After Newtown High, Fr. Brendan enrolled in the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech in the Marine Corps ROTC program, before transferring to Franciscan University of Steubenville where he earned his degree in accounting. While there, he still pursued a commission with the Marine Corps and graduated from Officer’s Candidate School in Quantico, VA the summer of 2012. This fulfilled a dream he had from childhood of being a Marine Officer, but in the end, it was clear to him that it may have been his plan, but not the Lord’s.

Instead of commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, Fr. Brendan entered the seminary for the Diocese of Bridgeport. He completed his Pre-theological studies at St. John Fisher Seminary in Stamford, before being sent to the Pontifical North American College in Rome where he received a theology degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In June of 2023, he finished a License of Sacred Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Dogmatics.

If you would like to get in touch with Fr. Brendan, email him at frblawie@diobpt.org or call the Parish Office at 203-255-6134.