Pope names Most Reverend Robert Brennan new bishop for Diocese of Brooklyn

The Vatican announced Wednesday the selection of New York native the Most Reverend Robert Brennan as the new bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn as long-serving Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio officially retired.

Bishop-Designate Brennan, 58, was born in the Bronx and raised in Lindenhurst. He received his education at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic High School in Lindenhurst, St. John the Baptists Diocesan High School in West Islip, St. John's University in Queens where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science, and Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington.

Bishop Brennan was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Rockville in May 1989 and went on to minister at the Church of St. Patrick in Smithtown. He was appointed Secretary to the Bishop in 1994 and served for Bishops John McGann, James McHugh and William Murphy.

He also served as the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Rockville Centre and was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 2012.

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Bishop Brennan was installed the twelth Bishop of Columbus, Ohio in 2019.

He also served with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as a member of the Committee for Catholic Education, the Administrative Committee, and the Priorities and Plans Committee.

Bishop DiMarzio and Bishop-Designate Brennan will celebrate Mass at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. It will be live-streamed at www.netny.tv.

"It is a joy to ‘welcome home’ Bishop Robert Brennan, as he returns to the Province of New York to serve as the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn," said Timothy Cardinal Dolan.

"In the selection of Bishop Robert Brennan, the Holy Father has called upon a native New Yorker to return to lead the faithful of Brooklyn and Queens," said Bishop DiMarzio. "On behalf of the Diocese of Brooklyn, I welcome Bishop Brennan who I have known for many years, with confidence in his ability to lead our Catholic community and build upon the pastoral achievements we have made. It has truly been an honor to serve as Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn for 18 years."

On Wednesday, Pope Francis accepted the resignation Bishop DiMarzio, weeks after a Vatican investigation cleared him of sexual abuse allegations