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 Previous Bishops of the Diocese of Greensburg

Read more about each bishop below: Bishop Hugh L. Lamb | Bishop William G. Connare | Auxiliary Bishop Norbert F. Gaughan | Bishop Anthony G. Bosco | Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt | Bishop Edward C. Malesic


​Watch a video biography of the first five bishops of the Diocese

 

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 Bishop Hugh L. Lamb (1952-59)
​_Lamb.jpgBishop Hugh L. Lamb was installed as the first bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg January 16, 1952.  He steadily steered the diocese through the growth of its infancy.

Bishop Lamb brought a vision for schools, hospitals and institutions to care for the elderly. Under his direction, nearly $9 million was spent on construction or additions to existing facilities. Eight new schools were created, including Greensburg Central Catholic High School, which was dedicated November 29, 1959. He also established 10 new parishes.

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

The dedication of Greensburg Central Catholic High School in 1959, was his final public appearance. On December 4, Bishop Lamb was admitted to the Jeannette hospital. Four days later, on the feast of the Immaculate 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 graduated from Propaganda University, Rome, in 1915, with a doctorate in sacred theology.

Bishop Lamb was ordained, May 29, 1915, in St. John Lantern Basilica, Rome. His early assignments included parishes in Philadelphia  and Coatesville, and he served a professorship at St. Charles Seminary through 1921.

From then until 1923, he was secretary to the late Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, archbishop of Philadelphia, and superintendent of schools in the archdiocese until 1926.

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

He was ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, March 19, 1936. He served as vicar general 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 was named.


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 Bishop William G. Connare (1960-87)
​ On May 4, 1960, Bishop William G. Connare, a Pittsburgh native, was consecrated and installed as the second bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg during ceremonies at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg.

 

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

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

The first diocesan synod, from which rules for operation of the diocese were established, was convened under his direction on December 11, 1961. In 1962, he implemented a new fundraising effort called Diocesan Expansion Day, an annual appeal 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. Connare Center) near Greensburg, in 1964. 

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

Bishop Connare attended all four sessions of Vatican II. He addressed the council on behalf of the United States bishops on the subject of the divine office and breviary. Shortly before the close of the council, he prepared the diocese for the major changes in the liturgy by reorganizing its liturgical commission, and establishing committees to study and facilitate upcoming changes, especially the change of the Mass from Latin 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 more important accomplishments of his tenure.

In September 1975, Bishop Connare was one of eight bishops and cardinals invited to Rome to concelebrate a 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 of Archbishop 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 at Idlewild Park (now Idlewild & Soakzone), Ligonier on September 1, 1985, to close the celebration of his 25 years as bishop of Greensburg.

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

Bishop Connare was born on December 11, 1911, in Pittsburgh's East End. He graduated from Duquesne University Preparatory School, and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. He attended Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, and was ordained on June 14, 1936, by Bishop 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 the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, chaplain of the Catholic Interracial Council of Pittsburgh, and vicar for religious. 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)
​_Gaughan.jpgBishop Norbert F. Gaughan, the only auxiliary bishop to serve the Diocese of Greensburg, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, November 4, 1945. He was in his first assignment as parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Uniontown, when the Diocese of Greensburg was formed. This event made the Pittsburgh native a priest for the new diocese.

Bishop Gaughan served as parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral Parish, Greensburg, then was named assistant chancellor, and served as secretary for the young diocese. Bishop Gaughan was appointed chancellor in 1960, and vicar general in 1970. He was ordained an auxiliary bishop, June 26, 1975. He continued to serve in two other administrative roles after his episcopal ordination. 

Bishop Gaughan helped then Bishop William G. Connare establish The Catholic Accent in 1961. Both bishops wrote columns for the new diocesan paper. Bishop Gaughan's column "Ins and Outs," was nationally syndicated. Bishop Gaughan also served as a monthly columnist for Our Sunday Visitor; was involved in the diocesan television show, "Real to Reel;" and co-hosted a weekly ecumenical 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 an outspoken critic of the federal deregulation of radio and television. He was also an honorary president of the Catholic 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 from Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School and Saint Vincent College and Seminary, Latrobe. He later earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, Oakland. He was a lecturer in the philosophy department for at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg for 13 years, and also lectured in the religious studies 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 of 78. He is buried on the grounds of St. Emma Monastery, near Greensburg, where he had lived during his years as auxiliary bishop of Greensburg. 

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 Bishop Anthony G. Bosco (1987-2004)
​_Bosco.jpgInstalled as the third bishop of Greensburg, June 30, 1987, Bishop Anthony G. Bosco served the church as a bishop for more than 33 of his nearly 52 years as a priest. Sincerely committed to the Second Vatican Council's call to the laity, Bishop Bosco's tenure in Greensburg was marked by a multitude of efforts designed to catechize the laity, and bring it into a richer involvement with the church.

