Patrick Thomas Brennan

Contents

Patrick Thomas Brennan, SSC (1901–1950), was an American Catholic missionary priest who served as the Apostolic Prefect of Gwangju from 1948 to 1950. He was killed by North Korean forces in 1950.[1] He was a member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban. His sainthood cause was opened in 2013.

Biography

Born in 1901 in Chicago to Irish parents, Brennan was educated in St Rita's High School and Quigley Prep Seminary before studying at Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1928, and served as a curate in Epiphany Church, St. Mary of the Lake, and St Anthony's in Joliet.

Brennan joined the Missionary Society of St. Columban (Columban Fathers) in 1936 and was assigned to Korea in 1938.[2] Brennan was interned by Japanese forces following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and was repatriated to the United States. He served as an Army chaplain in Europe during the war,[3] in Normandy, Ardennes and Germany, for which he was decorated with the Soldier's Medal for bravery.[4][5]

In 1947 he was appointed missionary director of the Columbans in Asia. In 1948, Brennan was appointed Prefect Apostolic of Kwangju, where he was taken prisoner and killed by North Korean forces on September 24, 1950, in Taejon prison. He died alongside two other Columban missionaries Fr Thomas Cusack and Fr John "Jack" O'Brien.[6][7]

During the short occupation, the North Korean forces seized Mokdong Catholic Church in Daejeon and used it as a building for the Social and Political Security Agency.[8] Around this time, Brennan and other remaining clergy members of Mokdong Catholic Church were arrested and imprisoned in Daejeon Prison. In September 1950, the North Korean army withdrew after massacring thousands of imprisoned civilians in various locations of South Korea during their urgent retreat.[9] Brennan's body, like that of many victims, has never been recovered.

Veneration

Brennan's sainthood cause was opened in 2013, alongside those of his fellow Catholic martyrs in the Korean War.[10]

References

  1. 1.Columban Martyrs recalled at Dalgan Mass
  2. 2."Winter 2013 General Meeting of the Irish Bishops' Conference concludes in Maynooth | Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference". Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  3. 3.'Reds Kill Priests?' Msgr. Patrick T. Brennan - Death Notice, The Catholic Advance Wichita, Kansas, Friday, December 8, 1950,
  4. 4."Ex Umbris Et Imaginibus: New Irish Martyrs: Cause Just Opened". Ex Umbris Et Imaginibus. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  5. 5.Coyle, Fr Seán (2008-09-20). "Bangor to Bobbio: The Korean Martyrs". Bangor to Bobbio. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  6. 6.Molloy, Cian (2017-02-13). "Seven Irish Columbans among 84 modern-day martyrs of Korea who may be beatified". Catholicireland.net. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  7. 7."Korean war stories never to be forgotten". Irish Independent. 2008-03-09. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  8. 8."「목동성당 박해와 성직자 순교약사」 발간". cpbc News (in Korean). 2007-10-17.
  9. 9."대전 골령골서 민간인 학살 희생자 유해 모두 1천441구 발굴". Yonhap News (in Korean). 2023-02-09.
  10. 10."KOREAN MARTYRS - Beatification Progress". www.koreanmartyrs.com. Retrieved 2026-05-13.