Bishop Q&A: Church will be vibrant without me
After Bishop Robert Brennan learned he had been reassigned to lead the Diocese of Brooklyn, he expressed joy over his experiences as the 12th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus and sorrow about the short length of his tenure here.
He teared up a little as he talked about his time in Columbus, which began when he was installed as bishop on March 19, 2019.
Brennan, now assigned by the Pope as the apostolic administrator in Columbus after being named last week as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, will be installed in New York on Nov. 30.
Previously, he had served in the suburban Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island for almost 30 years, most recently as an auxiliary, or assistant, bishop.
Despite his high position in Columbus, many local Catholics remarked on their appreciation of his presence in parishes, at Catholic schools and at church or school-related social activities.
“I get a lot of credit for being very present for things, for getting around, but that’s actually very self-serving. That’s just something I enjoy,” Brennan said. “That’s where my heart lies, in parish life.”
Now that his time in Columbus is coming to an end, Brennan admits he’s sad to leave, but he said no matter what, he’ll be watching the people of Columbus – even if from afar.
Brennan sat down with The Dispatch to discuss the change and his feelings about it. The following is an edited version of that conversation.
What was your reaction to the news that you were being reassigned to the Diocese of Brooklyn?
Bishop Robert Brennan: To be honest with you, my first reaction was total surprise. I mean, I didn’t see this coming at all and part of it was because I feel I’m still relatively new here and there was a sadness . ... I really found myself invested here and loving it here ... central Ohio is a very good place to feel at home in so many ways.
You have expressed that you love serving in the Diocese of Columbus. What do you love about it?
Brennan: Well, a lot of things. So, first of all, I love – just on a very basic level – I love the variety of life here, the mix of urban, suburban and rural. I love getting to meet so many families. Here in the Midwest is a great openness, a great spirit that’s very, very welcoming.
People are just genuinely good. There’s a real sense of community spirit . ... We’re 10% of the population in Central Ohio, and yet it’s a very strong feeling, a very strong identity among Catholics, and the faith life is so high. People are very, very much involved. I love the fact that there’s such a vibrant young church here.
This was your first time leading a diocese as its bishop. What are some things you’ve learned here in Columbus?
Brennan: I’ve learned to trust people, to listen to people and give people a shot, give some of these ideas a shot . ... I got such a broader vision of the world, the country and the church just by being here . ... This is really the first time I’m actually living in the city.
I’ve learned a lot about urban life ... and I learned about rural life. I’ve never known rural life before, and the schedules for things are very different. Life is different and the ways of doing things, that’s another reason you learn to trust people.
If I came to just try to do what I was used to doing, it wouldn’t have worked. It wouldn’t have worked here in the city, it wouldn’t have worked out in rural areas. You relearn.
Did you always know you wanted to be a bishop? How did that come about?
Brennan: No. No, I did not always know I wanted to be a bishop. That, too, was a bit of a surprise, though at that time I had a sense my name was being spoken of ...
Being called now to go to Brooklyn and being called to be a bishop, I think it speaks – you know, I’m flattered, thank you for thinking of me – but I think it reflects more the needs of the church than it does about me. They’re turning to you and asking you to help in a critical need . ... Sometimes, as priests, we’re asked to leave a place where we love and then to love the place where we end up.
What do you want to say to the people of Columbus?
Brennan: Well, one is very simple: that I do love you an awful lot. And I also would like to encourage people to continue to do the great things they’re doing, to see this as an important moment in our work together because I think ... one of my great concerns is leaving now, when we’re on the cusp of something really big, really good.
But it’s in them. I believe in them, I love them ... and with or without me I think this church is going to be very, very vibrant and very strong, and I look forward to seeing some great things here.
Do you have any regrets about your time here?
Brennan: That it was so short. And I mean that in two ways. So, yeah, too short. I’m not ready. But also, we’ve been working on a lot of different things and hoping to take some next steps ... I had plans. I want to see these things continue to unfold. We’ve taken some robust steps, but we want to be able to continue to do that, so I would’ve liked to be able to see myself live that out.
What are your plans for your last few months here?
Brennan: I think the key element is to really solidify some of that work of the diocese so that it can continue, particularly in the interim. We don’t want to shut down just because I’m gone, especially at the phase we’re in, so I want to continue.
Do you think you’ll continue to be present until you go?
Brennan: Yeah. In some ways, probably more so, as much as I can be, because it’s not the goodbye tour, but I want to experience as much of it as I can before I go. I still want to be there.
dking@dispatch.com
@Danaeking