WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York, and named Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Columbus, Ohio, to succeed him.
DiMarzio, who has been Brooklyn’s bishop since is 2003, turned 77 in June. When he turned 75, he turned in his resignation to the pope as required by canon law.
Brennan, 59, is a native New Yorker who has headed the Columbus Diocese since 2019. He was born in the borough of the Bronx and raised in Lindenhurst, New York, in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, where he was an auxiliary bishop from 2012 until his appointment to Columbus.
The changes were announced in Washington by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
A Mass of installation for Bishop Brennan will be celebrated Nov. 30 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn.
“On behalf of the Diocese of Brooklyn, I welcome Bishop Brennan, whom 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,” DiMarzio said in a statement.
“This is a historic moment for the Diocese of Brooklyn which is a very active diocese, and Bishop Brennan’s energy makes him a perfect choice,” he said. “I ask for God’s blessings on this transition so that the work of God, in service to his people, can effectively continue for the more than 1.2 million Catholics throughout Brooklyn and Queens.”
Brennan said he has come to know “amazing people” in the Columbus Diocese “and there is a tremendous sadness in leaving them behind.”
“As I prepare for a return to New York, I am ready and eager to embrace the people of Brooklyn and Queens as their pastor,” he said in a statement. “Knowing we are loved by Jesus, we will strive to show others his face, bearing the joy of the Gospel and the splendor of truth.”
“In the end,” he added, “that’s what it is all about –– in Columbus, Brooklyn and around the world.”
