Death of Fr. Paddy Breen, C.Ss.R.
The death has occurred on Wednesday March 27th of Fr. Paddy Breen, a Redemptorist much loved among his confreres and by so many among whom and to whom he ministered over his long life. May he rest in peace. The following is the text of an announcement by his community in Limerick.
The Redemptorist Community at Mount St. Alphonsus, South Circular Road, Limerick regret to announce the death of their confrere, Fr. Patrick Breen, C.Ss.R.
Fr. Paddy died on Wednesday, 27th March in the loving care of the Sisters and staff at Carrigoran House, Co. Clare.
Fr. Paddy’s remains will lie in repose in the parlour in Mount St. Alphonsus
Monastery from 3.00pm, Saturday afternoon, March 30th.
The removal to Mount St. Alphonsus Church will be on Easter Sunday Evening at
6.30pm, followed by 7.15pm Mass.
Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 11.30am on Monday, April 1st, followed by
burial in the new Redemptorist burial plot at Castlemungret Cemetery.
A native of Athlacca, Co. Limerick, and one of eleven children, Fr. Paddy was born on June 29th, 1925 and ordained a Redemptorist priest in August, 1950. His older brother, Joseph, was already a Redemptorist priest, and six of his sisters also entered religious life.
After 16 years ministering in the Philippine Islands, Fr. Paddy returned to Ireland in 1969 and was appointed Superior of the Redemptorist Student House, Cluain Mhuire, Galway; in Galway he was also Director of Students.
Having also worked as a parish missioner Fr. Paddy was elected Consultor Vicar of the Irish Redemptorists in 1978-1982 and then as Provincial Consultor 1982-1985. He later spent four years working in the Redemptorist Retreat House in Limerick until its closure in 1989.
After this he trained as a Hospital Chaplain and was for a number of years Chaplain in Mount Carmel Hospital, Dublin. During this time he also engaged in mission preaching. He retired to Mount St. Alphonsus, Limerick in 2002 where he has lived ever since and was engaged in the church apostolate until ill health intervened.
A gentle, humorous, kind and ever-affirming member of the community, Fr. Paddy will be greatly missed by his Redemptorist confreres in Limerick and throughout the wider Irish province, also by his sister, Sr. Una in Birmingham, and by his many nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, grand-nieces, and extended family, most of whom still live in Athlacca, Co. Limerick.
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