His Excellency, The Most Reverend

John Balthasar Brungardt
Bishop of Dodge City
ChurchCatholic Church
ArchdioceseKansas City in Kansas
DioceseDodge City
AppointedDecember 15, 2010
InstalledFebruary 2, 2011
PredecessorRonald Gilmore
Orders
OrdinationMay 23, 1998
by Eugene John Gerber
ConsecrationFebruary 2, 2011
by Joseph Fred Naumann, Michael Owen Jackels, and Ronald Michael Gilmore
Personal details
Born (1958-07-10) July 10, 1958
Salina, Kansas, US
Alma mater
MottoFilled with compassion
Styles of
John Balthasar Brungardt
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

John Balthasar Brungardt (born July 10, 1958) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City in Kansas since 2010.

Biography

Early life and education

John Brungardt was born on July 10, 1958, in Salina, Kansas, to Francis Balthasar and Virginia (née Burton) Brungardt, one of six brothers and sisters in a Catholic family.[1] He chose Saint Joseph as his confirmation saint, considering him a role model for Catholic men and boys. Brungardt graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics with a minor in mathematics in 1980.

Brungardt furthered his studies at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, earning a Master of Science degree in physics in 1983, and at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree in curriculum and instruction.[2] In 1985, Brungardt started his "first career" as a science and computers teacher in Wichita, Kansas, teaching at Wichita Collegiate School and then at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School.[1] In 1990, Brungardt's mother died, causing him to go through a spiritual reawakening. He then entered priestly formation at Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Brungardt earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Master of Arts degree in Moral Theology in 1998.

Ordination and ministry

Brungardt was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita by Bishop Eugene Gerber at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita on May 23, 1998.[2] As a diocesan priest, he served numerous assignments, including chaplain and religion teacher at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School in Wichita, director of the office of respect life and social justice, and pastor of seven different parishes.[3] In 2003, Brungardt spent five months in Mexico, studying Spanish language and Mexican culture. From 2005 until 2010, he was chancellor of the diocese and moderator of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry.[1]

Bishop of Dodge City

In November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Brungardt as the sixth bishop of Dodge City, replacing Bishop Ronald Gilmore.[1] On February 2, 2011, Brungardt was consecrated by Archbishop Joseph Naumann, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City, with Bishops Michael Jackels and Ronald Gilmore acting as co-consecrators.[4]

Brungardt chose his episcopal motto, "Filled With Compassion", from the story of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke. The left side of his coat of arms is the shield of the Diocese of Wichita. The right side is divided into two halves. The superior side features a sun. The lower half features a rose.[5][6]

On February 9, 2021, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation notified Brungardt that he was under investigation for sexual abuse of a minor. Denying the accusations, he immediately suspended his episcopal duties and the Vatican instructed Archbishop Joseph Naumann to start a canonical investigation.[7] Bishop Gerald Vincke was appointed as apostolic administrator to run the diocese during the investigation.[8] Brungardt was cleared of the accusation against him by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on March 23, 2022, as announced by Naumann. There were no criminal charges.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Interview with Bishop-elect Brungardt, archived from the original on 2009-02-16
  2. 1 2 Biography of Bishop John B. Brungardt, archived from the original on 2009-02-16
  3. ↑ Wichita priest John B. Brungardt appointed sixth bishop of the Dodge City diocese
  4. ↑ Bishop John Balthasar Brungardt
  5. ↑ The Coat of Arms of Most Rev. John B. Brungardt
  6. ↑ Diocese of Wichita
  7. ↑ CNA. "Dodge City bishop under investigation for alleged abuse of a minor". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  8. ↑ "Kansas bishop steps aside from duties as abuse allegation is investigated". National Catholic Reporter. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  9. ↑ "Bishop Brungardt to resume duties after abuse investigation". www.gbtribune.com. Retrieved 2023-02-03.

Episcopal succession

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