Brother Brian Colgan, OH, died peacefully on Thursday, 12th December 2024 at St. Joseph’s Centre, Shankill, Co. Dublin. He will be greatly missed by his loving family, his community at St. John of God Community, Stillorgan, the Brothers of the West European and Korean Provinces and his many friends. Ar deis Dê go raib a anam dílis.
Brother Brian was born Anthony Francis in Liverpool to Winifred and Jack Colgan and moved to Ireland as a child. Funnily enough, he was a fan of Manchester United!
Brother Brian joined the Saint John of God Brothers on 25th August 1954; made First Profession on 2nd February 1956 and Solemn Profession on 2nd July 1960.
While living in the community in Stillorgan, Br. Brian studied medicine in UCD and in 1970 went to Korea. Brian motivated by his calling as a Brother of Saint John of God, returned to Ireland to train in psychiatry. South Korea and Ireland. 
Br. Brian pioneered a new and effective approach to the psychiatric treatment of persons suffering from mental health issues. Brian saw each person he served through the “prism of hospitality” ; seeing them “through the eyes of the heart” and treating them with respect and even, reverence. He was not only a pioneer of a modern form of psychiatry but a prophet of hospitality.
At first, Brian met some resistence to his methods but he persevered and set up a social model of care and treatment that has continued to be used by the family of Saint John of God in Kwangju and indeed has spread across the country.
Brian was a great teacher; he loved sharing his knowledge and insights and, together with Brothers’ Hugh, Gregory and Killian, trained Korean female nurses in psychiatry and young men who had specific skills in a variety of activities. This group is considered the founders of Brian’s approach to good mental health and psychiatry.
He was constantly studying and researching why some people suffered from stress and anxiety more than others and contended that stress was the trigger in one’s inability to cope that resulted in their becoming ill. This led him to change the existing approach used in psychiatry. He changed the terminologies e.g. instead of hospital he used House of Hospitality; instead of patient he used guest. No one wore white coats with ID labels or stethoscopes around their necks. He minimised the use of medications and, instead, introduced sport, drama and conversation in an open and free setting rather than the ‘closed and locked down’ approach which was prevalent at the time. This holistic model worked and spread across the country and is going from strength to strength.
Brian was a man of deep religious faith. Unfortunately, for the past fifteen years or so he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. He retained his sense of humour and never complained. His family meant a lot to him and he loved them very much.
He has left a legacy which we hope will continue to inspire us all. A true and faithful Hospitaller Brother of Saint John of God.
Rest in peace, Brother Brian.
Brother Donatus Forkan
Provincial