The sudden death of a Jersey City priest, who fell hundreds of feet to his death while mountain-climbing in Oregon this week, has shocked his parish community that was just getting to know him.

The Rev. Robert Cormier, 57, reached the summit of Mount Hood, the highest mountain in Oregon, on Tuesday when he suddenly plummeted through a cornice on the north side of the mountain, according to Sgt. Pete Hughes of the Hood River County Sheriff's Office in Oregon.

Cormier set out with two friends for the summit around 1:45 a.m. that morning, which is a typical time to climb the mountain during a full moon, Hughes said. One of the men Cormier was climbing with turned back due to a leg cramp, but Cormier and the other friend climbed on.

Cormier made it to the summit of the 11,250-foot mountain first, Hughes said, and there were also other climbers there. Authorities believe Cormier stepped out on top of a cornice when it gave way shortly after 8 a.m.

Cormier fell more than 700 feet, Hughes said.

Back in Jersey City, Cormier, who was affectionately known as "Father Bob," had only just arrived at St. Patrick & Assumption/All Saints Parish in early 2013. But he was already making a big impact and was "very engaged in the ministry of the parish," retired Rev. Gene Squeo said.

"We're really in shock," Squeo said. "We were just getting to know him and, in the short time he was here, he was building deep relationships with so many of the people."

Cormier, who is originally from Cranford, was an "avid outdoorsman," said James Goodness, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark.

"He was a very adventurous person," Squeo said.

Ordained in 1982, Cormier was transferred to the Jersey City parish on Bramhall Avenue from St. Rose of Lima in Newark, where he was for 17 years. He also served in parishes in Rutherford and Hackensack.

The Rev. Joseph Kwiatkowski, of St. Rose of Lima, said while arrived after Cormier had left the Newark parish, Cormier left an indelible mark on the community.

"He was beloved by the Spanish community here," Kwiatkowski said. "They are hurting because of the tragedy of his death."

The quest to scale the Oregon mountain was hatched by Cormier and friends from his high school days that he kept in contact with, said Mary Elaine Connell, a volunteer who grew up in the parish.

Cormier left on Monday for Oregon, which he intended to make his last mountain climbing excursion, Connell said.

Connell recalled Cormier was "so excited for the trip."

Squeo said Cormier was "a person with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy." A nature enthusiast, he could always be seen strolling or jogging on Jersey City streets. The priest was also a pilot and occasionally flew out of Teterboro Airport.

Goodness said Cormier's enthusiasm was infectious and could bring out the best in everyone he came in contact with.

"I always found him to be extremely dedicated, extremely compassionate at the same time," Goodness said.

Cormier made weekly visits to Northern State Prison in Newark, where he was a chaplain at the prison and held religious services.

Also an author, Cormier recently had another book published on religion and faith. "He has a tremendous amount of written material that he's amassed over the years," Squeo recalled.

Cormier had a "special place in his heart for the Spanish community," Squeo said. He spoke five languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese, and worked intimately with the parish's multi-ethnic community.

"He was having a really major impact" on the entire parish community, too, Connell said, which includes Haitians, French-Creoles, and Kenyans.

The Rev. Marc-Arthur Francois of the St. Patrick & Assumption/All Saints Parish said that instead of the parish's normal Sunday service schedule of holding Mass multiple times throughout the day, the parish will hold only one mass at 2:30 p.m. in memory of Cormier.

"It's a way for us to be together as a community to mourn the passing of Father Bob," Francois said.

Francois added that he expected there to be a large turnout for the Mass.

Those who knew Cormier have also been leaving comments on the Newark Archdiocese's Facebook page.

"He was such a vibrant priest. Our family was blessed with a powerful spiritual journey in a short time we got to know him here in Jersey City," read Brenda Santana's comment. "Rest in peace Father Bob. Eternal rest grant to him. Amen."

In Oregon, Hughes said while this may be "the most popular time to climb Mount Hood", the season has been "unseasonably warm." The warmer weather makes the ice under the snow "loose and easier ... to give way," Hughes said.

Authorities spotted Cormier's body as they were searched the area using a helicopter, Hughes said.

However, authorities will not be able to retrieve the body until conditions improve. The dangers of avalanches are "far too significant" to send crews out there, Hughes said.

Authorities must wait until temperatures drop to recover Cormier's body, which may not be until next week, Hughes said.