WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia's new Roman Catholic bishop is set to be installed this week.
A ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling for the Most Rev. Mark Brennan, who previously was auxiliary bishop of Baltimore.
The Wheeling-Charleston diocese includes nearly 75,000 Catholics and 95 parishes and encompasses the entire state of West Virginia.
Brennan vowed at an introductory news conference last month to work toward restoring faith in the diocese after a scandal over the former bishop's sexual harassment of adults and lavish spending of church money.
Pope Francis named the 72-year-old Brennan to replace Bishop Michael Bransfield, who resigned in September 2018 after a preliminary investigation into allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.
