COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Bishop Robert J. Brennan is returning to New York.
Pope Francis appointed Bishop Brennan as the Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Catholic Diocese of Columbus announced Wednesday.
Brennan was born in the Bronx and later raised in Lindenhurst, New York, where his parents still live.
“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 Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn.
With the appointment, Brennan will take over for DiMarzio, who has served as Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn for 18 years.
Brennan was installed as the 12th bishop of Columbus in 2019. At the time, Father Michael Lumpe, who is the rector for Saint Joseph Cathedral, referred to Brennan as “full of energy,” and “faith on fire.”
“I have been very happy here in Ohio and am heartbroken that I will be leaving,” Brennan said. “I came to know amazing people here, and there is tremendous sadness leaving you behind. As I prepare to return to New York, I am ready and eager to embrace the people of Brooklyn and Queens as their pastor.”