[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E290-E291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING FATHER P. MARTIN ``MARTY'' DONNELLY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 12, 2019

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, it is with deepest sorrow, highest esteem, 
and abiding gratitude that I include in the Record the tribute 
delivered by Father Tony Gallagher in honor of the life of Reverend 
Paul Martin ``Marty'' Donnelly on February 1, 2019 at the Most Blessed 
Sacrament Catholic Church in Toledo, Ohio. Father Marty will be dearly 
remembered as a faithful Roman Catholic priest, a servant of God, who 
gave his unselfish and purposeful life to the people of Greater Toledo. 
Following the tribute is Father Donnelly's obituary.

                Homily: Marty's Funeral Mass (Excerpts)

        (Isaiah 61:1-11, Psalm 27, Acts 10:34-43, Luke 10:25-37)

       A giant among us has left us. Reverend Marty Donnelly has 
     transitioned to the joy of eternal glory, but hurt in our 
     pain of loss.
       First and understandably, we all offer special and 
     prayerful sympathy to those closest to Marty: Pat, his only 
     brother-in-law; his devoted nieces and nephews; his close 
     friend Tom Landgraff; and his beloved cousins, particularly 
     his second cousin Dorothy Taylor (I always found it awkward 
     to call her ``Buck''). Unquestionably, Buck warrants the deep 
     gratitude of all of us for her many, many years of 
     extraordinary, dedicated, and unselfish caretaking for Marty 
     right up to the end.
       But what is the end? What is death? Here is my version of 
     another better-phrased story: freighter fully loaded leaving 
     a dock at Toledo Terminal on the Maumee River--dock workers 
     shout ``There she goes'' as the ship is seen as a speck 
     between the water of the bay and the sky--fully, loaded the 
     ship is observed by someone on Put-in-Bay who shouts ``Here 
     she comes''--the loaded ship is the same, the absence or 
     change is in the Toledo workers--and that is death.
       Today we grieve the absence of Marty Donnelly. Yet we 
     believe that angels have already shouted ``Here he comes.'' 
     Marty Donnelly knew that if life has the last word, then love 
     must overcome negativity and discord, forgiveness must 
     overcome bitterness, and generosity must overcome greed.
       Marty had such faith. Yet, with great zest he appealingly 
     owned his own humanity and was clearly animated by a profound 
     prayer life, by the teachings of Vatican II and Pope Francis, 
     and by a continued embrace of Sacred Scripture.
       Consider our first reading from Isaiah: the lowly hear good 
     news, the broken-hearted are healed; captives are set free; 
     prisoners are released; mourners are comforted and given 
     happiness, fancy attire, and called oaks of justice; ancient 
     ruins are rebuilt; ruined cities are restored; everlasting 
     joy will be with people who will be in a covenant with the 
     Lord.
       In his meaningful and large life Marty understood this 
     mission. He remained, in his own words, ``terminally 
     hopeful.'' In that light he was one of 27 co-founders of the 
     Association of U.S. Catholic Priests during a retreat in 
     August 2011 and an active member of its local chapter's 
     Social Justice Subcommittee. The intended vision of that new 
     Association, now numbering some 1,200 nationally, is to be a 
     voice of priests for the complete teachings of Vatican II.
       Fearless in his dedication to the social dimension of the 
     WHOLE Gospel, particularly as a very public voice in and for 
     our African American community. Impressive was his commitment 
     to that community AND to their youth. Noteworthy was his 
     vision in education in his many years at Central Catholic, 
     where he assembled an enormously gifted staff committed to 
     the Catholic social justice tradition. His education 
     vision continued in the Central City's Martin de Porres 
     Parish. With the generous support of his high school 
     classmate, he implemented a renovation of the Bancroft-
     Detroit campus and created the Pacesetter Program which 
     provided some 100 Central City youth scholarships first to 
     Central Catholic and then to Xavier University. When St. 
     Ann School had to close, he and his classmate 
     imaginatively created a Charter School called The Peace 
     Academy to carry on Gospel-based values in a creative and 
     legal way.
       You and I are here today to celebrate the powerful witness 
     that Marty himself gave us. Marty wanted us to be in a life-
     giving movement that is about demonstrating God's goodness, 
     God's mercy and compassion, God's love--demonstrating those 
     to the larger societal movement. Marty realized that we could 
     do all sorts of pious things and still not actually follow 
     Jesus.
       Marty uncompromisingly and generously lived as a Good 
     Samaritan. You, I, and our faith communities could profitably 
     do an honest reality check about our own efforts to dress 
     wounds, bring to an inn, offer care, and cover expenses for 
     those in our area who are somehow stripped, beaten, and left 
     half-dead.
       We knew that Marty was not perfect . . . my goodness, his 
     fussing and fuming on a golf course was a spectacle. However, 
     he dared to dream big, out loud and in public. He intervened 
     with grand imagination. He emphasized Gospel-based action, 
     not self-reverential pieties. Marty invited us to move 
     doctrines and teachings to the level of actual experiences 
     and an authentically Christian lifestyle.
       Although Marty creatively forged new paths of service in 
     Toledo and received many honors, he himself lived as a serf, 
     not a prince. He never constructed a clerical pedestal for 
     himself.
       As Christ did, Marty pointed to the Kingdom of God already 
     in our midst. And he did this even as his brain functions 
     slowly worsened over the years. When his usually fine words 
     could not do so he did this by actions, to the end. To 
     observe Marty in any phase of his adult life was to know 
     God's Kingdom hiding in plain sight.
       Wow!! What a remarkable friend and family man!! What an 
     authentic servant leader!! What a genuine man of God and of 
     the people!! If each of us would follow Jesus Christ the way 
     Marty did, our faith communities may actually be ``field 
     hospitals.''
       Now, in our celebration of Eucharist we join together with 
     Christ in gratitude to our loving, gracious Father for the 
     beautiful gift of Paul Martin Donnelly. We thank God for who 
     he was to us, for what he was to us, and for how he was to 
     us. Then, fed by the Eucharist, we are missioned to go live 
     the Gospel in our own lives.
       May our gracious God give eternal peace and joy to our 
     noble Good Samaritan we endearingly called Marty.
       Amen

