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Bishop Hugh L. Lamb (1952-59)

Bishop Hugh L. Lamb was installed as the first bishop of theDiocese of Greensburg January 16, 1952. He steadily steeredthe diocese through the growth of its infancy.

Bishop Lamb brought a vision for schools, hospitals andinstitutions to care for the elderly. Under his direction, nearly$9 million was spent on construction or additions to existingfacilities. Eight new schools were created, includingGreensburg Central Catholic High School, which wasdedicated November 29, 1959. He also established 10 newparishes.

Bishop Lamb was instrumental in the founding of the formerJeannette District Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1959.To get construction under way, he gave a $300,000 gift, andlater supplied additional loans to make the hospital a reality.He then secured the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill to staff thefacility.

The dedication of Greensburg Central Catholic High School in 1959, was his final public appearance. OnDecember 4, Bishop Lamb was admitted to the Jeannette hospital. Four days later, on the feast of theImmaculate Conception, he died at the age of 69, after suffering a heart attack.

Bishop Lamb was born in Modena, Pa., October 6, 1890. He graduated from Coatesville High School in 1907,and enrolled in St. Charles Seminary, Overbrook. He also attended the North American College, Rome, and

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graduated from Propaganda University, Rome, in 1915, with a doctorate in sacred theology.

Bishop Lamb was ordained, May 29, 1915, in St. John LanternBasilica, Rome. His early assignments included parishes inPhiladelphia and Coatesville, and he served a professorshipat St. Charles Seminary through 1921.

From then until 1923, he was secretary to the late CardinalDennis Dougherty, archbishop of Philadelphia, andsuperintendent of schools in the archdiocese until 1926.

He was named a domestic prelate of honor with the title ofmonsignor in 1927, and served as chancellor until 1936. In 1929, the bishop was named a prothonataryapostolic.

He was ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, March 19, 1936. He served as vicargeneral until 1951, when Pope Pius XII appointed him bishop for the newly erected Diocese of Greensburg.

The unexpected death of Cardinal Dougherty, May 31, 1951, delayed Bishop Lamb's arrival in Greensburg.Thus, he remained in Philadelphia as administrator of the archdiocese until the cardinal's successor wasnamed.

Bishop William G. Connare (1960-87)

On May 4, 1960, Bishop William G. Connare, a Pittsburghnative, was consecrated and installed as the second bishop ofthe Diocese of Greensburg during ceremonies at BlessedSacrament Cathedral in Greensburg.

Bishop Connare was the spiritual leader of the diocese formore than 27 years, directing it through the changes of theSecond Vatican Council, and into the latter part of the 1980s.

Early in his tenure, Bishop Connare established The CatholicAccent, which was first published on June 1, 1961.

The first diocesan synod, from which rules for operation of thediocese were established, was convened under his directionon December 11, 1961. In 1962, he implemented a newfundraising effort called Diocesan Expansion Day, an annualappeal to provide funds for diocesan facilities.

Education continued to grow with the dedications of Geibel

Catholic High School, Connellsville (now Geible Catholic Junior-Senior High School), and the former St.Joseph Hall, a minor seminary that now serves as a retreat center (The Bishop William G. ConnareCenter) near Greensburg, in 1964.

A care facility for the elderly, which was an early dream of Bishop Hugh L. Lamb, was realized in 1964, whenBishop Connare presided at the dedication of St. Anne Home in Greensburg. He blessed Clelian HeightsSchool, Greensburg, in 1968.

Bishop Connare attended all four sessions of Vatican II. He addressed the council on behalf of the UnitedStates bishops on the subject of the divine office and breviary. Shortly before the close of the council, heprepared the diocese for the major changes in the liturgy by reorganizing its liturgical commission, andestablishing committees to study and facilitate upcoming changes, especially the change of the Mass fromLatin to English.

Blessed Sacrament Cathedral was renovated to accommodate the new liturgical requirements of Vatican II,and Bishop Connare acknowledged the cathedral project, which was completed in 1972, as one of the moreimportant accomplishments of his tenure.

In September 1975, Bishop Connare was one of eight bishops and cardinals invited to Rome to concelebratea canonization Mass for Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton with Pope Paul VI.

In April 1980, Bishop Connare returned safely to the diocese after a perilous experience at the funeral ofArchbishop Oscar Romero in San Salvador, where 40 people were killed during a violent outbreak at the

Mass.

