On Nov. 30, Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated one full year as Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn. And what an eventful year it was. 

“Today marks a complete year of our time being together as the Church of Brooklyn here in Brooklyn and Queens. It was a year ago today the co-cathedral was filled with people from all over the diocese as we celebrated our unity in faith. Your beautiful welcome to me lifted me up,” Bishop Brennan said. 

During his first year, the diocese was still mired in the COVID-19 pandemic. Photographs of his installation at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph show a sea of masks. 

Bishop Brennan, along with the new School Superintendent Deacon Kevin McCormack and Msgr. David Cassato, Vicar for Catholic Schools, were able to keep Catholic schools open and thriving during the pandemic. 

Bishop Brennan credits the synod process for giving him the opportunity to visit 127 parishes throughout Brooklyn and Queens. 

While taking the pulse of the diocese during the synod process, Bishop Brennan said, “Having met so many of you through the course of this year, I am constantly inspired and lifted up. I thank you for helping me to know Jesus Christ better and to be more convinced of His love on fire and to share that with one another. 

“I thank God for the gift of being here in Brooklyn and Queens, and I thank God for the rich, vibrant Church He has brought together,” the bishop said. 

While he remarked that he has not gotten to all the churches in the diocese, he has been to every neighborhood in Brooklyn and Queens. 

To that end, Bishop Brennan has seen how the economic downturn has affected parishioners. He was astonished at the long line while distributing turkeys at Holy Innocents Church in East Flatbush, in coordination with Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens. 

After celebrating Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph to mark his anniversary, Bishop Brennan was interviewed by Currents News anchor Christine Persichette. 

He said he felt very much at home, but remarked as so many of us do as well, that he was still trying to get used to the traffic on the roads. 

In a very touching moment during his interview, Bishop Brennan’s reaction to viewing photos from his installation Mass displayed his compassionate side. 

“Seeing the photos brought back some beautiful memories of that day,” he said. 

Just as Bishop Brennan said during his installation homily, he reiterated a year later the diversity of the diocese and how it truly is the “Diocese of Immigrants.” 

Speaking further on diversity, the bishop pointed out, “It’s not like you have a Chinese parish and a Spanish-speaking parish and an English-speaking parish. In fact, I know one parish in particular where you have all that and more.” 

You get a sense of pride from Bishop Brennan when he speaks of the cultural diversity that is witnessed in the diocese and how united the Church is within that diversity. 

The bishop also mentioned using new social media tools — many of which are provided by Desales Media Group, the parent company of The Tablet, to reach younger parishioners. 

One initiative is the weekly podcast, “Big City Catholics,” which Bishop Brennan launched with Father Chris Heanue. The podcast kicked off earlier this year as a new tool for communicating with the faithful. 

According to the bishop, “It’s not just a tool to evangelize, but to bring people together in a deeper way.”