This Easter, Bishop Joseph V. Brennan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno says it’s especially important to have hope, courage and faith in the teachings of God amid widespread sentiments of despair in “a chaotic, divided and divisive world.”
In an interview with The Bee ahead of Holy Week and Easter, Brennan acknowledged the Iran war and a polarizing political climate has left many people looking for answers and clarity in their faith.
“We live in a world where people are so uncivil to each other, and the public discourse is foul and filthy and sometimes violent,” Brennan said.
Brennan will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Cathedral in Fresno.
For Brennan, 72, Holy Week is one of the busiest times of the year. As the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, he presides over a diocese that spans 35,239 square miles and serves over 1 million Catholics. The Diocese of Fresno has 87 parishes and 21 Catholic schools in Fresno, Kern, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tulare and Kings counties.
Fresno Bishop Joseph V. Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is interviewed at The Shrine of Saint Therese Catholic Church Wednesday, April 1, 2026 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
As part of the Catholic tradition commonly known as “The Washing of the Feet,” Bishop Brennan and other priests washed the feet of community members during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday at St. John’s Cathedral. The tradition symbolizes Jesus’s mission of service and the humility and continues through the ministry of Catholic priests.
On Good Friday, Brennan attended the morning live reenactment of the Passion of the Christ — the story of Jesus’s crucifixion known as the Stations of the Cross — at St. Anthony-Mary Claret church in Fresno.
Speaking on the significance of Easter and resurrection, Brennan said that while Christmas celebrates the fact the Jesus Christ came into the world and took on human nature, “Easter is why he came. It is the feast. It is the core of our faith.”
“It is at the very center of everything we do. It’s our destiny, and it’s part of this journey that we call life, that hopefully we align ourselves with a God who loves us so much that He sent his own son to be one of us,” Brennan said. “So that we might become like Him and live, live our life faithfully, diligently, beautifully, joyfully, and allow that to lead us to our true home. And that’s life everlasting.”
To those feeling despair due to current global and national issues such as war and attacks on immigrants Brennan offers hope and courage, drawing inspiration from his parents’ resilience during wartime.
“We were all impacted by all of those things going on around us,” Brennan said.
Fresno Bishop Joseph V. Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is interviewed at The Shrine of Saint Therese Catholic Church Wednesday, April 1, 2026 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
Brennan recalled how his parents, who got married in 1939 at the start of World War II began and end of the Great Depression, talked about still wanting to have children amid chaotic times.
“They believed in a future full of hope in the midst of all of that pain and suffering. And I think we can too,” Brennan said. “You can hold on to hope. You can be really, really courageous,” he said.
“You can have doubts, you can have fears, you can have all the range of human emotions and still act from the heart. And that’s what my mom and dad did,” Brennan said. “That’s what I encourage people to do now in the midst of very serious and very real situations and issues and threats and fears.”
Brennan said he encourages his priests, deacons and the faithful to uphold an inclusive stance, regardless of sexual orientation.
Brennan said the church’s stance is clear that it does not judge people based on their orientation but on their actions.
“We maintain open doors and open hearts,” Brennan said. “There might be outliers, there might be kind of rebellious people who would denigrate someone because of their however they identify, because of their gender, their orientation. But it’s not that’s not Church teaching. It’s not.”
Fresno Bishop Joseph V. Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is interviewed at The Shrine of Saint Therese Catholic Church Wednesday, April 1, 2026 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
Related Stories from Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee
María G. Ortiz-Briones is a reporter and photographer for McClatchy’s Vida en el Valle publication and the Fresno Bee. She covers issues that impact the Latino community in the Central Valley. She is a regular contributor to La Abeja, The Bee’s free weekly newsletter on Latino issues. | María G. Ortiz-Briones es reportera y fotógrafa de la publicación Vida en el Valle de McClatchy y el Fresno Bee. Ella cubre temas que impactan a la comunidad latina en el Valle Central. Es colaboradora habitual de La Abeja, el boletín semanal gratuito de The Bee sobre temas latinos.
Support my work with a digital subscription