Fr. Dennis Donovan, SDB (1954-2024)
Fr. Dennis, 70, was
a member of the Marian Shrine community in Haverstraw-Stony Point, N.Y., of
which he had been director from July 2021 until June 30, 2024. He was a professed Salesian of Don Bosco for
almost 51 years and a priest for 41 years.
Dennis Donovan was
born to Thomas and Helen Rudolph Donovan on Feb. 26, 1954, in Nyack, N.Y. He was baptized at St. Ann’s Church in Nyack
less than a month after birth. After the
family moved to West Nyack, he was confirmed at St. Anthony’s Church in neighboring
Nanuet, their parish. The family also
included Dennis’s younger sister Lynn.
Dennis entered Salesian
Junior Seminary, the aspirantate at Goshen, N.Y., in September 1968, and upon
graduation four years later was admitted to the Salesian novitiate at Ipswich,
Mass. His master of novices was Fr. Ted
Ciampi, and some of his classmates were Tom Connery, Allen Dec, Jay Horan, John
Serio, and Gene Walter.
Bob Ferrara, one of
his novitiate class who remained with the Salesians for a few years, paid
tribute to Fr. Dennis shortly before he went into hospice:
In Ipswich we put on the musical play 1776.
I played John Adams. It turned out to be one of the best decisions made
for me by Bro. German Martinez, as I was strongly reluctant to do so.
The play never would’ve happened without the
talent of Dennis Donovan, truly a phenomenal keyboard player
(piano/organ). He was solely responsible for directing and performing all
the music. He humbly did so with perfection.
Through the years, I’m sure he allowed for
tremendous prayer whenever he played at a service, encouraging many to join in
song. They say that “those who sing, pray twice.” Well, I believe
he taught many that prayer is meaningful and fulfilling through
music.
Thank you, Fr. Dennis for teaching us how to
pray! You have nothing to fear! We pray for you!
Bro. Dennis and the
others professed on Sept. 1, 1973, at Don Bosco College in Newton, N.J., then
undertook college studies there. He earned
a B.A. in philosophy at Don Bosco in 1977.
He was certified in New Jersey to teach English and later was certified
also in New York.
Bro. Dennis did practical
training at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., from 1977 to 1979. He went to Columbus, Ohio, in 1979 to
undertake theological studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum and was
ordained by Bishop James Griffin at Christ the King Church in Columbus on May
21, 1983, with his classmates Frs. Bill Bucciferro, Tom Connery, Jim Marra, Ted
Montemayor, John Nazzaro, Joseph Vien Hoang, Gene Walter, and others.
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| Fellowship with Fr. John Puntino, Bro. Tom Sweeney, and Fr. Steve Shafran on Province Day, 2008 |
Fr. Dennis’s first assignment as a priest brought him back to his alma mater, Salesian Junior Seminary, in Goshen, teaching and assisting the school’s treasurer, Fr. Joseph Stella, from 1983 to 1985. He returned to Columbus in 1985 as treasurer at the Salesian Center and the Salesian Boys & Girls Club until 1994. In those years he also served as chaplain to the Ohio State Senate—the capitol was four blocks from the Salesian Center—and to the central Ohio chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Playing the organ
and learning about the instrument was one of Fr. Dennis’s passions. He was also fascinated by clocks and watches.
During those years
he developed a secondary priestly ministry as cruise chaplain, starting in
1990. In 2005 he formally enrolled in the
Cruise Ship Priest Program of the Apostolate of the Sea-U.S.A., which
coordinates chaplaincies for seafaring men and women, both crews and tourists,
and remained a member until his death. He
served on the AOS-USA Administrative Board from 2015 to 2018. Doreen Badeaux,
secretary general of AOS-USA, writes, “Fr Dennis made a huge impact upon
the ministry to the People of the Sea!”
She continues: “What can I say about Fr Dennis Donovan? He is, was and forever will be a great man of
God, a kind soul and a man who was a friend and supporter to everyone he
met. He had an impish good humour and a
gentle yet fun loving manner. He will be
forever missed.”
While he was on the AOS administrative board, Ms. Badeaux
says, “he overhauled the Cruise Ship Priest Manual, assisted with wise counsel,
… was always available to help give advice and helpful tips to priests who were
new to the program,” and he helped forward the canonization cause of
Benedictine Bro.
Marinus LaRue, a former Merchant Marine captain, whom then-Bro. Dennis had
met at St. Paul’s Abbey in Newton.
