By Tony Onyima, Ph.D.
On a quiet June morning in Detroit, 67-year-old Patrick Bruen cradled his grandson in his arms, just steps from the altar of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It was a moment soaked in paradox – one that silenced even the most seasoned clergy gathered that day. Surrounding him were fifty-five Catholic priests, none of whom had ever known the joy of holding their child, let alone a grandchild. But Patrick had walked a different path to this sacred threshold.
For 41 years, he had been a devoted husband to Georgiana, his soulmate. Together, they built a life filled with the ordinary miracles of the family: three children, fifteen grandchildren, decades of shared laughter, love, prayers, and quiet sacrifices. It was a life deeply lived until Georgiana’s death in 2020 broke it open.
In the ache of that loss, Patrick encountered a deeper call – a whisper from God, not to look back in sorrow but forward in service. And so, in his late sixties, while others his age were settling into retirement, Patrick enrolled in seminary formation. The same heart that once said “I do” now offered itself again, this time to the Church.
On June 7, 2025, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron laid hands upon him, ordaining him to the sacred priesthood. Patrick became Father Pat Bruen – a priest of Jesus Christ, forever. The journey that had begun at the altar of marriage now led to the altar of the Eucharist. Two vocations. One unwavering heart.
Standing beside a much younger man who was also ordained that day, Father Pat said simply, “We’re both trying to live according to God’s plan. Though our lives are different, the call is the same.” His words were a gentle reminder that vocation is not confined to youth or circumstance. It is a lifelong dialogue with the Divine.
His story is a light to those who wonder if their time has passed – those who feel too old, too wounded, or too far from the path. Patrick’s life proclaims: it is never too late to answer God’s call.
From holding his grandson to holding the Eucharist, Father Pat’s hands now bless, consecrate, and heal. His story isn’t just about a man who became a priest at 67. It’s about the enduring possibility of grace – and the truth that God still calls, even in our twilight years.
Welcome, Father Pat.
Your “yes” reminds us all that love has no expiry date, and that God is not done with us yet.
Credit: Written with information from the Facebook page of Servants of Divine Light Missionary.
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