In 1951, he "signed up to become a parish priest in one of New York's poorest neighborhoods—Washington Heights, on the northern tip of Manhattan, at that time a barrio of newly-arrived Puerto Rican immigrants."
Pada tahun 1951, ia "mendaftar untuk menjadi pastor paroki di salah satu lingkungan termiskin di New York - Washington Heights, di ujung utara Manhattan, dan segera meninggalkan daerah imigran Puerto Rico menggunakan pesawat."