Revd Sam Brennan celebrates 54 years of ordination
On the 22nd of December 2011, the Reverend Sam Brennan celebrated the 54th anniversary of his ordination as Deacon in the Church of Ireland.
Sam is a parishioner of St Mark’s Newtownards and was delighted to receive visits from several clergy to mark the occasion.
Sam came late to the ministry. He was born in 1916 in the Newtownards area. He left school early to work in the grocery business and eventually owned and ran two shops employing six assistants, one in East Street and one in Greenwell Street. However, at some point he became dissatisfied and decided he had missed out on education. He hired tutors to teach him Greek, Latin and Maths, and progressed to graduation as Bachelor of Divinity from Geneva University in Summer 1957. In December of that year and aged forty one, he was ordained in the Church of Ireland – an unusual season for ordination!
After ordination, Sam served as curate in Magheralin under Rector Alec Douglas, and in Downpatrick under Dean Good. He was also appointed Minor Canon at Down Cathedral. After serving as Rector at Scarva for several years, he made his last move to Aghalee. His responsibilities there included Maghaberry and Derrymore and he stayed for 15 years.
Even now, at 95 years old and long retired, Sam vividly recalls his ‘love for his work’ and Aghalee church (which for visitors he happily translates from the Irish as ‘the field of the calfs’), and his memory of happy times in that place is undimmed.