The Most Reverend Beldon E. Gannon, D.D.
Deceased 6th June 2017
| 1 | 1908 April 28th ✠Arnold Harris Mathew, Archbishop, London |
| 2 | 1912 June 29th ✠Rudolphe de Landes Berges, Bishop, Scotland |
| 3 | 1916 October 4th ✠Carmel Henry Carfora, Archbishop, Chicago |
| 4 | 1942 July 30th ✠Hubert Augustus Rogers, Archbishop, New York |
| 5 | 1967 January 21st ✠James Edward Burns, Staten Island |
| 6 | 1978 May 30th ✠Edward James Ford, Nova Terra |
| 7 | 1985 May 11th ✠Beldon E. Gannon as the Missionary Bishop for New York State; RIP |
Reposed in the Lord, 6th of June 2017
Bishop Beldon E. Gannon, Auxiliary Bishop of New England and Regional Vicar for New York was born and raised in Suffern and Sloatsburg, New York and was educated in the Ramapo School System. At the age of fourteen Beldon entered Our Lady of the Little Portion Monastery, a Franciscan monastery, located on Long Island, New York where he finished his education under the late Father Joseph Crookston, O.S.F., the founder of the monastery. During his time at the monastery, Beldon lived the life of a Friar, though not yet under vows, while testing his vocation there. At the age of eighteen Beldon requested a temporary leave to further discern the direction in which he believed God was calling him, and during that time he met the woman who was to be his soul-mate, Ellen Francis, whom he married in 1954. A year later his first son was born followed shortly thereafter by another son and two daughters. For the next twenty-two years Beldon would be employed as the Assistant Administrator of the Ramapo Nursing Center in Suffern. Throughout all these years, Beldon still felt the call of God to serve as a priest. The road to the priesthood being closed to him in the Roman Catholic Church due to his married state, Beldon searched to find a truly Catholic Church wherein he might be considered for the priesthood while yet being married. It was not long after, that he found and entered the Old Roman Catholic Church. After numerous conferences, interviews and with much prayer, he undertook the required studies that he still needed to be considered for ordination. Beldon was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in Boston by Archbishop Edward J. Ford, T.O.R. and was assigned to establish and develop a parish in the Monroe, New York area. St. Joseph’s Parish was soon established and canonically erected under the canonical authority of Archbishop Ford and as an extra-territorial parish of the Diocese of New England. Over the next few years Father Gannon worked to establish numerous missions, outposts and ministries of the Old Roman Catholic Church throughout the Rockland and Orange Counties of New York State and also several other apostolic works of the Old Roman Catholic Church in nearby New Jersey. In 1985 Father Gannon was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Ford in New England with the title of Titular Bishop of Usada, while being allowed to retain his office as Pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish. He was consecrated at St. Joseph’s Church in Monroe, NY, which would also serve as the site of Archbishop Ford’s Enthronement as Metropolitan-Primate of the North American Old Roman Catholic Church seven years later in 1992. Bishop Gannon, though in semi-retired status remains active in the life of the Old Roman Catholic Church assisting Archbishop Ford as needed and requested.