Lawrence Eugene Brandt
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Eugene Brandt is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the fourth and current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
in Pennsylvania
.
, West Virginia
; he has two sisters. He would pretend to celebrate the Mass
as a child, using a small workbench
as an altar
, Necco Wafers
as hosts, and one of his father’s architectural
manuals as the lectionary
. The family later moved to Pennsylvania
, where Brandt attended St. John the Evangelist School in Girard
. He then studied at the Pontifical College Josephinum
in Columbus
, Ohio
.
Brandt then traveled to Austria
to study at the University of Innsbruck, from where he obtained his doctorate in philosophy
in 1966. He also completed his theological
studies at the Pontifical North American College
and Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome
. He was there ordained
to the priesthood
on December 19, 1969, in St. Peter's Basilica
.
Brandt then attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
, and successively served in the nunciatures
to Madagascar
, Germany, Ecuador
, and Algeria
from 1973 to 1981, when he was forced to leave the Vatican
's diplomatic
service for family reasons. Upon his return to the United States
, Brandt was incardinated
into the Diocese of Erie
, where he served as vice-chancellor
and chaplain
of Gannondale Residential Center for Girls before returning to Rome to obtain his doctorate in canon law
from the Pontifical Lateran University
in 1983 which was audited by then Fr Tarcisio Bertone, SDB. A graduate of the Universities of Paris
and of Florence
as well, he was named Honorary Prelate of His Holiness
in 1991 and pastor
of St. Hedwig Church in Erie
in 1998.
On January 2, 2004, Brandt was appointed the fourth Bishop of Greensburg
by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following March 4 from Justin Cardinal Rigali, with Bishops Anthony Bosco and Donald Trautman
(his former classmate at the University of Innsbruck) serving as co-consecrators
.
The Bishop enjoys exercising at the local YMCA
in Erie, once joking that, "Seeing other people in equal pain is a great support.".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the fourth and current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
The Diocese of Greensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese centered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that has 85 parishes in Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania. The diocese was founded on March 10, 1951, and is currently in the process of reorganization...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Biography
Lawrence Brandt was born in CharlestonCharleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
; he has two sisters. He would pretend to celebrate the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
as a child, using a small workbench
Workbench
A workbench is sturdy table at which manual work is done. They range from simple flat surfaces to very complex designs that may be considered tools in themselves. Workbenches vary in size from tiny jewelers benches to the huge benches used by staircase makers...
as an altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, Necco Wafers
NECCO Wafers
Necco Wafers are a candy wafer made by the United States-based New England Confectionery Company . Necco Wafers were first produced in 1847 and are considered by Necco to be its core product...
as hosts, and one of his father’s architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
manuals as the lectionary
Lectionary
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
. The family later moved to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, where Brandt attended St. John the Evangelist School in Girard
Girard, Pennsylvania
Girard is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,164 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Girard is located at ....
. He then studied at the Pontifical College Josephinum
Pontifical College Josephinum
The Pontifical College Josephinum is a four-year, Roman Catholic liberal arts college and graduate school of theology founded by Monsignor Joseph Jessing in 1888 and located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The seminary prepares its students to become priests in the Roman Catholic Church. Students come...
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Brandt then traveled to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
to study at the University of Innsbruck, from where he obtained his doctorate in philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1966. He also completed his theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
studies at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
and Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He was there ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on December 19, 1969, in St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
.
Brandt then attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy is one of the Roman Colleges of the Roman Catholic Church. The academy is dedicated to training priests to serve in the diplomatic corps and the Secretariat of State of the Holy See....
, and successively served in the nunciatures
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Germany, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, and Algeria
Apostolic Nunciature to Algeria
The Apostolic Nunciature to Algeria is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Algeria. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to Algeria with the rank of an ambassador...
from 1973 to 1981, when he was forced to leave the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
's diplomatic
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
service for family reasons. Upon his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Brandt was incardinated
Excardination and Incardination
In the Roman Catholic Church, incardination refers to the situation of a member of the clergy being placed under the jurisdiction of a particular bishop or other religious superior...
into the Diocese of Erie
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie is a Roman Catholic diocese in western Pennsylvania. It was founded on July 29, 1853. It is one of seven suffragan sees in Pennsylvania that make up the Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia, which is headed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-...
, where he served as vice-chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
and chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
of Gannondale Residential Center for Girls before returning to Rome to obtain his doctorate in canon law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
from the Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
in 1983 which was audited by then Fr Tarcisio Bertone, SDB. A graduate of the Universities of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
and of Florence
University of Florence
The University of Florence is a higher study institute in Florence, central Italy. One of the largest and oldest universities in the country, it consists of 12 faculties...
as well, he was named Honorary Prelate of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1991 and pastor
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of St. Hedwig Church in Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
in 1998.
On January 2, 2004, Brandt was appointed the fourth Bishop of Greensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
The Diocese of Greensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese centered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that has 85 parishes in Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania. The diocese was founded on March 10, 1951, and is currently in the process of reorganization...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following March 4 from Justin Cardinal Rigali, with Bishops Anthony Bosco and Donald Trautman
Donald Walter Trautman
Donald Walter Trautman is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as Bishop of Erie.-Biography:Donald Trautman was born in Buffalo, New York, and attended Niagara University in Lewiston. He studied theology under Karl Rahner at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, from...
(his former classmate at the University of Innsbruck) serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
.
The Bishop enjoys exercising at the local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in Erie, once joking that, "Seeing other people in equal pain is a great support.".