Father John Joseph MacDonald
Father John J MacDonald passes away in the Strait Richmond Hospital in Evanston on November 21st, 2016. Fr John was born March 25th, 1930 in Mount Kisco, New York. He was the son of the late John Angus and Margaret Agnes (MacPherson) MacDonald. Better known as Father J.J., he obtained his Bachelor of Arts at St. FX University and attended Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax. He was ordained June 12th, 1954 at St. Ninian’s Cathedral, Antigonish by Bishop John R. MacDonald. Father J. J. served at St. Hyacinth, D’Escousse, Stella Maris, Inverness, St. Louis, Louisdale, St. Andrew, St. Andrews, St. Joseph, Bras d’Or, St. Joseph, Petit de Grat, St. Michael, Margaree, Our Lady of Assumption, Arichat and St. John the Baptist, River Bourgeois. Father J.J. was appointed Dean of the Richmond Deanery from 1976-79. He retired from parish ministry in 1997. Father J.J. Fostered the Co-operative Movement in Cape Breton and Eastern Nova Scotia; served as President of the Nova Scotia Credit Union League; on the Board of Directors of National Co-operator of the Year more than once. He was one of the founding members of Tel-Ile, a community television station on Isle Madame, which includes service across Richmond County and Canso area. He set up and fundraised for student scholarship funds for St. FX; and worked for new and improved schools on Isle Madame throughout the 1960 and 1970s. Fr J.J. was a strong advocate of the Acadian language and culture and became fluently bilingual in French language to better serve the communities of Isle Madame. He organized Young Christian Students and Young Christian Workers on Isle Madame and many of the youth are now leaders in their communities.
He is survived by his sister Mary Theresa Morrissey (MacDonald), Port Hawkesbury; nieces and nephews, Dean, Anita, Margie, Debbie, Rick, Mick, Janice and Mark. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers Gerald and Jim; sisters Jeanette; nephew Daniel MacDonald.
Visitation for Father J.J. will be held on Thursday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm in the Civic Improvement Centre, Highway 320, D’ Escousse. Funeral Mass will take place Friday morning in Our Lady of Assumption Church in Arichat at 11:00 am, with Bishop Brian Dunn presiding together with Father Doug MacDonald, Father Dan Doucet and others concelebrating. Burial to follow in St. Hyacinth’s Cemetery, D’Escousse. A reception to follow the burial in the Civic Improvement Centre, D’Escousse. Memorial donations may be made to the Civic Improvement Centre, D’Escousse. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to C. H. Boudreau Funeral Home Ltd, Arichat.