▁His ▁parents , ▁William ▁C . ▁B ren nan ▁and ▁Margaret ▁H ack ett , ▁were ▁from ▁Ti pper ary , ▁Ireland . ▁Some ▁sources , ▁though , ▁say ▁that ▁Martin ▁B ren nan ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Saint ▁Louis . ▁ ▁Education ▁B ren nan ▁attended ▁the ▁C athedral ▁Par ish ▁School , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁Catholic ▁par och ial ▁school ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Now ▁known ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁as ▁the ▁Old ▁C athedral , ▁B ren nan ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁alt ar ▁server ▁at ▁this ▁church ▁and ▁finished ▁his ▁grammar ▁school ▁education ▁here ▁as ▁well . ▁B ren nan ▁graduated ▁from ▁Christian ▁Brothers ▁College ▁in ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁arts , ▁later ▁receiving ▁a ▁master ▁of ▁arts ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁and ▁a ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Science ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁ ▁He ▁studied ▁the ology ▁at ▁Saint ▁Vincent ' s ▁College , ▁Cape ▁Gir arde au , ▁Missouri , ▁and ▁was ▁ord ained ▁a ▁Catholic ▁priest ▁in ▁the ▁Arch di oc ese ▁of ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁astronom y ▁and ▁ge ology ▁at ▁Ken rick ▁The ological ▁Sem inary ▁( now ▁named ▁Ken rick - G l enn on ▁Sem inary ) ▁in ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 . ▁ ▁Career ▁B ren nan ▁wrote ▁several ▁books ▁about ▁science ▁and ▁religion . ▁" E lect ric