“The role of a bishop is to teach, to shepherd and to sanctify.”
Full name: Lawrence Eugene Brandt
Born: March 27, 1939, Charleston, W. Va.
Ordained: Dec. 19, 1969, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome
Appointed bishop of Greensburg: Jan. 2, 2004, by Pope John Paul II
Ordained and installed as bishop of Greensburg: March 4, 2004, Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Greensburg
Languages spoken: German, French, Italian and Spanish
Always fascinated by priests, Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt remembers playing one as a child. Using his small workbench as an altar, Necco wafers as hosts and one of his father’s architectural manuals as the lectionary, he would play the role of priest and one of his two sisters would be his altar server during a make-believe Mass.
“I had known many wonderful priests,” Bishop Brandt said, recalling the Capuchin pastors that served both Christ the King Parish in his native Dunbar, W.Va., and Sacred Heart Parish in Charleston, W.Va.
“They were dedicated, good priests who were often guests at our home.”
With good clergy role models and the faith of his family as a guide, it was natural to consider the priesthood, said the Bishop Brandt.