50th First Profession
Father Robert (Bob) Weiss
Birthplace: St. Louis
Entrance: 1951
First profession: 1955
Final profession: 1958
Ordination: 1965
Education: Passionist Seminary in Normandy, 1951
Seminary studies in Chicago and Louisville, 1958
Graduate studies in psychology at the universities of Detroit, Wisconsin and Cincinnati
Service in the archdiocese: Director of Passionist seminarians in Warrenton
Service outside the archdiocese: 55 years as a preacher, including several sabbatical programs in Rome
About Father Robert (Bob) Weiss: Father Bob, as he is called by all who know him, has been of member of Passionist Communities in St. Louis, Detroit, Sierra Madre (Los Angeles), Birmingham and Louisville, where he now resides. Father Bob is still active as a priest, but moves a little more slowly now. He has preached retreats for priests and sisters; and he also conducted hundreds of parish missions in the United States, including the Archdiocese of St. Louis and in Canada.
60th First Profession
Father Patrick Brennan
Birthplace: St. Louis
Entrance: 1964
First profession: 1965
Final profession: 1969
Ordination: 1973
Education: Bachelor’s in philosophy/psychology, Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky, 1969
Master’s in divinity, Catholic Theological Union, 1973
Master’s in clinical psychology, California State University, 1978
Service outside the archdiocese: Various retreat centers of the Holy Cross Province
Member of the Provincial Council from 1991-95
Two four-year terms as Director of Students for the Passionist Community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago
Preaching retreats and spiritual direction at St. Paul of the Cross in Detroit
About Father Patrick Brennan: I am so very grateful for my life as a Passionist. Most of my ministry has been serving as formation director in our seminary and as a director of two of our Passionist Retreat Centers. Special quotes are as follows:
1) Advice from our family doctor: “Son, if you are not happy don’t be afraid to come home. There is nothing worse than an unhappy minister.”
2) Words from homily at my first Mass: “Life is filled with many wonderful things. Enjoy all that is appropriate to your vocation. But always remember this: Let your sufficiency be found in Christ alone.”
3) Advice given to me by my first retreat mentor: “All you have to do to be a good Passionist is to make sure that the people you serve know that you love them.”
4) And finally, from Ernie Harwell, the famous voice of the Detroit Tigers: “I have come to discover at this point in my life that it is more important to be kind than it is to be right!”
5) May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ be always in our hearts. This says it all!
