Remembering Our Departed Confreres

Fr. Michael Thomas Collins, O. Praem.

Fr. Emmanuel Hermann Breunig, O. Praem.

Fr. Michael L. Kain, O. Praem.

Fr. Timothy F. Mullen, O. Praem.

June 15, 1950 to January 22, 2015

December 25, 1935 to January 24, 2015

June 15, 1920 to January 27, 1989

March 14, 1947 to January 29, 2004

Father Collins was born in Woodside, Long Island, New York on June 15, 1950. His family moved to Claymont, Delaware and Fr. Collins was a member of Holy Rosary Church in Claymont during his high school years where he attended Archmere Academy. He entered the Norbertine Order and was vested with the white habit on August 28, 1968 and ordained to the priesthood on June 17, 1978.

Fr. Collins earned a Masters degree in Religious Education from Loyola University in Chicago in 1983 and continued further academic work in secondary school administration at Boston College. Fr. Collins was a faculty member at Abbot Pennings High School, De Pere, Wisconsin. His entire priestly ministry was devoted to Archmere Academy where he was both teacher and Dean of Students. He was well loved by his students and over the years officiated at many of their marriages and the baptisms of their children. He returned to the abbey in 2011 and remained there until his death.

Father Emmanuel Breunig was born on 1935-12-25 in Kahl am Main and was baptized with the name Hermann. After leaving elementary school, he completed an apprenticeship as a machine tool builder. He got his Abitur at the night school in Hanau and finally at the Theresianum College for Late Vocations in Bamberg.

In 1964 he entered the Cistercian Abbey of Seligenporten as a novice. When the convent was dissolved three years later, he entered the convent of the Premonstratensian Speinshart Abbey as Frater Emmanuel. Here he made his solemn profession on 1969-03-19 to the Order of the Premonstratensians and the Canon of Speinshart. On 1970-07-18 he was ordained a priest in his home town of Kahl am Main by Auxiliary Bishop Alfons Kempf. The focus of his priestly work from 1975 to 2010 was in the Oberbibrach branch with the communities of Vorbach and Münchsreuth. His compassionate nature and special care for the sick distinguished him as a pastor. During his time as an expositus, fundamental renovations were carried out at the cemetery and the Johanneskirche. Father Emmanuel was a spiritual advisor to the Catholic Women’s Association in Oberbibrach for almost 40 years. He was very connected to the clubs and was an honorary member of the Sebastians-Schützen. Father Emmanuel Hermann Breunig worked from 1971 to 1996 as a religion teacher at the business school in Eschenbach. After 35 years of work in Oberbibrach, he retired in 2010. In the years that followed, he continued to work as a pastor in the hospital and in the retirement home in Eschenbach. In 2010, Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller awarded him the title Episcopal Spiritual Counselor. In the years that followed, he continued to work as a pastor in the hospital and in the retirement home in Eschenbach. In 2010, Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller awarded him the title Episcopal Spiritual Counselor. In the years that followed, he continued to work as a pastor in the hospital and in the retirement home in Eschenbach. In 2010, Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller awarded him the title Episcopal Spiritual Counselor.

Since 2012, his illness has led to several stays in different clinics. Most recently, he was in the Weiden Clinic from the beginning of January 2015. Died there in the evening hours of 2015-01-24.

Our brother Michael Kane was born in Oconto, Wisconsin, in 1920. After graduating from St. Norbert High and a year at the college, he joined the Order in 1941 and was solemnly professed in 1946.

“Uncle Mike” as he was known by his confreres, had a colorful and varied ministry in the Church. He was a teacher at St. Norbert High, Archmere and Central Catholic; he did parish work at Old St. Joe’s in DePere, St. Joe’s in Madison, St. Francis in Valier and St. Margaret Mary in Cut Bank, Montana; he was chaplain at Nazareth Hospital in Philly and chaplain at the Ringling Convent in Baraboo, Wisconsin. After 5-fold by-pass heart surgery, he continued to minister to the elderly in nursing homes in Green Bay.

Frequently seen cruising around in his big 4-door Lincoln Continental, with trunk ‘loaded to the gills’ with everything for any eventuality, Mike endeared himself to everyone he met with the odor of Jean Naté. He was a gracious, kind and gentle confessor, and a great storyteller of his many escapades and assignments.

Returning to the abbey from visiting priest friends in Baraboo on a cold, icy winter day in 1997, “Uncle Mike” was killed in a fiery car crash at the age of 68. It was on that same date — January 27th — fifty years earlier in 1947, that he had been a passenger in the car of Fraters Walter Ziegler and Thomas Filbrand which crashed killing both Fraters Ziegler and Filbrand.

Our brother Timothy Mullen was born in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, in 1947. After graduating from Archmere Academy, he joined Daylesford Abbey in 1965 and was solemnly professed in 1970.

Upon receiving an M.A. in English from Villanova University, Tim began an 11-year assignment of teaching English at Bishop Neumann where he was also house superior. In 1978 Tim became Prior of Daylesford Abbey and in 1981 began teaching English at Archmere, where he also functioned as Dean of Finance and eventually Headmaster. In 2003, he was elected to the St Norbert College Board of Trustees.

After the split in the Daylesford Community and the chaotic aftermath of the thwarted ‘takeover’ of Archmere in 2001, Tim made a transitus to membership in St. Norbert Abbey, while remaining Headmaster at Archmere.

Sitting in his favorite chair overseeing Archmere’s student body, this quiet, efficient and dedicated man succumbed to a fatal heart attack on Thursday, January 29, 2004 at the age of 56.