Browne, Brian, 1919-2015, Capuchin priest

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Browne, Brian, 1919-2015, Capuchin priest

14 March 1919-10 May 2015

Patrick Browne joined the Capuchins in Rochestown County Cork, in October 1937. He took Brian as his religious name and was solemnly professed as a Capuchin friar in 1941. Shortly after his ordination to the priesthood in 1945, he was transferred to the mission in Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia). He was deeply involved in advancing education, building schools, administering them, and teaching. He supervised the completion of the first Catholic Secondary school for boys to be opened in Barotseland at Mongu in the early 1960s. He was Regular Superior of the Zambian Mission from 1967 to 1973 and on finishing his term of office he raised funds for the African missions in the United States for several years. On finally departing Zambia in 1980, he worked with the Irish Capuchins in New Zealand for six years. On his return to Ireland in 1986, he worked as a curate in the parish of Redhills in his native County Cavan until 1999. He was a member of the Ard Mhuire Capuchin community in County Donegal until his death on 10 May 2015.

Baptismal name: Patrick Browne
Religious name: Fr. Brian Browne OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 14 Mar. 1919
Place of birth: Redhills, County Cavan (Diocese of Kilmore)
Name of father: James Browne
Name of mother: Rose Anne Browne (née Murray)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 3 Oct. 1937
Date of first profession: 4 Oct. 1938
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1941
Date of ordination (as priest): 20 June 1945 (St. Eunan’s Cathedral, Letterkenny, County Donegal)
Educational attainments: BA, 2nd class hons. (1941)
Missionary activities: Travelled to the Prefecture of Victoria Falls, Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia), in February 1946. He was transferred on a temporary missionary assignment to California in the United States in November 1973. He returned to Livingstone, Zambia, in February 1980. He was transferred to New Zealand in 1980 and returned to Ireland in 1986.
Date of death: 10 May 2015
Place of burial: Cemetery, Ard Mhuire Capuchin Friary, County Donegal