Dr Brendan Killeen

Email: b.killeen@heythrop.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 7795 4263

Biography

Personal History
Born in Northampton on 15 December 1965.
Studied mathematics at Bristol University from 1984 to 1987.
Trained for the priesthood for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton at Saint Mary’s College, Oscott near Birmingham from 1987 to 1993. The seminary was affiliated to Louvain (Leuven) University in Belgium.
Ordained deacon at Oscott in 1992.
Ordained priest at Northampton Cathedral in 1993.
Curate at Northampton Cathedral from 1993 to 1996 and provided chaplaincy support for two hospitals and two Catholic schools.
Studied canon law in Ottawa from 1996 to 1998.
Parish priest of Christ the King Parish, Milton Keynes from 1998 to 1999.
Defender of the Bond, Northampton Diocesan Tribunal from 1998 to 1999.
Appointed Director of Northampton Diocesan Post Ordination Course in 1998.
Appointed parish priest of Saint Thomas More Parish, Towcester in 1999.
Appointed Judge of the Northampton Diocesan Tribunal in 1999.
Appointed Vice-Officialis of the Northampton Diocesan Tribunal in 1999.
Tutor for those training for the permanent deaconate from 2000 to 2002.
Appointed parish priest of Saints Francis & Therese Parish, Northampton in 2002 (while maintaining Towcester Parish).
Appointed Diocesan Trustee and member of Diocesan Finance Committee in 2002.
Diocesan Child Protection Team member 2003 to 2005.
Sole Judge for Oslo Diocesan Tribunal 2006 to 2007.
Appointed Officialis (Judicial Vicar) for Northampton Diocese 2007.

Academic History
B.Sc. (Mathematics), Bristol University, 1987.

S.T.B. (Theology), Louvain University, 1993. [Submitted dissertation ‘Saint Thomas 
Aquinas and Modern Science on the Creation’.]

M.A. (Religious Studies), Louvain University, 1993.

J.C.L. (Canon Law), Saint Paul’s University, Ottawa, 1998. [Submitted dissertation
‘Logic and Canon Law’.]

M.C.L. (Canon Law), Ottawa University, 1998. [Awarded student prize 1998.]

Ph.D. (Pastoral Studies), Heythrop College, London University, 2005.
[Title of thesis: ‘What Brings a Marriage into Existence? A Re-examination of the Canon Law of the Latin Church’. Supervisor: Rev. Dr. Theodore Davey.]

Current Teaching

MA Canon Law

Publications

'Logic and Canon Law', University of Saint Paul, Ottawa, 1998.

'What Brings a Marriage into Existence? A Re-examination of the Canon
Law of the Latin Church', PhD Thesis, Heythrop College, London University,
2005.

'The Role of Love in Marriage: An Historical Re-examination',
Conference Paper, Canon Law Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 2007.

Research Interests

- The history of marriage and the development of its canon law.

- Gratian.

- Ecclesiology and diocesan and parish structures.