St. Brendan the Navigator, c.484- c.577-583
St. Brendan's life spanned the end of the 5th century and a large part of the 6th.Much of it became the subject of myth and his fame spread throughout the Celtic world. Said to be born in Kerry (Annaghdown) in 484,of an ancient lineage, he studied under St. Ita and St. Erc, being ordained in 512. He built monastic cells at Ardfert and Shanakeel while others developed at Gallerus, Kil-malchedor, the Blasquet Islands, Coney island, Dysart, Killiney and Brandan Hill.
He visited Wales where he was a contemporary of St.Gildas, Iona, Kilbrandon (near Oban) and Kilbennan Sound. Other foundations became the Sees of Arfert, Annaghdown and Galway. The most famous was Clonfert where he died in the last quarter of the 6th century.
St. Brendan, with a band of followers, set out on his seven-year voyage to the promised land of the saints, which is variously designated Faroes, Canaries, Azores, Iceland, Green-land, Newfoundland and America. A monk wrote, 'Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis.'
Whatever legends later sprang up, he became a symbol in the Dark Ages, for a search for the light of truth and a missionary zeal for the spread of the Gospel. He might have visited King Alfred in Cornwall, St. Gildas at Llancarfan and founded a monastery at St. Malo. The stories of his voyages contain many references to fish listening to his words, the presence of white birds chanting the Office and the finding of holy springs. He probably died while visiting his sister Briga, abbess of a convent at Enach Duin, (Annaghdown).His feast day is 6th May and he is the patron of sea-farers and travellers.
He visited Wales where he was a contemporary of St.Gildas, Iona, Kilbrandon (near Oban) and Kilbennan Sound. Other foundations became the Sees of Arfert, Annaghdown and Galway. The most famous was Clonfert where he died in the last quarter of the 6th century.
St. Brendan, with a band of followers, set out on his seven-year voyage to the promised land of the saints, which is variously designated Faroes, Canaries, Azores, Iceland, Green-land, Newfoundland and America. A monk wrote, 'Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis.'
Whatever legends later sprang up, he became a symbol in the Dark Ages, for a search for the light of truth and a missionary zeal for the spread of the Gospel. He might have visited King Alfred in Cornwall, St. Gildas at Llancarfan and founded a monastery at St. Malo. The stories of his voyages contain many references to fish listening to his words, the presence of white birds chanting the Office and the finding of holy springs. He probably died while visiting his sister Briga, abbess of a convent at Enach Duin, (Annaghdown).His feast day is 6th May and he is the patron of sea-farers and travellers.
St. Brendan's Parish History
Rev. John Carmel Heenan became Archbishop of Liverpool and his vision was that new parishes would be created in Liverpool. The priest chosen for the parish project in the Old Swan area was Fr. Eamonn O'Brien, born in Castledrum, Co. Kerry, Ireland, then about fifty years old and already a priest in the Liverpool Archdiocese. A new parish was to be formed from parts of four other parishes - St. Oswald's, St. Margaret Mary's, St. Paul's, and Christ the King - although the major part was from St. Oswald's.
Fr. O'Brien had no money and no home. A Mrs Frayne in 28 Derby Lane gave him a room and from there he trudged around the area, looking up the names on his list of his new parishioners and getting to know them. He arranged a meeting in the Hall of St. Oswald's parish and was agreeably surprised at the number of people who turned up and the many who offered help. St. Edward's School lent their hall for a weekly Bingo, one man offered to run the Pools from his own home; some said they could run Sales of Work etc., and many offered to collect around parishioners houses.
He then approached six banks for a loan but was refused and, in despair of ever getting started, he made a novena to one of his favourite saints. At this time he was acting as Chaplain to the Hospice in Broadgreen Road where the Sisters of Charity cared for very sick and dying people. Someone told Fr. O'Brien's story to the Chairman of the Hospice Committee, Alderman F Wilson, who then offered Fr. O'Brien £60,000 for his new Church. Alderman Wilson, owner of Starways Airline and The Cathedral Touring Agency, as well as several other enterprises, was well known for giving large sums of money to Charity.
