Brendan O'Brien (bishop)

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Brendan Michael O'Brien (born September 28, 1943) is a Canadian Roman Catholic bishop who served as Archbishop of Kingston from 2007 to 2019. Before that, he was Archbishop of St. John’s in Newfoundland and Bishop of Pembroke, Ontario.

Born in Ottawa as the eldest of seven children, he studied at the University of Ottawa and St. Paul University, earning licentiates in philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest on June 1, 1968, at St. George’s Church in Ottawa, and did pastoral work there while helping lead the diocesan synod. In 1971 he went to Rome for further studies, earning a doctorate in moral theology at the Alfonsian Academy of the Pontifical Lateran University. Returning to Canada in 1975, he taught at St. Paul University and served as a parish priest in Ottawa.

On May 6, 1987, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Ottawa and Titular Bishop of Numana, and was consecrated on June 29, 1987. He became Bishop of Pembroke on May 5, 1993, and Archbishop of St. John’s on December 4, 2000. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Kingston on June 3, 2007, and his installation took place on July 25, 2007. He served as Kingston’s Archbishop until March 28, 2019.

O’Brien has also been State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus in Ontario and served as President of the Canadian Episcopal Conference from 2003 to 2005, while also taking part in its Social Affairs Commission.