Fonds P0210 - Russell Breen fonds

Russell Whitton Breen was born April 20, 1925 and died June 26, 2005 in Montreal. He attended Loyola High School and graduated with a B. A. in Arts from Loyola College in Montreal in 1946, where he was interested in skiing, boxing, and hockey. He went on to study theology at the Université de Montréal and the Grand Seminary. He was ordained into the priesthood by Paul-Émile Léger on June 3, 1950. He was a chaplain at McGill University for 14 years (1951-1965), and was involved in Newman Clubs. He got a Master’s degree in Philosophy of Education at Fordham University in New York (1958) and he spent four years in France, completing a Doctorate in Religious Sciences at the Université de Strasbourg. In 1968 he returned to Loyola to teach. In 1970 he became Loyola Dean of Arts, and in 1973 Dean of Arts and Science. He was involved in the merger negotiations with Sir George Williams University as a strong advocate for Loyola College. After the merger and the creation of Concordia University, he became Loyola Dean of Arts and Science, and from 1977 to 1985 he was Concordia’s Vice-Rector Academic, Arts and Science. Dr. Breen retired from Concordia University in April 1985. He was appointed Monsignor by the pope in 1981 and in 1986 he became Pastor of downtown Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Basilica, where he undertook a major renovation and revitalization of the church.