Fr. O'Brien was delighted and as the land near Queen's Drive had been bought in 1947, after the site was cleared of the old smithy and a sandstone cottage, work was able to start almost immediately. On July 5th, 1961 Archbishop Heenan laid the foundation stone. The Church was dedicated to St. Brendan, the Navigator and a magnificent stained glass window of St. Brendan was inserted over the main Altar. The cost of building the Church was £70,000.
Amid great rejoicing, the official opening by Archbishop Heenan took place on December 8th, 1961. Two weeks later, on December 23rd, at 52 years of age, Fr. O'Brien was found dead in bed following a heart attack. All his hard word had been accomplished and God had called him home.
Father Gerard Mitchell was appointed Parish Priest in January 1962 and had the difficult task of uniting all the people of his new parish and dealing with workmen etc., to see they all finished the work on the new Church to his satisfaction. He did very well and in December 1962 his Silver Jubilee was celebrated in St. Brendan's Church, with a special Mass where parishioners crowded the Church. A Presentation function and concert was held in Christ the King hall as St. Brendan's did not have a hall. Fr. Mitchell was in the parish for two years, being followed by the temporary appointment of Fr. Coyne. During this time several curates worked in the parish. These included Frs. Boardman, Finnegan, Moore and Neary.
In 1966 Canon Thomas Kennedy was appointed Parish Priest and in March 1967 he was appointed Dean of Old Swan district. He was also Chairman of St. Vincent's Hospice from 1960 to 1977. During his time as PP, a portion of the disused Co-operative shop on the corner of Queen's Drive was acquired and this became St. Brendan's Club - small but well used for meetings and social activities, and a forward-looking committee was set up. The Canon celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his priesthood with a Concelebrated High Mass on June 10th 1978 and a presentation evening with entertainment was held in St. Agnes School Hall.
Fr. Cunningham came to St. Brendan's in 1981 and soon settled in. He was to take over as Parish Priest and has now run the Parish since Canon Kennedy's retirement in 1983. The Church is very conveniently placed for shoppers and passers-by to drop in and say a prayer and due to Fr. Cunningham's willingness to keep the Church open in the daytime, many people do.
For many years we had been hearing that there would be a great shortage of priests and also that some churches would have to close. This situation came to pass in the 1990's and parishes were amalgamated and some closed for good. Other parishes were sharing priests. As we turned the corner into the new century, it became clear that something would have to be done in the Old Swan area. After many meetings, it was decided that St. Cuthbert's would close and it's parish, along with St. Brendan's, would join St. Oswald's - (as they all had been in the past). Fr. Garrett was to retire and Fr. Cunningham, also in retirement, would continue to live in the parochial house of St. Brendan's - the church henceforth being called St. Brendan's Shrine - Fr. Brendan Rice to be the Priest-in-charge of all this and based at the mother church of St. Oswald's.
Although there wasm some apprehension about all this, since September 2002, when the changeover took place, it seems to have worked well. St. Oswald's and St. Brendan's Shrine share the services during the week and St. Cuthbert's parishioners attend one or other. St. Cuthbert's parish is remembered by having a side chapel in St. Oswald's, dedicated to their Saint. An outstanding feature has been the way the people of all three parishes have worked together, and tribute must be paid to Fr. Brendan Rice who has inspired all parishioners.
In 2007 Fr. Brendan joined the Irenaeus Project and Fr. Mark Madden of St. Cecilie's took over the St. Oswald's and St, Brendan's as well. Then in 20102, due to the departure of Fr, Mark to Southport, the Pastoral Area was re-organised and St. Cecilias joined to St. Mathew's, and St. Oswald's and St. Brendan's were joined with St. Sebastian's. Fr. Mark Beattie from St. St. Sebastian's took over responsibility for both parishes.
In 2013 it was decided that such an arrangement was unsustainable and St. Brendan's was taken out of sacared use. The final Mass was celebrated by Bishop Tom WIlliams on 17th January. However the beautiful windows that adorned the Lady Chapel have been transferred to St. Oswald’s. They have been framed in wood and hung in the bay to the left of the Lady Altar there. Backlighting shows them in their full glory. The statue of the Blessed Virgin that graced the altar in St. Brendan’s has also been re-used there as the pictures show.
Photogallery of St. Brendan's