​Bishop Bosco instituted the restored order of the sacraments for children to receive the sacrament of confirmation at the same time they receive first Eucharist. He directed the formation of the former Department of Education and Spiritual Formation (now Office for Evangelization and Faith Formation), 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 Parish Pastoral Council," a process that focuses on parish leadership, was established. He began a regionalization effort to help parishes in an area work together to fulfill the mission of the church, and promulgated the diocesan-wide efforts "Journey of a Lifetime," which focuses on education in the Catholic faith as a lifelong process, and "Taste and See: Catechesis as Food for the Journey," catechetical guidelines. 

Bishop Bosco had the privilege of leading the Church of Greensburg through the Jubilee Year, 2000. He celebrated 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 Latrobe Memorial 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 major industries (steel and coal) and other factors led to significant population declines in several parts of the diocese. That necessitated the closing of several parishes, decisions he met with varying degrees of public opposition. 

Believing strongly that the diocese should increase endowments to ensure a stable future, Bishop Bosco launched a $25 million capital campaign, "Honoring Our Past...Shaping Our Future," Sept. 21, 2000. The campaign 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 during Vatican II, hosted a television program, wrote a column, "A View from the Bridge," for The Catholic Accent and provided commentary for Accent on Air, the former diocesan radio newsmagazine. He also chaired the U.S. bishops' communication committee. 

Bosco_media.jpgBishop Bosco embraced new communication technology to evangelize and educate. He served as a professor at Seton Hill University in Greensburg and the University of Dayton's (Ohio) Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation. The Catholic Press Association honored him with the 2001 Bishop John England Award, which is given to publishers in the Catholic press for their defense of freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. 

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

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

He was ordained a bishop for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, June 30, 1970, and served there as an auxiliary bishop 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 75th birthday. 

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

After his retirement, he continued to remain active in the diocese, and serve in many capacities as bishop emeritus, 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 was honored with Lifetime Achievement in April 2010. 

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

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

Download his 2001 Pastoral Letter, On Bended Knee, The Eucharist and Service​. 

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 Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt (2004-15)
_Brandt.jpgBishop Lawrence E. Brandt was installed as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg March, 4, 2004, at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg. 

 

Bishop Brandt led the diocese for 11 years, during which time he instituted many initiatives to further incorporate the needs and wants of the laity into the structure of the diocese and its parishes. 

Early in his term, Bishop Brandt promulgated a Prayer for Vocations, and established three vocation prayer chapels — in Latrobe, Indiana and Uniontown — to help raise awareness for prayer to help increase vocations. He also established a full-time Office for Clergy Vocations, and an Office for the Permanent Diaconate. 

Bishop Brandt established the Diocesan Lenten Appeal, a giving initiative, in his first year as bishop. Through this program, the diocese is able to educate seminarians and care for 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 on church matters. He instituted listening sessions in Lent 2006, in every region of the diocese. These sessions guided change and consolidation plans in 2008 and 2013, and also led to the establishment of the Offices for Evangelization and Faith Formation, as well as Development. 

In 2009, the Capital Campaign, "Today Challenge, Tomorrow's Hope," was launched. Despite taking place during the "Great Recession" of the United States, the campaign received overwhelming support, totaling $55 million 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 Present Culture," which included changing the age for receiving confirmation to eighth grade, and establishing a certification program for catechists. 

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

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

Bishop Brandt's early call to vocations proved successful. He ordained the diocese's first two permanent deacons in 2009, and four more in 2015. In 2010, he invited the first two Filipino priests to serve in the diocese, 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 Brandt instituted a decree to implement the Bishop's Medal of Honor, recognizing meritorious service to one's parish and the diocese. 

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

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

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

brandtpopejpII.jpgDuring his time with the diocese, Bishop Brandt continued to show vigilance in the protection of children and young people. He updated and combined the "Minor Protection Policy" and the "Policy of the Diocese of Greensburg for Clergy Sexual Misconduct" to create the "Code of Pastoral Conduct," which is a companion to the guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's "Charter for the Protection of Children 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. He entered the seminary at the North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, for theological studies. He also earned a doctorate in canon law at Lateran University, Rome, in 1983, and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, and at the University of Florence, Italy.  He was also a graduate of the Holy See's Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a school for Vatican diplomats. He served in diplomatic positions in Madagascar, Germany, Ecuador, and Algeria. 

Bishop Brandt was ordained to the priesthood December 19, 1969, at St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. He was 30 years old. In 1974, he was named chaplain of his holiness with the title of monsignor by then Pope Paul VI. In 1984, he was named the vice-chancellor of the Diocese of Erie, and then named chancellor and member of the diocesan administrative cabinet in 1991. 

From 1985 to 1998, he served as the assistant chancellor and resident chaplain of Gannondale Residential Center for Girls, a private residential rehabilitation center for girls who are victims of violence or abuse, in Erie. Following that assignment he was appointed a parish priest at St. Hedwig, a working-class parish in one of Erie's poorest neighborhoods. He had also served at Christ the King Parish in Dunbar W. Va., and Sacred Heart 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 diocesan press conference April 24, 2015, at the Bishop Connare Center.  

