THE ECUMENICAL ORDER OF ST. BRENDAN THE NAVIGATOR

The Ecumenical Order of St. Brendan the Navigator was founded in 2004 at the Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul in Portland, Maine.  The Order was established to allow men and women to provide service to God's Holy Church through works of our hands by faith. 

 

The Order of St. Brendan the Navigator completed a new altar and chapel area for St. Augustine’s Mission Chapel in Saco. The altar was built with rounded base supports and equipped with a granite style top provided by a member of St. Margaret’s Parish in Conway. The altar was installed in the mission’s office and chapel in Saco. In addition, the Order cleaned up and repaired the tabernacle, kneelers and served other items for the chapel. It eventually had to be disassembled when the mission was asked to move its chapel and office to a new location. It is now in storage and will be used when St. Augustine’s finds a regular permanent home in Southern Maine. The mission continues to use the Saco Grange Hall for regular worship. The office and chapel was located at a downtown Saco location, separate from the Grange Hall.

Chaplain Dave Brennan, Grand Master
South Portland Police Department

 

Since its founding, members have sponsored St. Patrick's Day dinners, built altars and church furnishings, undertook repairs to church buildings and property, held retreats, and enjoyed fellowship with each other on numerous occasions in God's service.

 

 

 

The order is open to all Christian men and women who desire to serve God with their hearts and hands and help each other in our life's voyage of faith. Members include bishops, priests, deacons and laymen.
For further information contact: Sub-Deacon David Brennan, Grand Commander, Order of St. Brendan the Navigator (OSBN) at 207-712-2992 or at dbrennan@maine.rr.com.

The order is named for Saint Brendan of Clonfert (c. 484 – c. 577) called "the Navigator", "the Voyager", or "the Bold" and is one of the early Irish monastic saints.

He is chiefly renowned for his legendary quest to the "Isle of the Blessed," also called St. Brendan's Island. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. Saint Brendan's feast day is celebrated on May 16 by Catholics, Anglicans, and Eastern Orthodox Christians.  In 484 Saint Brendan was born in Ciarraighe Luachra near the port of Tralee, in County Kerry, in the province of Munster, in the south west of Ireland. He was baptized at Tubrid, near Ardfert, by Saint Ercwho ordained him priest in 512. Between the years 512 and 530 St Brendan built monastic cells at Ardfert, and, at the foot of Mount Brandon, Shanakeel. From here he is supposed to have set out on his famous seven years voyage for Paradise. The old Irish Calendars assigned a special feast for the "Egressio familiae S. Brendani", on March 22; and St Aengus the Culdee, in his Litany composed at the close of the eighth century, and invokes "the sixty who accompanied St. Brendan in his quest for the Land of Promise".