Cruz was born in Havana, Cuba and has worked as a priest in New Jersey for several years. He was the first Cuban-born priest in the Archdiocese when he was ordained in 1980. He has served as a parochial vicar in Elizabeth and Newark for nearly three decades.
Newark's Archbishop John J. Myers said Cruz was well-known and highly regarded, "not only for his extensive involvement in ministry to the Spanish-speaking, but also for his deep commitment to the health and needs of the poor."
The Newark Archdiocese has about 1.3 million Catholics in Essex, Union, Hudson and Bergen counties.
