"You see the Church in a different way, when you come from a home parish and neighborhood where more than 75 percent of the population is Catholic, go to state where it was about 30 percent and then to another state like Oklahoma where it was perhaps one percent."

For more than two decades, he was moving about the U.S. and the world to Air Force bases in war torn Viet Nam; in politically tense Korea and the more sedate, though still strategic Hickham Air Force Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In 1986 when he retired from the Air Force he returned to Boston and helped out his friend and fellow Air Force chaplain, the late Father Robert Bergeron who was then pastor at St. Joseph (French) Parish in Waltham. He remained at the parish until 1995 when he was granted senior priest status. During this time on July 17, 1990 he was "re-incardinated" in the archdiocese. With good humor, always one of his trademarks, he used to say "that's 're-incardinated', not reincarnated." While at Waltham and serving as the administrator of the parish he saw the 100th anniversary of the parish and organized more than a score of events for the centennial.

After retirement he was readily available to assist in archdiocesan parishes, and following his move to Regina Cleri in 1998 he was weekend assistant at St. Luke in Belmont's Waverly section.

An avid sports fan, he was a regular with the late Father James L. McCune at Boston College's hockey games at Kelly Rink at Conte Forum.

At Regina Cleri he was the in house chaplain; visiting brother priests, tending to their spiritual needs, celebrating the Anointing of the Sick, bringing Viaticum and often staying up late hours with those who were at the door of death.

In recent months he has been in declining health and had been himself at "death's door" several times, but rebounded to the surprise of many and the delight of many at Regina Cleri.

Bishop Robert Hennessey was the principal celebrant of Father Brennan's funeral Mass at St. Luke in Belmont on March 15. North Regional Vicar, Father Gerard Petringa, who had been the parish's pastor much of the time Father Brennan served as weekend assistant, was the homilist.

Among concelebrants were classmate and close friend and Regina Cleri resident, Msgr. James Tierney; St. Luke's current pastor Father Thomas Mahoney, Regina Cleri resident Father Michael Regan; Regina Cleri residents Fathers William Pearsall and Dennis Dever, and Msgr. Dennis Sheehan, senior priest at Our Lady Help of Christians, Newton.

Following the funeral Mass, Father Brennan was buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury.