Today, Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Adam J. Parker and Monsignor Mark E. Brennan Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Monsignor Parker currently serves as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Monsignor Brennan is the current Pastor of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Gaithersburg in the Archdiocese of Washington.
The two new bishops will be ordained at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen on Thursday, January 19 at 2 p.m. Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski was installed Bishop of Springfield, MA, in 2014. Bishop Denis Madden’s letter of resignation, which he submitted at the time of his 75th birthday in March of 2015, was also accepted today by the Holy Father.
Statement of Archbishop William E. Lori
With gratitude to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, I warmly welcome the appointment of Bishops-elect Parker and Brennan as auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This is a joyous and blessed day for our Archdiocese. I have been blessed to work alongside Bishop-elect Parker for much of my time as Archbishop. 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. 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.
Our Holy Father also today 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.
Statement of Bishop-elect Adam J. Parker
“I am very grateful to His Holiness, Pope Francis for this appointment as well as to Archbishop Lori and Cardinal O’Brien, both of whom are great role models, mentors, and friends, and offer my congratulations to my new brother, Bishop-elect Mark Brennan whom I have known for many years and is truly a priest with a heart for the people. I am grateful to my brother priests of the Archdiocese of Baltimore for their constant support, encouragement, and prayers, along with those who serve at The Catholic Center whom I have the privilege of working alongside every day these past years. I am very much looking forward to continuing to walk the path of personal conversion alongside the faithful of the Archdiocese of Baltimore as we strive to be missionary disciples and to live out our baptismal call each day.”
Statement of Bishop-elect Mark E. Brennan
“I am humbled that, at this stage in my life and being simply a parish priest, I have been asked by Pope Francis to serve the good people of Baltimore as an auxiliary bishop. It is something I never expected but I will trust in God and do my best. I have found that God never lets us down. As He has promised, His grace is always there for us, so I will take up my responsibilities in the Archdiocese of Baltimore with gratitude and openness to both God and the people. It will be a pleasure to serve with Archbishop Lori, whom I have known since even before we were ordained priests, and with Bishop-elect Adam Parker, whom I have known since he was a college student at the University of Maryland. I will ask everyone for their prayers that I may be a faithful and useful servant.”
“Mi nombramiento como obispo auxiliar de Baltimore es algo inesperado, especialmente en mi etapa de vida, pero lo acepto con humildad y con gratitud por la confianza que el Santo Padre, el papa Francisco, y el Arzobispo de Baltimore, su excelencia William Lori, han puesto en mí. Con el auxilio de Dios y el apoyo de las oraciones de otros, trataré de servir al pueblo de Dios en la Arquidiócesis de Baltimore con entusiasmo y amor.”
About Bishop-Elect Parker
Born: January 13, 1972 in Cleveland, OH.
Parents: George F. Parker (deceased) and Maureen F. Parker
Education/Priestly Formation: Severna Park High School, Severna Park, MD; University of Maryland, College Park, MD; St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore; Pontifical North American College, Rome; The Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
Priesthood Ordination: May 27, 2000 by Cardinal William H. Keeler
Pastoral Assignments: St. Peter, Westernport and St. Michael, Frostburg, 2001-05; Church of the Ascension, Halethorpe, 2005-07; Vice-Chancellor, Priest-Secretary to Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, 2007-2012; Priest-Secretary to Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, Rome, 2012-13; Vice-Chancellor, Archdiocese of Baltimore, 2013-14; Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Archdiocese of Baltimore, 2014-2016.
About Bishop-Elect Brennan
Born: February 6, 1947 in Boston, MA
Parents: Edward Charles Brennan and Regina Claire Lonsway (both deceased)
Education/Priestly Formation: St. Anthony’s HS, Washington, D.C.; Brown University, Providence, RI; Christ the King Seminary; Pontifical North American College, Rome.
Priesthood Ordination: May 15, 1976 by Archbishop William W. Baum
Pastoral Assignments: Our Lady of Mercy, Potomac, 1976-1981; St. Pius X, Bowie, 1981-85; St. Bartholomew, Bethesda, 1986-88; St. Thomas Apostle, Washington, D.C., 1998-2003; St. Martin of Tours, Gaithersburg, 2003-2016. Spanish Language and Cultural Studies in Dominican Republic and Colombia, 1985-86.; Director of Priestly Vocations, 1988-1998.