An estimated 10,000 people attended Bishop Connare Day atIdlewild Park (now Idlewild & Soakzone), Ligonier onSeptember 1, 1985, to close the celebration of his 25 years asbishop of Greensburg.

His resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II onJanuary 20, 1987, and he was named apostolic administratorof the diocese until the installation of Bishop Anthony G.Bosco, June 30, 1987.

Bishop Connare was born on December 11, 1911, inPittsburgh's East End. He graduated from Duquesne University Preparatory School, and DuquesneUniversity, Pittsburgh. He attended Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, and was ordained on June 14, 1936, byBishop Hugh C. Boyle of Pittsburgh at Saint Vincent Basilica, Latrobe.

During his early years as a priest, Bishop Connare held a variety of posts, including diocesan director of theSociety for the Propagation of the Faith, chaplain of the Catholic Interracial Council of Pittsburgh, and vicar forreligious. He was also a member of the Community Services Committee of the Urban League of Pittsburgh,and the Commission on Human Relations.

He died on June 12, 1995, at the age of 83.

Bishop Norbert F. Gaughan (1975-84)

Bishop Norbert F. Gaughan, the only auxiliary bishop to servethe Diocese of Greensburg, was ordained a priest for theDiocese of Pittsburgh, November 4, 1945. He was in his firstassignment as parochial vicar of St. JosephParish, Uniontown, when the Diocese of Greensburg wasformed. This event made the Pittsburgh native a priest for thenew diocese.

Bishop Gaughan served as parochial vicar of BlessedSacrament Cathedral Parish, Greensburg, then was namedassistant chancellor, and served as secretary for the youngdiocese. Bishop Gaughan was appointed chancellor in 1960,and vicar general in 1970. He was ordained an auxiliarybishop, June 26, 1975. He continued to serve in two otheradministrative roles after his episcopal ordination.

Bishop Gaughan helped then Bishop William G. Connareestablish The Catholic Accent in 1961. Both bishops wrotecolumns for the new diocesan paper. Bishop Gaughan'scolumn "Ins and Outs," was nationally syndicated. Bishop Gaughan also served as a monthly columnistfor Our Sunday Visitor; was involved in the diocesan television show, "Real to Reel;" and co-hosted a weeklyecumenical program, "Faith and Today's World," on WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh.

Bishop Gaughan chaired the U.S. bishops' communication committee and, during that time, was anoutspoken critic of the federal deregulation of radio and television. He was also an honorary president of theCatholic Press Association.

He was appointed the second bishop of the Diocese of Gary, Ind., July 9, 1984, and installed October 1,1984. Bishop Gaughan founded a newspaper for that diocese, the Northwest Indiana Catholic.

Bishop Gaughan was born May 30, 1921, and raised on Pittsburgh's North Side. He graduated fromPittsburgh Central Catholic High School and Saint Vincent College and Seminary, Latrobe. He later earned adoctorate in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, Oakland. He was a lecturer in the philosophydepartment for at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg for 13 years, and also lectured in the religiousstudies department at Saint Vincent College.

Bishop Gaughan retired as bishop of the Gary diocese June 1, 1996, and died October 1, 1999, at the age of78. He is buried on the grounds of St. Emma Monastery, near Greensburg, where he had lived during hisyears as auxiliary bishop of Greensburg.

Bishop Anthony G. Bosco (1987-2004)

Installed as the third bishop of Greensburg, June 30, 1987,Bishop Anthony G. Bosco served the church as a bishop formore than 33 of his nearly 52 years as a priest. Sincerelycommitted to the Second Vatican Council's call to the laity,Bishop Bosco's tenure in Greensburg was marked by amultitude of efforts designed to catechize the laity, and bring itinto a richer involvement with the church.

Bishop Bosco instituted the restored order of the sacramentsfor children to receive the sacrament of confirmation at thesame time they receive first Eucharist. He directed theformation of the former Department of Education and SpiritualFormation (now Office for Evangelization and FaithFormation), which includes a wide variety of education,catechetical and liturgical offices.

Under his leadership, "New Wine, New Wineskins:Revisioning the Parish through the Ministry of the ParishPastoral Council," a process that focuses on parishleadership, was established. He began a regionalization effort to help parishes in an area work together tofulfill the mission of the church, and promulgated the diocesan-wide efforts "Journey of a Lifetime," whichfocuses on education in the Catholic faith as a lifelong process, and "Taste and See: Catechesis as Food forthe Journey," catechetical guidelines.

