Pope Francis has appointed Mark Brennan (72) of Baltimore to head the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia.
Brennan has been a Baltimore auxiliary since his episcopal ordination in 2017.
He replaces Bishop Michael Bransfield who left under a cloud of allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.
Brennan said he is deeply honoured by the appointment and he is grateful “to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, for his confidence in me to now lead the Catholic faithful here in West Virginia in a spirit of true Christian service.
“Even as we work toward bringing about true healing and renewal here in this local church — work begun so well by Archbishop William Lori — I am full of hope and confidence for what we can accomplish together,” he said.
The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has about 78,000 Catholics, or 4 percent of a total state population of over 1.8 million people.
Brennan will face important issues as the diocese’s bishop. West Virginia is an epicenter of the nation’s fight against opioid addiction and is home to some of the poorest people in the country.
As he is following the disgraced Bransfield, he is also is obligated “to make personal amends for some of the harm he caused; the nature and extent of the amends to be decided in consultation with the future bishop of the Wheeling-Charleston.”
Brennan understands an important part of his ministry will be healing.
“I hope I can be a bishop who listens to people and tries to help them make sense of their experience and honours what they’ve gone through, and who works with them to try to get to a better place,” he told the Catholic Review, Baltimore’s archdiocesan news outlet.
“Can I personally bring healing? I don’t know — and I believe God’s the one who brings healing — but can I be an instrument in doing that? I hope and pray I can,” he added.
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