Robert J. Brennan

Robert John Brennan (born June 7, 1962) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as bishop of Brooklyn in New York City since 2021. Previously, he served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York State from 2012 to 2019, and as bishop of Columbus in Ohio from 2019 to 2021.

Biography

Early life Brennan was born on June 7, 1962, to Robert and Patricia Brennan in The Bronx, New York. He has two brothers and two sisters. His maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Ireland.

Brennan was raised in Lindenhurst, New York. He went to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Lindenhurst and then attended St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, New York. After finishing high school, Brennan entered St. John's University in Queens, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science. Brennan's first pastoral assignment was at St. Patrick Parish in Smithtown, New York. He was installed there on March 29, 2019. In August 2019, Brennan initiated with the Vatican the elevation of Saint Mary of the Assumption Church in Lancaster, Ohio, to the rank of a minor basilica.

In December 2020, Brennan announced the "Real Presence Real Future" strategic planning initiative for the diocese. He described it as "increasing the presence of Christ throughout its 23 counties over the next three years and upholding the Faith for future generations." The initiative involved grouping some parishes and closing others to deal with the shortage of priests in the diocese. Diocesan officials termed the initiative a hallmark of Brennan's tenure as bishop in Columbus.

In December 2020, Brennan condemned the shooting of Casey Goodson by police in Columbus.

Bishop of Brooklyn On September 29, 2021, Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn and named Brennan to succeed him. Brennan was installed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan on November 30, 2021, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn. Brennan's motto, "Thy Will Be Done," a passage from the Lord's Prayer, is engraved on the headstone of his grandfather, and was on a prayer card that he kept until his death.

Controversy over music video In 2023, the American singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter filmed a music video for her song "Feather" inside the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. The video showed Carpenter dancing around the sanctuary with several items on the altar, while appearing with "no pants". Two days after the video's release, Brennan issued a statement that he was "appalled" by what was filmed inside the church. He indicated that the parish did not adhere to the diocesan policy on filming within church grounds, which requires a review of the scenes and script.

The administrative duties of Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello, as vicar for development, who permitted Carpenter's team to shoot inside the church, were subsequently terminated. Gigantiello's administrative oversight as pastor of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish was also delegated to Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski. While some parishioners and Catholics supported Gigantiello and believed the punishment was too harsh, others were offended by his actions.

Initially, Gigantiello defended his decision, stating that he had approved the filming because his online search about Carpenter did not reveal anything worrisome, and that he wanted to increase the church's appeal to youth. Gigantiello later apologized for allowing the shoot, stating that he was informed that a funeral scene would be filmed inside the church, but believed most of it would be done outside the church building and that Carpenter's team did not appropriately represent the video's content.

On November 4, 2023, Brennan celebrated a Mass of Reparation, to "restore the sanctity of this church and repair the harm." Carpenter responded, stating advance permission was granted and noting that "Jesus was a carpenter."

In September 2024, an investigation into Gigantiello uncovered evidence that led to the indictment of New York City mayor Eric Adams.