[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 7] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 9409] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO REV. PHILIP RONAN BRENNAN ______ HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE of california in the house of representatives Wednesday, May 24, 2000 Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to recognize the Reverend Philip Ronan Brennan, a remarkable man who has rendered fifty years of service to the people of my Northern California district. Born on August 23, 1926, in Duleek, County Meath, Ireland, Philip Brennan was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on June 18, 1950, in Dublin. His first assignment in the priesthood brought him half way around the world to the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, where he has made his home ever since. In fact, although born in Ireland, he is now a naturalized citizen of the United States. It is here that he has offered a lifetime of compassion and dedication to others. Beginning as an associate pastor at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Auburn, in 1950, Reverend Brennan later went on to serve as an assistant at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish in Truckee in 1952. In 1956, he began an eleven-year assignment as Chaplain at Folsom State Prison. In this capacity, he worked with some of those members of society who stand in the greatest need of comfort and guidance. Then, in 1967, Father Brennan advanced to the position of pastor at Corpus Christi parish in Tahoe City, California, which included the community of Squaw Valley. In 1972, Rev. Philip Brennan returned to where he began his ministry, serving as pastor at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Auburn. During his years in Auburn, he negotiated the purchase of a 16-acre parcel of land in North Auburn, moving St. Joseph's school from the overcrowded and landlocked downtown location to the new site. He also sparked the building of a large parish center there. Recognizing his contributions to the community, in 1988 the City of Auburn named Father Brennan as one of the 100 most influential people in the city's first 100 years of history. After spending eight years at St. Joseph's, Father Brennan moved to the small town of Sutter Creek, serving for 12 years as pastor at the Immaculate Conception parish. Since retirement in 1992, he has again settled in Auburn, where he continues to sit on Diocesan committees and acts as supply pastor throughout the Sacramento Diocese. As he celebrates the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood on June 18, I join with his many friends and admirers in honoring the Rev. Philip Ronan Brennan for his tireless efforts to meet the temporal and spiritual needs of those he has served so faithfully. No price can be placed on Father Brennan's contributions. His influence cannot be measured. His service cannot be gauged. His is a life well- lived, and I thank him for it. ____________________