Fr. Dennis thoroughly enjoyed cruise chaplaincy, combining it with his own vacation time, sometimes accompanied by family members. At the same time, he was always ready to meet the pastoral needs of hundreds of vacationers at sea as well as of the ship’s crew: sacraments, counseling, and occasionally a funeral. He told a reporter for the Tampa Tribune in 2009: “You actually get very busy as a priest. Passengers take advantage of a spiritual advisor who doesn’t live in their hometown. Some have not been to church in 20, 30 years. They figure, ‘This priest doesn’t know me. He won’t be judgmental.”[1] Cruise chaplaincy later drew the attention of the National Catholic Register, which cited Fr. Dennis: “On every cruise, he encounters passengers who are not familiar with the work of the Salesians—and it’s not unusual for those passengers to contact him at his office, long after the cruise is over, to request more information or send a donation to support the [Salesians’] work.”[2] In fact, he would usually return from a cruise with generous donations from the passengers.
One very notable cruise
experience occurred at Eastertime last year, when Fr. Dennis and another cruise
chaplain, Bishop Robert Lynch, bishop emeritus of St. Petersburg, prepared the
Stolz family’s four adopted children, all of whom have Down syndrome, for their
First Communion in mid-Atlantic aboard Holland America’s MS Rotterdam.[3]
From Columbus, Fr.
Dennis was called to the provincial house in New Rochelle, N.Y., as director of
development for the province. He served
there from 1994 to 1998. He acted at the
same time as province delegate for the Salesian Cooperators. In 1998 he was sent back to Columbus as
executive director of the Boys & Girls Club for six years.
In 2004 Fr. Dennis
moved to Mary Help of Christians School in Tampa as treasurer for the school
and the Salesian community. Two years
later he was appointed director there and served two terms (2006-2012), which
included the closing of the school, the move of Good Shepherd Parish to the
Mary Help campus, the parish’s renaming to Mary Help of Christians, and the
Salesian work renamed Mary Help of Christians Center. The center’s retreat program was developed
further. The center is also the home of
the Saint Philip the Apostle Residence for senior Salesians, a work that led to
Fr. Dennis’s developing a province plan for the care of elder confreres.
Fr. Dennis’s management skills were good enough for him to be named province treasurer in 2012 and to move back to the provincial house for 9 years. He served briefly as director of the community (2017-2018), when the Salesian High School community merged into the provincial house community.
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| Giving a financial report at the 2019 provincial chapter |
The general treasurer of the Salesian Society, Bro. John Paul Muller, wrote from Rome:
I am very
grateful to Father Dennis. On the one
hand, he has helped me a lot and supported us here in finding solutions. On the other hand, he was a very committed
pastoral caregiver. I am sure that his
illness prepared him well for his encounter with our Lord Jesus. Here in Rome, we will remember him at our Mass
on Monday.
I had two good
teachers from your province, Father Cappelletti and Father Dennis. Both different, but both convinced and
exemplary Salesians.
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| Celebrating 60th birthday with his family at the provincial house |
Fr. Dennis is survived by his sister Lynn and her husband Andrew Krakaur of West Nyack, N.Y., and his nieces Lauren (Matt Finn) of Montrose, N.Y., and Erin (Matthew Dybus) of Norwalk, Conn., and many members of the Donovan family.
Donations in Fr. Dennis’s memory can be made to the Marian Shrine, 174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980.
Father Dennis was
waked in the Marian Shrine Chapel at Haverstraw on Tuesday, July 30, from 1:00
to 6:45 p.m. After the casket was
sealed, and the Mass of Christian Burial followed at 7:00 p.m. New York Auxiliary Bishop Edmond Whalen
presided, and Father John Nazzaro preached.
Bishop Whalen thanked the Donovans and the Salesians for Father Dennis’s
long service to the Church, especially in Rockland County. More than 30 priests, both Salesian and
diocesan, concelebrated. The
congregation filled the chapel; it included a large contingent of the Donovan
family, Salesian sisters, Salesian brothers, Salesian Cooperators, Salesian Lay
Missioners, representatives of the Apostleship of the Sea, and numerous friends
of the Salesians and of Father Dennis in particular. The Mass was livestreamed so that relatives
in Germany, as well as elsewhere, could watch.
Father Dennis was
buried in the Salesian Cemetery in Goshen on Wednesday, July 31.
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