Msgr. Henry Otero-Diago, a priest for nearly 60 years who served almost 40 years in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, died July 14 at his home in Glen Burnie, Maryland. He was 84 years old.

Msgr. Otero was born Dec. 27, 1936 in Cali, Colombia. He attended the Major Seminary of Popayan in Manizales, Columbia, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Barcelona, Venezuela on July 25, 1962. After ordination, he attended the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas in Rome.

He came to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington in 1983, and was incardinated here in 1988. He first served as a hospital chaplain and chaplain to the Hispanic Catholic community while living at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland.

In 1990, Msgr. Otero was named part-time parochial vicar at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Silver Spring, and part-time parochial vicar at Christ the King Parish, also in Silver Spring.

A year later, he was assigned as full-time parochial vicar of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish. In 1995, he was named parochial vicar at Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Washington, D.C.

From 1996-1998, Msgr. Otero served as chaplain to the Latin Tridentine community at the Chapel in Forest Glen of Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Silver Spring.

In 1998, he was named parochial vicar at Saint Peter Parish in Waldorf, Maryland, a post he held until his retirement in 2004.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, celebrated a July 28 funeral Mass for Msgr. Otero at Saint Thomas the Apostle Church. Interment was in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring.