Priesthood
O'Brien was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Francis Spellman on May 29, 1965. He then served as a civilian chaplain at the United States Military Academy at West Point until 1970, whence he became an army chaplain with the rank of Captain. He also took flight training that required him to parachute out of airplanes. O'Brien was a chaplain at Fort Bragg in North Carolina with the 82nd Division (1970–71), and in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1st Cavalry Brigade (1971–72). While in Vietnam, he was based in a jungle and flew with a Protestant minister by helicopter to minister to soldiers. From 1972 to 1973, he was a post chaplain at Fort Gordon in Georgia.
O'Brien was then sent by Cardinal Terence Cooke to study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome in 1973, and earned a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Angelicum University in 1976; his dissertation was titled: "The Origin and Development of Moral Principles in the Theology of Paul Ramsey." Upon his return to the United States, he served as both the vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York and associate pastor at St. Patrick Cathedral from 1976 to 1981. O'Brien coordinated Pope John Paul II's visit to New York in 1979, and was the archdiocesan Director of Communications from 1981 to 1983. Between 1983 and 1985, he served as private secretary to Cardinal Cooke and then to his successor, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor.
O'Brien was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in 1986. He served as rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers from 1985 to 1989, and of the North American College in Rome from 1990 to 1994. Returning to New York, he served another term as rector of St. Joseph's from 1994 to 1997.
Read more about this topic: Edwin Frederick O'Brien
Famous quotes containing the word priesthood:
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