Bernard O'Brien (Jesuit): Difference between revisions

Bernard Michael O'Brien (born 9 December 1907) is a New Zealand Jesuit priest, philosopher, musician, writer and former seminary teacher.

Early life

He was born in Christchurch New Zealand and was educated by yhe Domincan sisters at St Thomas's Academy, Oamaru and at Christ's College. His father was a surgeon.

Training

In January 1924, O'Brien commenced his studies as a Jesuit novice at the Loyola Novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Sydney. There and at Riverview College he advanced his study of Greek. O'Brien continued his studes at the National University of Ireland obtaining his BA there and he also advanced his study of music. In 1929, O'Brien went to the Jesuit house of philosophy at Pullach. a village just ouside Munich where after learning German, and with many German, Austrian and students from many countries, he embarked on three years of laborious philosophic studes. The philosophy taught was fundamentally medieval scholasticism , as modified by the sixteenth century Jesuit {Suarez]]. O'Brien's "best teacher" was Father Alois Maier who promoted Kant. O'Brien made a special study of Plotinus especially in relation to the psychology of art. Karl Rahner was two years ahead of O'Brien but amongst his companions was Hans Urs von Balthasar, Joseph Neuner and Alfred Delp. In 1932, at the end of his philosophy couse, O'Brien received minor orders from Cardinal Faulhaber. He then returned to Sydney and was given the job of coaching young novices who had completed their noviceship and were beginning their university studes. In 1935, O'Brien went to the Louvain in Belgium]] to study theology. Hi most important teacher there was Joseph Maréchal who combined the "best insights" of [[Thomas Aquinas" with the transcendental speculations of Emanuel Kant. "His teaching set flowing on of the principal streams of present-day Catholic philosophy and theology, a stream from which André Marc and Karl Rahner, J.B. Lotz, Emericjh Coreth and Bernard Lonergan have all drunk". O'Brien was ordained a priest in 1938 at Louvain.