Was called home to the Father at the Montreal General Hospital after a brief illness on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at the age of 86.

Fr. James McDonald, ordained a priest on June 1, 1958, served as curate at St. Gabriel, St. Veronica, St. Willibrord and St. Malachy parishes.

In 1970, he was named pastor of St. Aloysius in east-end Montreal, and in this time, served as priest-in-charge of St. Philip Neri Mission. He then served as pastor of St. Thomas à Becket from 1980 to 1992. He was then named priest-in-charge at St. Edward the Confessor Mission until 2001, when he was appointed parochial administrator of St. Gabriel, from which he retired in 2017.

He served as a chaplain at the Fr. Dowd Home, and had been chaplain at several high schools.

Fr. McDonald’s longstanding ministry included his avid involvement in social justice. He is well-remembered for his role in providing sanctuary in St. Gabriel’s rectory for almost four years to Mr. Abdelkader Belaouni, a blind Algerian refugee.

Fr. McDonald was residing at Angus Square Apartments at the time of his death.

VISITATION
Thursday, May 9, 2019 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Wake service at 8 p.m. and Friday, May 10, 2019 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.

Followed by the

FUNERAL MASS
Friday, May 10 11 a.m.
All held at: St. Gabriel Parish 2157 Centre St. Montreal, QC H3K 1J5 Tel: (514) 937-3597