Fr Greg Brennan

[amishbonnie]

Please keep Fr Greg Brennan, an important part of the Bonaventure and surrounding communities in your prayers. He is missing following an apparent boat accident at Kinzua Resevoir on Friday. He has played an important role as a part of the Bonaventure community as well as the Allegany community as chaplain of the Fire Dept, and friend to all he encountered.

[spils84]

From the Buffalo News:

Police are searching for a missing priest and St. Bonaventure University staff member whose boat was found damaged over the weekend after an apparent accident on the Allegheny River in northern Pennsylvania.

The Rev. Greg Brennan, 56, pastor of St. Pacificus Roman Catholic Church in Humphrey, Cattaraugus County, traveled on Friday to a cabin located in the area of the Kinzua Dam Reservoir in Warren, Pa., about two hours south of Buffalo. Brennan, an avid outdoorsman, was reported missing Sunday morning. His damaged boat was discovered by another boater on Saturday evening, along the east shore of the reservoir below Willow Bay, according to State Police and St. Bonaventure officials.

An investigation and search is being conducted by state police in New York and Pennsylvania, said Robert Ingalls, an investigator with the State Police in Olean. The Pennsylvania Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Department are assisting in the search.

Brennan started at St. Bonaventure 21 years ago, and since then has been a staff member in the Division of Business and Finance, officials said. He has been manager of fixed assets and reprographics since 2001.

Besides being pastor of St. Pacificus, he is active with the Olean and Allegany fire departments.

St. Bonaventure officials released a statement today, asking the community to keep Rev. Brennan and his family and friends in their prayers.

A prayer service was held on campus at University Chapel Monday.

"The University community is praying for Father Greg and his family as we also express appreciation to the many police officials who area conducting the search effort," said Emily Sinsabaugh, a university spokeswoman.

[bonabacker95]

This is truly sad and all Bonnies may your prayers be with our community.

[sbu87]

It is with sadness that I relay to the board that channel WIVB in Buffalo, has confirmed a body discovered in the Pennsylvania portion of the Kinzua Reservoir just south of Cattaraugus County Monday night is missing priest, Father Gregory Brennan.

May God bring Father Greg home to him in heaven and comfort his friends and family in their time of sorrow.

[Bona91]

He was a great friend not only to my family but to the entire community. He will be sorely missed.

[sidbona99]

Body of missing Bonaventure priest found in waters of Kinzua
Humphrey pastor was last seen Friday near reservoir
By Phil Fairbanks and Helen Jones
Updated: 08/21/07 9:28 AM

A two-state search for a missing Humphrey priest ended tragically Monday night when a body recovered from the waters of the Kinzua Dam Reservoir was identified as that of the Rev. Greg Brennan.

A spokesman for St. Bonaventure University, where Brennan, 56, was on staff, said two Franciscans from the university identified the body late Monday night.

State Police Sgt. Bernard Garrasi of Amity confirmed late Monday that the body had been identified as Brennan.

Brennan, pastor of St. Pacificus Catholic Church in Humphrey, was last seen Friday heading to a cabin near the Warren, Pa., reservoir.

The search for the missing priest was prompted by the discovery Saturday evening of a damaged boat found floating unattended in the reservoir. Brennan, an avid outdoorsman, was reported missing Sunday morning.

Bishop Edward Kmiec said in a statement that Monday was “a day of great sadness and loss for the Franciscan community, Father Brennan’s family, the parish community of St. Pacificus where he served with such dedication for more than 18 years, and for the diocese.”

“Pacificus means ‘peaceful’ and that image certainly comes to mind when we think of Father Greg, who, in so many ways, walked the path of Francis,” he said.

Sister Margaret Carney, president of St. Bonaventure, said in a statement that while the news was not what they were hoping for, there is closure for Brennan’s family.

“Our hearts are broken, both personally here at St. Bonaventure, and for all of the people in the Southern Tier whose lives Father Greg touched, especially his parishioners at St. Pacificus and all of the fire company members in Olean and Allegany to whom he dedicated his spirt and energy,” she said.

Brennan’s body was found by police Monday evening in the reservoir and identified at the Onoville Marina by the Revs. Xavier Schubert and Michael Calabria.

Earlier in the evening, a spokesman for the New York State Police said the investigation was continuing.

“At this time we don’t suspect foul play,” said Trooper Rebecca Gibbons, public information officer. She said police believe Brennan was operating the boat.

Brennan’s damaged boat was discovered by another boater Saturday evening along the east shore of the reservoir below Willow Bay, according to university officials. He was reportedly staying at a nearby cabin owned by the St. Bonaventure Friary.

The investigation and search were conducted by state police in New York and Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office assisted.

Brennan started at St. Bonaventure 21 years ago, and since then had been a staff member in the Division of Business and Finance. He had been manager of fixed assets and reprographics since 2001.

He also served as pastor of St. Pacificus, a parish scheduled to close soon, and was active with the Olean and Allegany fire departments.

Allegany Fire Chief Francis Pezzimenti, who last saw Brennan about a week ago, said Brennan fought fires side by side with other volunteer firefighters and was a mentor to the department’s teen “junior” firefighters.

“He helped everybody,” he said. “If Olean needed a chaplain, he was there for them. And he was always there when we lost a friend.”

Elizabeth Conley, who worked with Brennan at St. Pacificus and has known him for 28 years, said he was practically a member of her family.

“He was a wonderful person, very loving, very caring,” she said Monday night. “He didn’t care who you were; he took care of everybody. He loved the kids, the older people loved him. He just fit in with everybody.”

Conley said he was very active and giving, volunteering with the Allegany Fire Department, the Boy Scouts, and youth groups and was also chaplain for the City of Olean Fire Department.

St. Bonaventure officials released a statement Monday asking the community to keep Brennan and his family and friends in their prayers. A prayer service was held Monday on campus at University Chapel.

The search for Brennan began just days after a deadly boat collision killed an 85-year-old fisherman on Oneida Lake near Syracuse.

That victim, according to court documents, was killed after the man at the helm of the other boat had been partying with friends and was kissing a woman sitting on his lap moments before the crash.

News Staff Reporter Jay Rey contributed to this story.

[EddieBall]

Fr. Greg also served as chaplin for the A.O.H. (Ancient Order of Hibernians) Chapter in Olean... God Bless a great man who truly lived the Franciscan Ideal.

[CoachSBU]

My prayers and sympathy go out for the St. Bonaventure community, especially Bona 91 and his family, regarding Father Brennan. He must have been one special, spiritual, human being to have been called this early to God's side when he was so important to so many on earth.

[sidbona99]

Services for Fr. Greg will begin Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007. Calling hours will be held Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 24, 2007, from 1 to 9 p.m. at the University Chapel, Doyle Hall. Family and friars will be present on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 8 p.m. Friday in the Chapel.

A Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, 2007, at St. Mary of the Angels Church, 202 South Union St. in Olean. Burial will be in St. Bonaventure Cemetery, Allegany. A reception in the Robert H. Livingston Community Center in Allegany will follow.

This weekend’s Masses at St. Pacificus Catholic Church in Humphrey will be celebrated in Fr. Greg’s memory. Masses at the church, located at 4722 Chapel Hill, are Sunday at 8 and 9:30 a.m.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Casey, Halwig and Hartle Funeral Home.