January 28, 2009

Diaconate Office gets new director

By John Gleason

For the first time in a decade, the Archdiocese of Denver has a new director of deacons.  Deacon Joseph Donohoe took over the job on Jan. 5 upon the retirement of Deacon Alfonso Sandoval.

“I’m looking forward to the job,” Deacon Donohoe said, “as well as working with the deacons in our community.”

A member of Light of the World Parish in Littleton, Deacon Donohoe and his wife of 33 years, Theresa, have three children: Jennifer, 31; Joe, 28, and Shannon 24.  The son of an Air Force auditor, Joe Donohoe was born at Hamilton Air Force Base in California.  As with most military families, moving was a regular part of the regimen.

“We lived in the east, the south and we spent four years in Italy,” he said.  “It was a lot of travel.”

Deacon Donohoe described himself as a competitive person as a youth, especially when it came to sports.

“Swimming, baseball, basketball and hiking,” he said.

Despite all the sporting activities, he found time to serve Mass as an altar server.

Eventually, the family settled in Pensacola, Fla., where he graduated from Escambia High School.  Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed for a while in the United Kingdom where he worked in avionic maintenance.  Returning to the United States, he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering technology from Southern Illinois University. Shortly after, he was selected for a commission as an officer in the Air Force.  He later earned a master’s degree in contact management from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

“In 1985 we moved to Littleton where my first commissioned assignment was at Martin-Marietta near Waterton Canyon,” he said.

According to Deacon Donohoe, his spiritual journey to the diaconate includes the influence of Father Chris Renner, who was assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in Littleton.

“Father Chris said a daily Mass that I attended,” Deacon Donohoe said. “His homily was about vocations, including the diaconate.  I felt compelled; I needed to check it out and see what was going on.”

Deacon Donohoe said that as he discerned the call, God pulled him along and in 2000 he was ordained.

“That’s always been the way God works with me,” he said.  “He takes me down a path and tells me which way to go but doesn’t really tell me what is going to happen along the way.”

Deacon Donohoe paid tribute to his family for being so positive in their support, saying with a smile that his wife probably understood his call better than he did. 

Following ordination, Deacon Donohoe was assigned to his home parish, Light of the World, where he took up all the jobs associated with the ministry, including baptisms and participation at Mass. His ministry included other apostolates as well, including overseeing Jesus Our Hope hermitage in Jefferson County and performing with the singing group LOWDOWN.

“I worked with the Carron Center community (for the developmentally disabled), patients at Craig Hospital and in the deaf community,” he said.  “Each place was very eye-opening for me.

Deacon Donohoe said that in ministering to others, he is the one who has been blessed. And he’s learned a lesson from those he’s served.

“No matter the struggle or difficulty, you can adapt to some very tragic things with the help of God,” he said.

In his new job, Deacon Donohoe will run the day-to-day operations of the Diaconate Office, oversee the more than 180 deacons in the archdiocese and work closely with pastors on what they need for their individual parishes.  He acknowledges it’s a big job and credits his predecessor for leaving a well-oiled operation.

“Deacon Al has done a tremendous job,” he said. “I’m looking forward to continuing what he’s done; to build on his accomplishments and continue to make the diaconate an important part of the Archdiocese of Denver.”

Looking to the future, Deacon Donohoe sees the need to persist in reaching out to all the communities of the archdiocese to carry on with efforts to energize the diaconate.

A final goal, which is at the heart of the diaconal ministry, is especially important to the new director.

“We need to continue to enforce the idea among the deacons on how important it is to be the icon of Jesus Christ, the Servant,” he said. “To be the servant of the people in our ministry of charity as well as our ministry of the word and of the cup.”