Father Donald Donovan was born January 20, 1929, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, the son of John and Mary Hayes Donovan. He attended St. James grade and high school in Haverhill, MA, and St. Anselm's College, Manchester, NH, before entering Maryknoll in 1946.

After ordination on June 11, 1955, Father Donovan was assigned to do promotion work and worked in the Philadelphia area, upstate New York and New Orleans until 1959, when he began mission work in Tanzania. He learned the Luo language in order to work among the Luo people and he built a permanent church at Masonga Mission. He also learned the Kiswahili language in order to work among the non-Luo speaking peoples.

In 1985 Father Donovan was assigned to Kenya and worked in the Umoja and Athi River parishes until 1990 when he was assigned to the Kilifi Parish in the Mombasa Diocese. This parish was turned over to the local church in 1999. His main effort in his various pastoral assignments has been to enable the people to take an active part in running their parishes, mainly through Parish Councils and Small Christian Communities.

Having been granted the status of retired Maryknoller on December 1, 1998, he continues to reside in Mombasa and to make a contribution to the Diocese as Chaplain to the Diocesan Sisters.

Don's Reflections             Don's Ministry

Visit the Maryknollers Currently in Mombasa, Kenya