Lawrence Eugene Brandt

Lawrence Eugene Brandt (March 27, 1939 – June 8, 2025) was an American Catholic prelate who served as bishop of Greensburg in Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2015.

Biography

Early life Lawrence Brandt was born on March 27, 1939, in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of Lawrence E. and Priscilla (Purdy) Brandt. As a child, Brandt would pretend to celebrate the mass 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 Lake City, Pennsylvania, where Brandt attended St. John the Evangelist School in Girard, Pennsylvania.

Deciding to become a priest, Brandt then studied at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, for high school and college courses. Brandt travelled to Innsbruck, Austria, to study at the University of Innsbruck, obtaining his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1966. He completed his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College and Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He later served as pastor at Christ the King Parish in Dunbar, West Virginia, and Sacred Heart Parish in Charleston, West Virginia.

Retirement On April 24, 2015, Pope Francis accepted Brandt's letter of resignation as bishop of Greensburg, to be replaced by Reverend Edward Malesic.

Death On June 8, 2025, Brandt died at the age of 86.