Saturday, February 24, 2018

Christopher O'Brien OP, RIP

Dominican priest Humbert Christopher O'Brien died in Moore Hill Lodge in Drogheda on Wednesday, February 21.

His funeral Mass was celebrated today in St Magdalen's Priory church in Drogheda. Christopher was a member of the Dominican community in Drogheda before moving to the nursing home.

He was born in Limerick in 1928 and made his first profession in the Dominican Order in1946.

Christopher spent his first 35 years in the Order as a co-operator brother. He was ordained a priest in 1981.

He belonged to that generation of Dominicans who were given a different name at Baptism and he was known in the Order as Brother Humbert.

Later in life he returned to his baptismal name, which meant he was known both as Christopher and Humbert.

He was a quiet gentle person, who had a strong Marian devotion.

In the early years of the Priory Institute between 2003 and 2007, he was one of the coordinators of support for students on the distance learning theology programme.

He lived in Vatican City for a number of years in the 1960s and '70s where he was personal assistant to Dominican Cardinal Mario Luigi Ciappi, who was Master of the Sacred Palace.

He was superior in the Dominican community in Lisbon in the 1990s.On his return to Ireland from Lisbon he was a curate in St Martin's in Old Bawn, Tallaght.

Christopher gave over 73 years of loyal service to the Irish Dominican Province.

He deserves our prayers and graditude.

May he rest in peace.

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