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


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 Bishop Edward C. Malesic, J.C.L. (2015-20)

Bishop Edward C. Malesic, J.C.L.Pope Francis appointed Bishop Edward C. Malesic to be the fifth Bishop of Greensburg on April 24, 2015. Bishop Malesic was ordained and installed as Bishop of Greensburg on July 13 at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.

Bishop Malesic was born Aug. 14, 1960, in Harrisburg to Joseph A. and the late Elizabeth Schatt Malesic. He was reared in Enhaut, which adjoins the factory town of Steelton, near Harrisburg.  He is one of four siblings.  Two are deceased: Joseph, Jr. and Margaret R. Malesic. His one surviving brother, Robert, lives in Hummelstown, Pa., with his wife Constance. His father, 102 years old, is still quite active and resides near Hershey, Pa.

Bishop Malesic received the sacraments of initiation at his hometown parish in Enhaut, the former St. John the Evangelist Parish, which was a German national parish.  His mother was of German descent and his father is of Slovenian descent.

Bishop Malesic is a 1978 graduate of Central Dauphin East High School, Harrisburg, and attended Lebanon Valley College in Annville as a biology major for three years prior to entering the seminary. 

In 1981 he was accepted into the seminary program at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1983.  He continued his theological studies at the Josephinum and was awarded a master of divinity degree in 1987.

Bishop William H. Keeler, then the bishop of Harrisburg, ordained him to the diaconate on May 24, 1986, and to the priesthood on May 30, 1987, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg.

Bishop Malesic served in various pastoral assignments in the Diocese of Harrisburg. He was the assistant pastor of St. Theresa Parish, New Cumberland (1987-89); and the assistant pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish, York (1989-92). While in York he also served as the Catholic Campus Minister of York College of Pennsylvania.

He was appointed to full time campus ministry in 1992 and served for four years at Millersville University. In 1993 he was also appointed to campus ministry at Franklin and Marshall College in nearby Lancaster.

In 1996, Bishop Nicholas C. Dattilo sent him to study canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.  Bishop Malesic received his licentiate in canon law in 1998 and served the Diocese of Harrisburg's Tribunal in various capacities, including auditor, adjutant judicial vicar and secretary for canonical services. He was appointed judicial vicar in 2006, a position he held when he was named Bishop of Greensburg. He is a member of the Canon Law Society of America.

He resided at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Harrisburg (1996-2000) and at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Mechanicsburg (2000-04). While living in Mechanicsburg, Bishop Malesic also served the spiritual needs of the students of Messiah College in Dillsburg.

On April 1, 2004, Bishop Malesic was appointed to Holy Infant Parish in York Haven as administrator; he was appointed pastor there Dec. 22, 2004.  He guided the parish for 11 years and oversaw the relocation and initial construction of a new church and parish center, which was completed in 2016. 

In the Diocese of Harrisburg, Bishop Malesic served on the following boards, committees and organizations: the Continuing Formation of Clergy Committee; Seminarian Review Board; Diocesan Presbyteral Council; College of Consultors; Bishop's Administrative Board; and the Youth Protection Committee of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC). He also served on the Board of Hospice of Central Pennsylvania.

As Bishop of Greensburg, he is a member of the Board of Governors of the PCC. He also serves on the Boards of Saint Vincent Seminary and Saint Vincent College (Latrobe), Seton Hill University (Greensburg), and is a member of Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania.

He is a member of two USCCB committees: the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance and the Subcommittee for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe.

On June 29, 2017, Bishop Malesic released his first pastoral letter, "A Pastoral Letter on the Drug Abuse Crisis: From Death and Despair to Life and Hope," in response to the opioid epidemic in the region. In it, he called on the people of the diocese to take action against the opioid scourge and outlined diocesan and parish efforts focused on prayer, education and cooperative actions with social service agencies already engaged in the fight against addiction.

In response to the clergy abuse crisis and the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report and in order to increase diocesan transparency and outside oversight, Bishop Malesic established a Safe Environment Advisory Council to assist the Diocese of Greensburg. The advisory council oversaw a series of seven listening sessions around the diocese, each of which was attended by Bishop Malesic and gave parishioners the opportunity to express their feelings about the grand jury report, make observations and offer suggestions.

In February of 2019, Bishop Malesic announced details of a Comprehensive Reconciliation Initiative, which includes a Survivors' Compensation Program, to support survivors of abuse.

On July 1, 2020, Bishop Malesic announced the formation of the Saint Pope John Paul II Tuition Opportunity Partnership (TOP), which was made possible by the single largest donation from a family the Diocese of Greensburg has ever received in one year. The anonymous donation of $2.4 million combined with $1.7 million in existing funds donated by other individuals and businesses make $4.1 million in scholarships and tuition assistance available for the 12 Catholic school in the Diocese of Greensburg. The funds are for use in the 2020-21 academic year. The announcements were made at separate media events held at five different Catholic schools that day.

Bishop Malesic was appointed the 12th Bishop of Cleveland by Pope Francis July 16, and he was installed as bishop Sept. 14 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.