Bishop Bosco had the privilege of leading the Church of Greensburg through the Jubilee Year, 2000. Hecelebrated the sacraments with parishioners at many parishes throughout the four counties of the diocese.The high point was the Jubilee Mass, where he served as main celebrant for 2,000 people at LatrobeMemorial Stadium, making it the largest Mass ever celebrated in the diocese.

He also had to deal with difficult issues. A changing economy, especially the loss of the area's majorindustries (steel and coal) and other factors led to significant population declines in several parts of thediocese. That necessitated the closing of several parishes, decisions he met with varying degrees of publicopposition.

Believing strongly that the diocese should increase endowments to ensure a stable future, Bishop Boscolaunched a $25 million capital campaign, "Honoring Our Past...Shaping Our Future," Sept. 21, 2000. Thecampaign raised more than $28 million for the diocese and its parishes.

He was very active in the media for much of his priesthood. He worked collaboratively with KDKA radio duringVatican II, hosted a television program, wrote a column, "A View from the Bridge," for The CatholicAccent and provided commentary for Accent on Air, the former diocesan radio newsmagazine. He also

chaired the U.S. bishops' communication committee.

Bishop Bosco embraced new communication technology toevangelize and educate. He served as a professor at SetonHill University in Greensburg and the University of Dayton's(Ohio) Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation. TheCatholic Press Association honored him with the 2001 BishopJohn England Award, which is given to publishers in theCatholic press for their defense of freedom of the press, andfreedom of religion.

Bishop Bosco was born in New Castle, August 1, 1927, andwas raised on Pittsburgh's North Side. He graduated fromNorth Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, and attended St.Fidelis Seminary in Butler County, and Saint Vincent Seminaryin Latrobe. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese ofPittsburgh, June 7, 1952.

Bishop Bosco served in several capacities in the Pittsburgh chancery, and was named a domestic prelate ofhonor with title of monsignor in 1968. During part of that time, he was a chaplain and instructor at MercyHospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh.

He was ordained a bishop for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, June 30, 1970, and served there as an auxiliarybishop until his appointment to Greensburg after Bishop William G. Connare's resignation.

Bishop Bosco submitted his letter of resignation as the third bishop of Greensburg, August 1, 2002, his 75thbirthday.

He became bishop emeritus upon the ordination and installation of Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, the fourthbishop of Greensburg, March 4, 2004.

After his retirement, he continued to remain active in the diocese, and serve in many capacities as bishopemeritus, celebrating Mass at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Greensburg, as recently as June 29, 2013,three days before his death. He also participated in special Masses and celebrations throughout the diocese,including priesthood ordinations, and the Communities of Salt and Light Awards dinners, where he washonored with Lifetime Achievement in April 2010.

He even continued his work with various educational capacities, dedicating time to serving as a facilitator forthe University of Dayton's Virtual Community for Lifelong Faith Formation, and teaching a religion class atSeton Hill University.

Bishop Bosco died peacefully in his Unity Township home on July 2, 2013, at the age of 85.

On Bended Knee | The Eucharist and Service

Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt (2004-15)

Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt was installed as the fourth bishopof the Diocese of Greensburg March, 4, 2004, at BlessedSacrament Cathedral in Greensburg.

Bishop Brandt led the diocese for 11 years, during which timehe instituted many initiatives to further incorporate the needsand wants of the laity into the structure of the diocese and itsparishes.

Early in his term, Bishop Brandt promulgated a Prayer forVocations, and established three vocation prayer chapels — inLatrobe, Indiana and Uniontown — to help raise awarenessfor prayer to help increase vocations. He also established afull-time Office for Clergy Vocations, and an Office for thePermanent Diaconate.

Bishop Brandt established the Diocesan Lenten Appeal, agiving initiative, in his first year as bishop. Through thisprogram, the diocese is able to educate seminarians and carefor retired priests, support the work of Catholic Charities, support evangelization and faith formation efforts,provide lay ministry formation and catechetical training, coordinate youth ministry and support Catholic

schools. During his tenure, the appeal collected over $47 million.

In 2005, Bishop Brandt started a strategic planning process to hear the opinions and concerns of the laity onchurch matters. He instituted listening sessions in Lent 2006, in every region of the diocese. These sessionsguided change and consolidation plans in 2008 and 2013, and also led to the establishment of the Offices forEvangelization and Faith Formation, as well as Development.

