Wheeling, W.Va., Feb 8, 2021 / 16:02 pm
The Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston is reviving a lay-led advisory council as part of reforms following the 2018 departure of disgraced emeritus Bishop Michael Bransfield.
In a Feb. 4 letter, Bishop Mark Brennan announced the revival of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, which was originally founded in 1968 but lapsed during Bishop Bransfield's tenure.
The council members will aim to represent the people of God in West Virginia and facilitate dialogue and communication between the laity and the bishop, Brennan, who took the helm of the diocese in August 2019.
The main plank of the council's mission is to "assist the Bishop, through consultation and cooperation, in developing pastoral priorities, initiatives, and plans to fulfill the mission of Jesus Christ within the Diocese in the light of its existing social, economic, demographic, and cultural circumstances and resources."