonization causes of six Black Catholics who ministered in the United States, including Mother Mary Lange, the founder of the Baltimore-based Oblate Sisters of Providence.
During a special All Saints Day Mass at St. Ann in East Baltimore, the bishop deeply and humbly bowed in front of six large images of the sainthood candidates.

“He’s a good preacher and he loves the fellowship,” Curry said.
She recalled that Bishop Lewandowski even broke out into song during an anniversary liturgy at St. Gregory the Great in West Baltimore.
“I had never seen that before,” she said in amazement. “I’m like, ‘you speak Spanish, you speak Portuguese and you sing? Come on!’”
Curry joked that she plans to attend her friend’s installation in Providence while wearing sackcloth and ashes, grinding and gnashing her teeth.
“I’m going to miss him horribly,” she said.
Lia Garcia, archdiocesan director of Hispanic Ministries, called Bishop Lewandowski a “voice of reflection” when things became heated during Seek the City.
“He always kept his calm because he knew these were hard decisions, but he wanted to give people the opportunity to speak up to have their voices heard,” Garcia said. “He always welcomed people’s opinions. As ministers of the church, you lead by example and I’ve learned so much from him.”
Garcia said Bishop Lewandowski is “not an email kind of guy.” He loves talking with people, meeting with them in person, and – as he repeatedly tells people – sharing meals, especially sweets.

“He gives his phone number to everybody,” she said. “He knows everybody by name. Whenever you see him on the streets, people still call him Padre Bruce.”
Beloved by Hispanic community
Garcia said Bishop Lewandowski is particularly beloved in the Hispanic community. In addition to providing pastoral care during the pandemic, Bishop Lewandowski led the charge to establish a parish identification card at Sacred Heart of Jesus that is recognized by the City of Baltimore.
The ID is accepted by area hospitals, schools and police, helping residents obtain a non-government-issued ID that includes their photo and home address. Bishop Lewandowski saw the card as especially important for creating a safer environment for immigrant communities who might otherwise be fearful of interacting with the police or other agencies.
“That meant a lot to us because a lot of us don’t have any real ID to carry with us,” said Rene Quintanilla, a parishioner of Sacred Heart of Jesus. “He was able to go to the mayor and say, ‘yeah, let’s do this.’ That had a big impact on so many people in the church.”
Quintanilla, originally from El Salvador, said the bishop was attuned to the spiritual and cultural traditions of the various immigrant groups in the parish and joined with the community in celebrating them and praying with the people.

During farewell celebrations in Baltimore, long lines of people formed to thank the bishop. Many embraced him in bear-hugs or presented small tokens of appreciation, pressing note cards into his breast pocket.
Bishop Lewandowski said Baltimore will forever be in his heart. In an interview with Protagonistas de Fe, a Spanish-language podcast produced by the Catholic Review and the archdiocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, he said he considers Baltimore his home and the place where his family in faith lives.
“I know more people here than in other places,” he said. “I never thought about moving to another place.”
When asked what he hopes for the people of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the bishop replied simply: “Take good care of the young people, please.”
“I care a lot about them and their faith – their friendship with Christ and their presence or lack thereof in the church,” he said in Spanish, noting in particular the need to provide support for those experiencing depression or anxiety.
“We have to assure them that the community is here,” he said. “The church is here.”
Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org
To view more photos of Bishop Lewandowski, click through the slideshow below:
Read More Local News
Copyright © 2025 Catholic Review Media