He’s climbed to the top of Mt. Sinai, and he’s traveled to Antarctica. He’s celebrated thousands of Masses, serving at seven parishes throughout the Diocese of Richmond.
Mostly, Father Kevin O’Brien, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Chesapeake, strives to spread the good news of the Gospel wherever he might be, inspiring others with the message that “God is always with us.”
And now, he’s ready for new adventures ahead.
After 44 years, Father O’Brien is retiring from the active priesthood.
“The true blessing for me has been the people,” Father O’Brien said. “They have been signs to me of God’s mercy, of his compassion, and his love.”
The parishioners of St. Thérèse honored their pastor with a parish picnic on Sunday, June 25, with guests, including family and friends, from across the diocese.
“I have never worked with a more loving, knowledgeable, down-to-earth priest,” said Amy Reineberg, director of music at St. Thérèse.
“His outreach to everyone has been spectacular,” parishioner Carlos Fernandez said. “He’s taken such time, been such a help to me over the years. He really won me over.”
A ‘lifer’
Born in the Bronx in 1952, Father O’Brien describes himself as ‘a lifer,’ who felt called to his vocation while still in third grade. His father’s Naval career led his family – including his parents and four younger brothers and sisters – to move around a lot, so that he went to eight different elementary schools. He attended Christ the King, Norfolk, twice: once in fourth and fifth grades, and again in eighth grade.
His mother, he said, was one of his earliest models of faith.
“My mom was a very holy person. She made sure we always went to church, even though she never drove. When we lived at Azalea Gardens and went to Christ the King, it took two different buses to get there,” he said.
“And, unlike a lot of people,” he added, smiling, “we were never late.”
After high school, Father O’Brien attended St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana, where he majored in French literature, before going on to study at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
He described his years there as some of the most influential of his life.
“It was one of those places that had some of the finest scholars in the world,” he said. “It had an incredible library. I had some fantastic professors, especially in Greek and New Testament.”
It was an exciting time to be at the university, he said, since many professors there were involved in the work of Vatican II, with its emphasis on social justice and inclusion of the laity.
During this time, he also had ample opportunity to prepare for his path ahead. He traveled to American bases in Germany to give talks on the Catholic faith, and, after being ordained a deacon on March 23, 1978, in Leuven, he served for the summer at a parish in northern England: St. Mary, Langho, Lancashire.
“It was a fantastic experience. The only thing they couldn’t get over was that I don’t drink coffee or tea,” he said, laughing.
A love for the good news
Father O’Brien was ordained by Bishop Walter F. Sullivan at Church of the Resurrection, Portsmouth, on August 11, 1979. His first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Paul, Richmond.
Even as he began his pastoral work, he kept up with his love of reading and learning.
In 1982, he joined the diocesan Tribunal, where he has served ever since, delving into matters of canon law, particularly as it concerns the granting of annulments.
“I started off as Defender of the Bond, who is the one who makes sure that all of the evidence is there and that there’s some substance to it,” he said. “For the past 15 years or so, I’ve been a judge.”
Between assignments, he also earned a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, specializing in the Book of Revelation.
“What I love about Revelation is – despite the catastrophes and the disasters – the message is that God is there. God is there through all of it,” he said. “And God always wins.”
His greatest joy as a pastor, he said, is to share what he has learned with his parishioners.
“As a pastor, I love to preach and to teach,” he said.
He often begins his homilies with a reference to a movie or commercial, giving his listeners something to relate to before explaining its connection to Scripture.
“I love showing how it all fits together, putting the reading into context,” he said. “What did it mean then? What might it mean for us today?”
He especially encourages parishioners, as they are listening to the Word of God being proclaimed, “to think about it as God speaking right to you. To consider the message there.”
God is with us
“At every parish I’ve been to, the people have been so welcoming,” Father O’Brien said. “I’ve been very fortunate.”
He’s been inspired over the years, he said, by the “Christ-like spirit” he sees in his parishioners as they help those in need.
The parish of St. Thérèse, for example, “is by no means a wealthy parish, but they’re so very generous” in their support of Oasis Social Ministry, the local foodbank, the H.E.R. emergency shelter and Birthright, a nonprofit that serves pregnant women.
“That’s what we’re called to do,” he said. “It’s up to us to make sure that people don’t only hear about God’s love, but that they experience it.”
The Gospel of Matthew begins and ends with the same message, he said. In chapter one, we are told that the Christ child should be called Emmanuel, or “God is with us.” In chapter 28, at the Ascension, Jesus says, “Go forth and know that I am with you always.”
“And in everything in between, Jesus is revealing to us that God is with us,” Father O’Brien said. “And who did Jesus reach out to? The sick, the poor – all the people on the margins. That’s who we are called to serve.”
Next steps
Since his first assignment at St. Paul, Father O’Brien has served at Holy Spirit, Virginia Beach (associate pastor, 1982-1984); Church of the Sacred Heart, South Prince George (pastor, 1984-1987); St. Thomas More, Lynchburg (pastor, 1994-2002); Star of the Sea, Virginia Beach (pastor, 2002-2005); and St. Edward the Confessor, Richmond (parochial vicar, 2005-2011). He arrived as pastor at St. Thérèse in 2011.
Even though he plans to spend the first year of his retirement traveling to visit friends and family, he’s not leaving St. Thérèse.
“I’m looking forward to reconnecting with people who I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said, “but I’ll be back.”
He plans to lead parishioners on a trip to the Holy Land this September, he said, and eventually to settle in Virginia Beach, celebrating Masses as he’s needed in Hampton Roads.
“This is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place,” he said. “It’s definitely home.”