Father Thomas Brennan, Former Pastor Of St. Barnabas And St. Pius Dies At 85

Courtesy of Layton's Home for Funerals

Father Thomas Brennan, former pastor of St. Barnabas in Bayville and St. Pius in Lacey, has died.

He was born on June 1, 1931 in Kinsale, a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. He was one of five children. He attended the Seminary in Ireland and was ordained at the Carlow Cathedral in Ireland on June 11, 1966 and began service to the Diocese of Trenton immediately.

His first assignment was as an associate in the parish of St. John Vianney in Colonia, NJ from August 29, 1966 until 1972. He was a temporary administrator for several months before being assigned as Associate Pastor at Corpus Christi parish in Willingboro, NJ on September 8, 1972. On June 14, 1974, Fr. Brennan was named Associate pastor of St Augustine's Parish in Franklin Park, NJ.

On Oct 19, 1979, Fr. Brennan was named the Pastor of St Barnabas Church in Bayville, NJ, where he served for the next 15 years. He also served as a Prosynodal Judge of the Tribunal for 13 years during his time at St Barnabas. On April 8, 1994, he was assigned as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Bay Head, NJ/ He retired as Pastor on June 30, 2001.

Father Brennan retired to Forked River and began serving the Parish of St Pius the Tenth, which he continued to do until his last morning Mass on April 5, 2016. He would have celebrated his Fiftieth Anniversary in the Priesthood on June 11, 2016. God Bless our Father Tom Brennan with the reward of eternal salvation. We love you and will miss you terribly.

Father Brennan was predeceased by his parents Edmund and Margaret Brennan and his brother Kieran. He is survived by two sisters, Mary O'Regan of California, Catherine Brennan of Ireland and one brother, Edmond Brennan and his wife Fran of Ireland, his sister in-law Siobhan Brennan of Atlanta, Georgia and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday May 1, 2016 at the Church of Saint Pius X, 300 Lacey Road., Forked River. The funeral Mass for Father Brennan will be held at 11a.m. on Monday morning at the Church of Saint Pius X. Interment will be at Saint Patrick's Cemetery, Enniscrone, Ireland. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Layton's Home For Funerals, Forked River, NJ.