Meet Fr. Jim Donagher, M.S.

Fr. Jim Donagher, M.S.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Hartford, CT, and ironically I’m going back there in January 2012. My mother died when I was seven years of age and my dad was an uneducated immigrant from Ireland. We lived in an unheated flat with no hot water. This experience has helped me live very simply for my entire life. This simple lifestyle brought me to the La Salette Seminary in Hartford, next to my parish church.

My mom was a woman of faith, but I remember snippets of my experience of her. I had two brothers, but both died within a few months of birth.

Where has your life taken you?

I was ordained as a La Salette on May 28, 1966, at the La Salette Shrine in Ipswich, MA. I was always a “rebel” but my assignments included being Prefect of Discipline in Cheshire, CT, and Vocation Director for our community. I loved being vocation director and felt very responsible for bringing youngsters to our seminaries. I will be serving in Our Lady of Sorrows with one of my recruits, Fr. Brian Sheridan!

Facade of Our Lady of Sorrows , where Fr. Jim will be stationed once again, his home parish

I had always felt strongly about working with the poor. So I began to study Spanish from the dictionary. I learned the vocabulary well. I was assigned to Our Lady of Sorrows, my home parish, as co-pastor with Louis Gould and Stan Kennedy. Then with very basic Spanish, I was assigned to Immaculate Conception Parish in Hartford, CT, and served there for eleven years, a very powerful experience of serving the poorest of the poor. We offered many services and set a theme for the parish to the diocese: “Send Us Your Poor, 24/7.”

Despite our efforts, a few days after Christmas of 1981, I discovered that, on that bitterly cold night, a young man was hiding behind a nearby building and unfortunately froze to death, encased in a cocoon of ice. That image I will never forget. From that moment on, I decided that our parish would open our church basement to house the homeless. The bishop saw the need and gave me a generous donation for our new work.

For eleven years, I served and worked day and night. Eventually this took a toll on my health and I needed to take a sabbatical. I knew a family in Hartford who needed someone to help them. When the family moved to Florida, I followed. I helped them, finding work cleaning streets, as a mover, a packer in a store and then I got a real estate license. I was now self-sufficient but the family I was living with had a new baby. The woman gave the baby my last name, since in Puerto Rican culture, the “naming” of the baby was very important.

 

La Salette Window in Our Lady of Sorrows Church

All during this time, I felt I was still on sabbatical and lived a good life. When my work was done supporting her, I met with a few La Salettes in administration and discussed my returning to active ministry. 

 

After putting my responsibilities in order and talking with my daughter about it, I took the steps to return to active 

community life. After some discussions, I was accepted and made my repeat Novitiate in Sacred Heart Parish in Lebanon, NH. I will make my vows again on January 1, 2012, and then moved to my old home parish on January 4, 2012.After my sabbatical, I came back and worked as a La Salette in the Diocese of Bridgeport as a curate in Stamford, CT. During the next two years, I kept in touch with the family in Florida but felt obligated to them for their goodness to me. I took a leave of 

absence and, when the family moved back to Hartford, I went to help them again. I intended to help them for a few months but due to their continuing needs, I got involved with the baby who grew up fast. Since she had no father, I formally adopted her at her request and then put her through schools and eventually she graduated, in May of 2011, with a double master’s from Duquesne University in Pittsburg, PA. In July, 2012, she will be married and I will lead the celebration.

During this year of novitiate I met so many La Salettes I didn’t know who were wonderfully 

Sign on front lawn of Sacred Heart Church in Lebanon, NH, where Fr. Jim served during his novitiate year

supportive to me. My solid hope is that Fr. Sheridan and I will minister together well, having known Brian for many years. Ironically our parish neighborhood has changed considerably and needs lots of support and Fr. Brian and myself are ready to respond to our people’s needs.

What does the message of La Salette mean to you?

I think the message of reconciliation is so meaningful in terms of reconciling one’s self to the Lord and the call to help others. Mary knew my heart was always with La Salette but I was not sure that she was pleased with my choices in life. After going to confession recently, I now know that she still loves me and wants me to continue working with the poor. Her message and manner were simple and so is my life. I have experienced a lot over the years and feel very close to her and her Son’s mission of reconciliation.

There’s a sign in front of our parish in Labanon which summarizes the true message of La Salette. It states simply: “Catholics can always come home.” Even I have come home.