Statement of Archbishop William Lori on the Appointment of Bishops-Elect Brennan and Parker

With gratitude to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, I warmly welcome the appointment of Monsignors Mark Brennan and Adam Parker as auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This is a joyous and blessed day for our Archdiocese. Bishop-elect Brennan brings with him four decades of experience as a priest who has served in a variety of settings, including most recently as pastor of a large parish with a significant Spanish-speaking population. His preparation for ministering to Spanish-speaking Catholics was greatly enhanced through his participation in a year-long Spanish language and cultural studies program in the Dominican Republic and Colombia in 1985-86. His pastoral leadership and experience working with Spanish-speaking Catholics suits him well for the duties of Auxiliary Bishop, which include helping to oversee our efforts to grow and care for the spiritual needs of Spanish-speaking Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

I have been blessed to work with Bishop-elect Parker on a daily basis for much of my time since arriving as Archbishop of Baltimore. In addition to his vast and numerous duties as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Bishop-elect Parker has also served as Priest-Secretary to my predecessor, Edwin Cardinal O’Brien, and prior to that as Pastor of Church of the Ascension in Halethorpe. Bishop-elect Parker is widely regarded by his co-workers and fellow priests and is well-prepared to assume the duties of Auxiliary Bishop, while continuing to manage the day-to-day operations of the Central Services offices of the Archdiocese.

Our Holy Father today also accepted the resignation of Bishop Denis Madden. We have been so blessed by his dedicated service and I’m pleased that he will continue serving our local Church as our beloved auxiliary bishop emeritus. I am grateful for his selfless service and his willingness to continue serving God’s people and I look forward to our continued work together.

I reiterate my gratitude to the Holy Father for this early Christmas gift and join my prayers to those of the many priests and lay faithful of this Archdiocese on behalf of Bishops-elect Brennan and Parker.