People from around the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston already have a good feeling about their new shepherd, Bishop Mark E. Brennan, who was installed Aug. 22 as the ninth bishop of the diocese.

Bishop Mark E. Brennan was welcomed Aug. 22 at St. Joseph Cathedral here as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which encompasses the state of West Virginia, in a ceremony filled with song and applause.

Noting that he is an “earthen vessel” who sometimes make mistakes, Bishop Mark E. Brennan said he wants to be a “good shepherd” for the people of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.

In a divided country where discussions of politics and religion seem to grow more coarse and discordant by the day, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori challenged his fellow members of the Knights of Columbus to model civility.

Three more U.S. bishops spoke out Aug. 2 on a recent spate of tweets by President Donald Trump against the city of Baltimore.

Bishop Mark E. Brennan, named by Pope Francis July 23 as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., acknowledged that he will face difficulties in his new post.
The diocese encompasses the whole state of West Virginia, home to some of the poorest people in the country and an epicenter for the opioid crisis.
“I have to just get to know the people and the places and get there.”

Pope Francis named Bishop Mark E. Brennan as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which encompasses the state of West Virginia. The July 23 announcement was publicized in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
He will become the ninth bishop of the diocese, which had been the Diocese of Wheeling from its founding in 1850 until 1962, when it became the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, has selected a new external auditor as part of the progress that has been made since Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael J. Bransfield as head of the diocese in September 2018.

In a 7-2 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of preserving a historic cross-shaped memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland saying the cross did not endorse religion.

Transparency and honesty are key elements of restoring the trust of the laity, especially young people, according to two bishops who participated in a Facebook Live event sponsored June 11 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during its spring general assembly.