Tod David Brown

infobox bishopstyles
name=Tod Brown
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=not applicable |

Tod David Brown (born November 15, 1936) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the third and current Bishop of Orange.

Biography

Tod Brown was born in San Francisco, California, to George W. and Edna Anne (née Dunn) Brown; he has a younger brother, Daniel. His ancestry includes Danish, Irish, English, and Azorean nationalities [Diocese of Orange. [http://www.rcbo.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=217&Itemid=155 Bishop Brown's Coat of Arms] ] .

After receiving his primary education in Northern California, he attended Ryan Seminary in Fresno and St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, from where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree. Brown then traveled to Rome to study at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University, there earning a bachelor's in Sacred Theology. Brown also earned Master's in biblical theology and education from the Univeristy of San Francisco.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 1, 1963, for the service of the Diocese of Monterrey. During his priestly ministry, Brown served as a parochial vicar, pastor, chairman of the Divine Worship Commission, chairman and member of the Presbyterial Council and Priests Pension Committee, and member of the Diocesan Board of Education. He was chancellor, curial moderator, and vicar general of Monterey as well.

On December 27, 1988, Brown was appointed the sixth Bishop of Boise City, Idaho, by Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated on April 3, 1989 by Archbishop William Levada, with Bishops Sylvester Treinen and Thaddeus Shubsda serving as co-consecrators. He assumed as his episcopal motto, "Come Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). Brown later returned to his native California upon being named the third Bishop of Orange on June 30, 1998.

In 1997, he was accused of having sexually abused a twelve-year-old boy in 1965, while Brown was a pastor in Bakersfield [Orange County Weekly. [http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/nailed/27055/ Nailed? Bishop Tod Brown and His Undisclosed Molestation Accusation] April 24, 2007] . However, following a preliminary investigation, Church officials dismissed the claims, saying, " [Brown's life] does not reveal any inappropriate behavior..." He denied the allegation, declaring in 2007 [Los Angeles Times. [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/14/local/me-bishop14 ‘97 abuse claim named O.C. bishop] September 14, 2007] , "I've never abused any person sexually or any other way."

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Brown currently chairs the BCEIA Subcommittee on Interreligious Dialogue and sits on the Orthodox-Roman Catholic Bishop's Dialogue and the Pontifical Council on Interreligious Dialogue. He is the former chairman of the Laity Committee and the Committee on Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs.

References

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbrown.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.rcbo.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=216&Itemid=155 Diocese of Orange]