Mark E. Brennan

From Justapedia, unleashing the power of collective wisdom
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Most Reverend

Mark Edward Brennan
Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston
SeeDiocese of Wheeling-Charleston
AppointedJuly 23, 2019
PredecessorMichael J. Bransfield
Orders
OrdinationMay 15, 1976
by William Wakefield Baum
ConsecrationJanuary 19, 2017
by William E. Lori, Edwin Frederick O'Brien, and Donald Wuerl
Personal details
Born (1947-02-06) February 6, 1947 (age 76)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Previous post(s)
EducationBrown University
Pontifical Gregorian University
MottoLiving the Truth in Love
Styles of
Mark Edward Brennan
Coat of arms of Mark Edward Brennan (Wheeling-Charleston).svg
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Mark Edward Brennan (born February 6, 1947) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who is bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia. He was installed on August 22, 2019.[1][2] Brennan previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland from 2017 to 2019.

Early years

Brennan was born on February 6, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts.[3] He attended public elementary and junior high schools before attending St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, D.C. He received a Bachelor of History degree in 1969 from Brown University[4]

After receiving his bachelor's degree, Brennan completed one year of philosophy studies at Christ the King Seminary in New York before attending the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1973 and a Master of Theology degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.[4]Brennan was ordained to the diaconate May 10, 1973, in Rome.

Brennan served diaconal assignments at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Washington in the summer of 1973; St. Aloysius Parish in Leonardtown, Maryland, from 1974 to 1975; and St. John Parish in Clinton, Maryland, from 1975 to 1976.

Priestly ministry

Brennan was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Washington by Archbishop William W. Baum on May 15, 1976.[3] His clergy assignments in the archdiocese included the following:[5]

Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore

Coat of Arms as Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore

Pope Francis appointed Brennan as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and titular Bishop of Rusibisir on December 5, 2016.[6][7] He was consecrated by Archbishop William E. Lori on January 19, 2017.[8]

Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston

On July 23, 2019, Pope Francis named Brennan as Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston,[9] to succeed Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, Bransfield had retired in 2018, having received Vatican sanctions "for financial crimes and sexual harassment".[10]Brennan was installed at Wheeling's Cathedral of Saint Joseph on August 22, 2019.[1]Asked in 2019 to comment about Bransfield's personal spending using church funds, Brennan said:

Self-indulgence by a bishop, a pastor or anybody else by the Church is just not right. That’s the people’s money. We’re supposed to use the resources people give for the good of the mission of the Church. That’s the point of collecting all of these funds. We’re not supposed to be using the resource of the Church for self-indulgent purposes, and that can take many different forms.[11]

On November 26, 2019, at the request of Pope Francis, Brennan submitted a plan of amends to Bransfield that called for the repayment of $792,000 to the diocese. Bransfield had previously failed to submit his own plan of amends to the Vatican.[12] In August 2020, the diocese settled a lawsuit brought by several men who had accused Bransfield of sexual assaulting them. The details of the settlement were not released.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Installation Mass of Bishop Mark E. Brennan Starting at 2:00 PM". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Pope Francis Announces Appointment of Bishop Mark E. Brennan As Ninth Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia" (PDF). Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Gunty, Christopher (December 5, 2016). "Pope Francis appoints two auxiliary bishops for Baltimore: Monsignors Mark Brennan and Adam Parker". Catholic Review. Archdiocese of Baltimore. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b Gunty, Christopher (December 5, 2016). "Nomination as auxiliary bishop took Monsignor Brennan by surprise". Catholic Review. Archdiocese of Baltimore. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Biography of Bishop Mark e. Brennan".
  6. ^ "Pope Names New Auxiliary Bishops of Baltimore, Accepts resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Madden". Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  7. ^ "Pope Francis Appoints Two New Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Baltimore" (Press release). Retrieved December 5, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "The Catholic Review > Local News > 'Let us rejoice and be glad': Two ordained as auxiliary bishops for Baltimore Archdiocese". www.catholicreview.org. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  9. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 23.07.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Feuerherd, Peter (20 July 2019). "West Virginia bishop formally disciplined by Pope Francis". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Bishop Brennan ready to mend a wounded West Virginia Church". Our Sunday Visitor. 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  12. ^ "West Virginia diocese seeks $792K from disgraced bishop". AP News. November 26, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  13. ^ "Diocese Settles Lawsuit Accusing Ex-Bishop of Sexual Assault". www.courthousenews.com. Retrieved 2022-04-16.

External links

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Wheeling–Charleston
2019–Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
–
 Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
–


Retrieved from "https://justapedia.org/index.php?title=Mark_E._Brennan&oldid=1103654475"