Dodge City, Kan., Dec 15, 2010 / 11:51 am
Fr. John Brungardt, 52, will become the new bishop of Dodge City in Kansas, succeeding Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore as he retires at age 68.
The bishop-elect is a Kansas native, currently serving as chancellor of the Diocese of Wichita and the pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist parish in the town of St. Mark, Kansas. He received ordination as a priest at age 40, a significant change from his previous career as a science teacher at a Catholic high school.
In a recent interview, the bishop-elect described his rural upbringing and faith formation in a strongly Catholic family, as well as the “spiritual re-awakening” he later experienced after his mother's death in 1990.
That loss led the professional educator into a life of intensified faith, with “more devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Rosary, prayer and daily Mass” – all of which eventually led him to discuss his future plans and possible calling with local clergy.