Early life Brennan was born on October 10, 1855, in Ballycullin near
Mullinahone,
County Tipperary, in Ireleand, James Brennan, a teacher and land surveyor, died in 1865. After his father' death, Brennan immigrated to the United States with his mother and brothers, settling in
Pennsylvania. His brother James would also become a priest. Brennan attended
St. Bonaventure College in
Allegany,
New York, to prepare himself for the priesthood. He was sent to France in 1873 to continue his studies at the
University of Rouen.
Priesthood While still in Austria, Brennan was ordained for the priesthood for the
Diocese of Erie on July 4, 1880, by , the
bishop of Brixen. Brennan spent one year studying
canon law in Rome before returning to Pennsylvania. He succeed his brother James as pastor of St. James Parish in
Driftwood, Pennsylvania, serving there until 1891. While at St. James, he also supervised mission churches at
Sterling Run, Benezette, and
Galeton, all in Pennsylvania. Upon arriving in Dallas in April 1891, Brennan traveled widely and established a reputation as an exceptional orator. The
El Paso Times ran an article on November 2, 1892, that falsely claimed Brennan had been appointed an archbishop. In November 1892, Brennan made his
ad limina visit to Rome. At that time, Brennan offered his resignation as bishop of Dallas on November 17, 1892. Leo XIII then appointed Brennan as an
auxiliary bishop of the
Diocese of Chicoutimi in Quebec. However, Bishop
Michel-Thomas Labrecque rejected Brennan's appointment after learning about his history in Dallas. In December 1893, after the death of Bishop
Thomas Joseph Power, Brennan falsely claimed to be administrator of the diocese. However, he was overruled by Cardinal
Mieczysław Halka-Ledóchowski. Brennan's contentious relationship with the Newfoundland clergy led more than 20 priests to petition Ledóchowski in June 1894 to remove Brennan as auxiliary bishop.
Removal from office and legacy Brennan was recalled to Rome in 1904, where he retired at age 50 to the
Monastery of Grottaferrata. On October 7, 1905, he was officially relieved of his duties in Newfoundland and given the honorary title of
titular bishop of
Caesarea in Mauretania. Thomas Brennan died at
Grottaferrata, Lazio, in Italy on March 20, 1916, at age 62. He is buried in the cemetery of
Frascati. ==References==