Michael Joseph Bransfield
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| The Most Reverend Michael Joseph Bransfield |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston | |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 15, 1971 by John Krol |
| Consecration | February 22, 2005 by William Henry Keeler, Theodore Edgar McCarrick, and Bernard William Schmitt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 8, 1943 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Motto | THY WILL BE DONE |
| Coat of arms | Michael Joseph Bransfield's coat of arms |
| Styles of Michael Joseph Bransfield |
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|---|---|
| 200px | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Michael Joseph Bransfield (born September 8, 1943) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who currently serves as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia.[citation needed]
Contents
Biography
Early life and education
Michael Bransfield was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended St. Bridget’s Grade School, St. John the Baptist High School and Roman Catholic High School for Boys.
From St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Master's degree in Divinity.
Ordination and ministry
Bransfield was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal John Krol on May 15, 1971, and then did pastoral work in Huntingdon Valley until 1973. He earned his Master's in Philosophy from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.,[citation needed] in 1973, and then worked as a teacher, chaplain, and Chairman of the Religion Department at Lansdale Catholic High School.
Father Bransfield was named Assistant Director and Director of Liturgy (1980), Director of Finance (1982), and Rector (1986) at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In 1987 he was raised to the rank of a Honorary Prelate of His Holiness.
Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia
On December 9, 2004, Bransfield was appointed the eighth Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, by Pope John Paul II.[citation needed] He received episcopal consecration on February 22, 2005 from Cardinal William Henry Keeler, with Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick and Bishop Bernard William Schmitt serving as co-consecrators, at St. Joseph's Cathedral.
A trustee and current president of The Papal Foundation, Bishop Bransfield also sits on the Board of Trustees[citation needed] of the Catholic Distance University, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He holds membership in the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he serves as treasurer and sits on the Communications Committee and the National Collections Committee.[citation needed]
False accusation of sexual abuse
On Thursday, April 19, 2012, a Catholic News Service (CNS) online news brief regarding the matter stated:
Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston said secondhand allegations that he sexually abused a teenage boy are "unbelievable and shocking" as well as completely false. The accusations against Bishop Bransfield, who was ordained a priest for the Philadelphia Archdiocese, were raised April 18 by a witness at the trial of two Philadelphia priests on sex abuse-related charges. The witness said another Philadelphia priest who has since been removed from ministry told him about the alleged abuse by Bishop Bransfield. "I have never sexually abused anyone," said an April 19 statement from the 68-year-old bishop, who has never been charged with any abuse. He said he understood he was "a public figure and therefore subject to public criticism." But, he added, "the nature of these statements and the manner in which they were released ... go way beyond any sense of fairness and propriety." Bishop Bransfield said it is "misleading" to report that Stanley Gana, the former priest who is purported to have made the allegation, admitted abusing a minor at a vacation home owned by the bishop. "What did not get released was additional information available to the prosecutor that I was not aware of the incident and was not present at the house at the time," he said. "Gana has confirmed those facts in prior reports."..."[1]
The accusations against Bishop Bransfield were proven false when the alleged victim came forth and flatly denied that he had been abused by Bishop Bransfield.[2]
See also
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References
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| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston 2004–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by
none
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Rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 1990–2004 |
Succeeded by Walter R. Rossi |
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| Education |
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- Pages with reference errors
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- Articles with unsourced statements from December 2014
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- 1943 births
- American Roman Catholic bishops
- Roman Catholic bishops of Wheeling–Charleston
- 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops
- Living people
- People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- St. Charles Borromeo Seminary alumni
- Catholic University of America alumni
- Patronal Medal winners
- Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
