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In Memoriam

Jesuit Father Donald G. Devine died on Dec. 26, 2013, at Murray-Weigel Hall on the Fordham University campus. Fr. Devine was born on Dec. 25, 1933, and entered the Society of Jesus in 1952.

He was a Jesuit for 61 years and a priest for 48 years. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. of Ambrose and Mary (Gillen) Devine, he entered the Society of Jesus on August 14, 1952 after completing secondary school at Xavier High School.

Following his novitiate and first vows at St. Andrew-on-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he continued his collegiate studies at Bellarmine College, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (1955-56) and then studied philosophy at Loyola Seminary, Shrub Oak, N.Y. from 1956-59, receiving the Licentiate in Philosophy in 1959.

From 1959-62 he taught Latin, English and Religion at Brooklyn Prep. In preparation for ordination he studied theology at Woodstock College, Woodstock, Md. (1962-68) and was ordained a priest on June 10th, 1965 at the Fordham University Church. His final year of Jesuit formation, tertianship, was completed at St. Beuno’s College, Wales, Great Britain (1968-69).

He then began many years of teaching and administration beginning at Canisius High School, Buffalo, N.Y., where he was principal (1970-73), and at Xavier High School as teacher and chaplain (1973-79). From 1979-84 he assisted the New York Jesuit provincial in overseeing Secondary Education throughout the province.

He then left New York and traveled to the Caroline Islands in the Pacific where he became the Director of Xavier High School on the Island of Chuuk (1984-86). The years 1986-88 found him back in the classroom and as chaplain at McQuaid Jesuit, Rochester, N.Y.

After a sabbatical at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif., his ministry focused on retreat work and parish ministry. This began at Loyola Retreat House, Morristown, N.J. in 1989 and led to St. Michael’s Parish, Buffalo in 2005 where he was an associate pastor. In 2009 he returned to New York and became faculty chaplain at Fordham Prep, an assignment he carried out until his illness and death.

With his interest, experience and expertise in education, he generously and gently reached out to both faculty and students as a friend and adviser. At the same time, he shared with them the wisdom and insights of Jesuit spirituality.