John Balthasar Brungardt

John Balthasar Brungardt (born July 10, 1958) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Dodge City in Kansas since 2010.

Biography

Early life and education John Brungardt was born on July 10, 1958, in Salina, Kansas, to Francis Balthasar and Virginia (née Burton) Brungardt, one of six brothers and sisters in a Catholic family He chose Saint Joseph as his confirmation saint, considering him a role model for Catholic men and boys. Brungardt graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics with a minor in mathematics in 1980.

Brungardt furthered his studies at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, earning a Master of Science degree in physics in 1983. He then attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree in curriculum and instruction. In 1985, Brungardt started his "first career" as a science and computers teacher, teaching at Wichita Collegiate School and then at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, both in Wichita, Kansas.

After the death of Brungardt's mother in 1990, he decided to enter the priesthood. He enrolled in 1993 at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Brungardt earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Master of Arts degree in Moral Theology from the Josephinum in 1998.

Brungardt chose his episcopal motto, "Filled With Compassion", from the story of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke. The left side of his coat of arms is the shield of the diocese. The right side is divided into two halves. The superior side features a sun. The lower half features a rose.

On February 9, 2021, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) notified Brungardt that he was under investigation for sexual abuse of a minor. Denying the accusations, he immediately suspended his episcopal duties and the Vatican instructed Archbishop Joseph Naumann to start a canonical investigation. Bishop Gerald Vincke was appointed as apostolic administrator to run the diocese during the investigation. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith cleared Brungardt of all accusations on March 23, 2022. The KBI did not file any criminal charges against Brungardt.