In 2009, the Capital Campaign, "Today Challenge, Tomorrow's Hope," was launched. Despite taking placeduring the "Great Recession" of the United States, the campaign received overwhelming support, totaling $55million in pledges and exceeding the original $45 million goal.

That same year, Bishop Brandt presented his Pastoral Letter called "The Transmission of Faith in the PresentCulture," which included changing the age for receiving confirmation to eighth grade, and establishing acertification program for catechists.

In looking out for the poorer communities of the diocese, Bishop Brandt established the Diocesan PovertyRelief Fund in 2010. All money contributed to this fund goes directly to the aid of the poor and needy in thediocese. This program had directed more than $228,000 in assistance to people in need in the diocese's fourcounties.

To promote and assist evangelization, Bishop Brandt approved diocesan sponsorship of We Are One Bodyradio — WAOB-FM 106.7, WAOB 860 AM and WPGR 1510 AM. The stations began broadcasting Catholicteaching programming in 2010.

Bishop Brandt's early call to vocations proved successful. He ordained the diocese's first two permanentdeacons in 2009, and four more in 2015. In 2010, he invited the first two Filipino priests to serve in thediocese, and also ordained eight men to the priesthood during his tenure.

On March 10, 2011, the 60th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the diocese, Bishop Brandtinstituted a decree to implement the Bishop's Medal of Honor, recognizing meritorious service to one's parishand the diocese.

In 2013, he added a higher rank to the honor, The Rank of Golden Merit, for people who have distinguishedthemselves by particularly significant good works, which have had an especially effective breadth ofoutreach.

Bishop Brandt celebrated his tenth anniversary with the diocese in 2014. That same year, he established theBishop's Tuition Transfer Grants program, which helped the diocese receive a $100,000 marketing grant tohelp increase Catholic schools enrollment.

He created the Diocesan Heritage Center on the ground of the Bishop Connare Center in Greensburg. Thecenter was established to collect, preserve, and display items constituting the artistic and cultural patrimony ofthe diocese, and to provide additional space for the diocesan archives.

During his time with the diocese, Bishop Brandt continued toshow vigilance in the protection of children and young people.He updated and combined the "Minor Protection Policy" andthe "Policy of the Diocese of Greensburg for Clergy SexualMisconduct" to create the "Code of Pastoral Conduct," whichis a companion to the guidelines of the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishop's "Charter for the Protection ofChildren and Young People."

Bishop Brandt was born March 27, 1939, in Charleston, W.Va.His family relocated to Lake City, near Erie, when he was

young. He attended St. John the Evangelist School in Girard, Pa., and then enrolled at the Pontifical College,Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio, for high school and undergraduate education.

He enrolled in the University of Inssbruck, Austria, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1966. Heentered the seminary at the North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, fortheological studies. He also earned a doctorate in canon law at Lateran University, Rome, in 1983, andstudied at the Sorbonne in Paris, and at the University of Florence, Italy. He was also a graduate of the HolySee's Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a school for Vatican diplomats. He served in diplomatic positions inMadagascar, Germany, Ecuador, and Algeria.

Bishop Brandt was ordained to the priesthood December 19, 1969, at St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. He was 30years old. In 1974, he was named chaplain of his holiness with the title of monsignor by then Pope Paul VI. In1984, he was named the vice-chancellor of the Diocese of Erie, and then named chancellor and member ofthe diocesan administrative cabinet in 1991.

From 1985 to 1998, he served as the assistant chancellor and resident chaplain of Gannondale ResidentialCenter for Girls, a private residential rehabilitation center for girls who are victims of violence or abuse, inErie. Following that assignment he was appointed a parish priest at St. Hedwig, a working-class parish in oneof Erie's poorest neighborhoods. He had also served at Christ the King Parish in Dunbar W. Va., and SacredHeart Parish in his native Charleston, prior to becoming a bishop.

Bishop Brandt submitted his retirement to Pope Francis on his 75th birthday.

He announced his successor, Bishop Edward C. Malesic of the Diocese of Harrisburg, during a diocesanpress conference April 24, 2015, at the Bishop Connare Center.

He became Bishop Emeritus July 13, 2015, with the ordination and installation of Bishop Malesic.

Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt 10 Year Anniversary Interview

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