Edwin Frederick O'Brien (born April 8, 1939) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been a cardinal since 2012 and headed the Order of the Holy Sepulchre from 2011 to 2019.
O'Brien served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore from 2007 to 2011 and as archbishop of the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA, from 1997 to 2007. He was an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1996 to 1997.
Early life and education
Edwin O'Brien was born on April 8, 1939, in the Bronx, New York, to Edwin Frederick, Sr. and Mary Winifred O'Brien. One of three children, he had two brothers, Ken and Tom O'Brien, now deceased. O'Brien graduated from Our Lady of Solace Parish School in the Bronx in 1953 and attended St. Mary's High School in Katonah, New York from 1953 to 1957.
O'Brien entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York in 1959, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts (1961), Master of Divinity (1964), and Master of Arts (1965) degrees.
Priesthood
in O'Brien was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal Francis Spellman on May 29, 1965.
O'Brien served as a civilian chaplain at the United States Military Academy at West Point until 1970, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps with the rank of Captain. He took Army flight training with parachute jumping. In 1970, O'Brien began serving as a chaplain at Fort Bragg in North Carolina with the US Army 82nd Division.
O'Brien was sent to South Vietnam in 1971 during the Vietnam War with the US Army 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. While in South Vietnam, O'Brien was based in the countryside and flew with a Protestant minister by helicopter to minister to soldiers. In 1972, O'Brien was transferred to Georgia, serving as post chaplain at Fort Gordon until his discharge from the service in 1973.
In 1973, O'Brien was sent by Cardinal Terence Cooke to study in Rome at the Pontifical North American College in Rome O'Brien graduated from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Angelicum in Romewith a Doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1976. His dissertation was titled The Origin and Development of Moral Principles in the Theology of Paul Ramsey.
Returning to New York, O'Brien served as both the vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York and associate pastor at St. Patrick Cathedral Parish in Manhattan from 1976 to 1981. He coordinated Pope John Paul II's visit to New York in 1979 and was the archdiocesan director of communications from 1981 to 1983. Between 1983 and 1985, O'Brien served as priest-secretary to Cardinal Cooke and then to his successor, Cardinal John O'Connor.
O'Brien was elevated by the Vatican to honorary prelate of his holiness in 1986. He served as rector of St. Joseph's Seminary from 1985 to 1989, and of the Pontifical North American College from 1990 to 1994. Returning to New York, O'Brien served another term as rector of St. Joseph's from 1994 to 1997.
Auxiliary Bishop of New York
On February 6, 1996, John Paul II appointed O'Brien as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and titular bishop of ThizicaI. He received his episcopal consecration on March 25, 1996, by Cardinal O'Connor, with Bishops Patrick Sheridan and John Nolan serving as co-consecrators, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. O'Brien selected as his episcopal motto: Pastores Dabo Vobis, meaning, "I will give you shepherds" Jeremiah 3:15.
During this time, O’Brien continued to serve as rector of St. Joseph's Seminary. While serving there, he ordained (with Vatican permission) Reverend Eugene Hamilton, a 24-year old seminarian who was suffering from terminal cancer. O'Connor had petitioned the Vatican for Hamilton's early ordination, which O'Brien officiated a few hours before Hamilton died.
Archbishop for the Military Services, USA
On April 7, 1997, John Paul II appointed O'Brien as coadjutor archbishop for the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA. He succeeded Archbishop Joseph Dimino when he retired on August 12, 1997. During his 10 years as archbishop of the Military Services, O'Brien divided his time between visiting American troops and working with the Pontifical North American College. In 1993, he initiated the cause of canonization for Emil Kapaun, a US Army chaplain killed while in captivity during the Korean War.