                  Father P. Martin ``Marty'' Donnelly

       Father P. Martin ``Marty'' Donnelly was sent by God on 
     August 16, 1938, which began a lifelong walk in service to 
     others. This journey touched many in the greater Northwest 
     Ohio community. Fr. Marty's journey of service ended when he 
     passed away January 27, 2019, surrounded by family and 
     friends. A life well done!

[[Page E291]]

       He was born the son of Leonard and Agnes Donnelly, who were 
     founding members of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, where 
     Marty attended elementary school. Marty then attended Toledo 
     Central Catholic High School and was a member of ``the great 
     class of 1956''. Many of Marty's classmates renamed lifelong 
     friends and gathered regularly. After Central Catholic, Marty 
     followed his older brother Bob's path into the priesthood.
       Marty attended St. Meinrad Seminary College and earned his 
     bachelor's degree in 1961. Subsequently, Marty attended 
     Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained a 
     Roman Catholic priest in 1964. Fr. Marty also received a 
     Master in Education in 1973, from the University of Notre 
     Dame.
       Once Fr. Marty entered the priesthood his life of service 
     accelerated with assignments at Norwalk St. Paul Parish and 
     High School from 1964-1968, and Lima Central Catholic from 
     1968-1973. It was in 1973, that Fr. Marty returned to his 
     alma mater, Toledo Central Catholic, as an Assistant 
     Principal. In 1976, he was named the seventh Principal and 
     later the first Pastor and President of Toledo Central 
     Catholic, a role he served until 1987. Fr. Marty became 
     Pastor at St. Ann and St. Theresa parishes in 1987, and 
     served as pastor of St. Martin de Porres from 1990 to 2005. 
     In 2005, he returned to his roots as Pastor of Most Blessed 
     Sacrament Parish until his retirement in 2011.
       Through his years of faith filled service, Fr. Marty 
     mentored and supported youth from his schools, parishes and 
     neighborhoods, helping them to weave the fabric of their 
     communities. He will always be remembered for his dedication 
     to the poor and furthering social justice causes in the 
     community.
       Fr. Marty was affiliated with many organizations including 
     Central City Ministries of Toledo, the Erase the Hate 
     Campaign, the Ohio Coalition against gun violence and the 
     Multi-Faith Council of Northwest Ohio. Through his advocacy 
     for these organizations and others, Fr. Marty touched the 
     lives of many.
       Being a servant to others, he never sought or wanted 
     recognition for himself, however he earned many, including 
     Toledoan of the Year, receiving a Key to the City in 2005; 
     Central Catholic Golden Shamrock Award 2001; a Humanitarian 
     of the year award; Drum Major for Justice in 2005; the St. 
     Katherine Drexel award in 2006; a Voice for All People in 
     2007, and the Central City Ministry Service Award in 2011.
       In addition to his passionate service to others Fr. Marty 
     was truly family centric, encompassing the Donnelly, 
     Hendricks and greater Quinn clans. Fr. Marty fully loved and 
     looked forward to the annual Quinn reunions where everyone 
     anticipated his creative costumes based upon the theme of the 
     family party.
       Fr. Marty was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and 
     Agnes Donnelly; brothers, Leonard ``Quinnie'', Most Reverend 
     Robert Donnelly, Auxiliary Bishop of Toledo and sister, Mary 
     Hendricks. Surviving are his brother-in-law, Patrick 
     Hendricks, nieces, Ann (Tim) Doran, Kay (William) Byrne; 
     nephews, Larry (Sharon) Hendricks, Jim (Julie) Hendricks, 
     Mike (Kaye) Hendricks and David (Betsi) Hendricks, 16 great 
     and 10 great great nieces and nephews.
       The family would like to thank the staff at the Pro-Medica 
     Ebeid Hospice Residence for their care and comfort during Fr. 
     Marty's final journey. A special thanks also to cousin, 
     Dorothy ``Buck'' Taylor for her years of dedication, love, 
     care and friendship with Fr. Marty.
       Visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. with evening prayer to 
     follow at 7 p.m., on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at Our Lady 
     Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, 2535 Collingwood 
     Boulevard, Toledo. Thursday's visitation will be hosted by 
     his faithful parishioners of St. Martin de Porres. On Friday, 
     February 1, 2019, visitation will be from 9 to 10:45 a.m., at 
     Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 2240 Castlewood Dr. Toledo, 
     followed by Words of Remembrance at 10:45 a.m. and the 
     Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Burial will be private to family.
       The family would suggest any memorial donations be made to 
     Toledo Central Catholic High School, Most Blessed Sacrament 
     or St. Martin de Porres Parishes.
       His mantra for all to remember: `Love One Another!''
       Arrangements entrusted to the Ansberg-West Funeral 
     Directors.
       Online condolences may be sent to Fr. Marty's family at 
     www.ansberg-west.com.

 ____________________