Memorial Mass held to pay tribute to Father Donato
- Ron Giofu
- Sep 23
- 3 min read
The founder of The Hope of St. Joseph Shelter in the D.R. Congo and a former associate pastor of St. John the Baptist Church was fondly remembered last week.
A memorial Mass and a tribute reception that followed last Friday night paid tribute to Father Donato Lwiyando, who served in Amherstburg from 2015-17 before returning to his homeland to run a shelter for girls impacted by violence and poverty.
The Hope of St. Joseph Shelter has since expanded to include two more shelters, including one for boys and another for expectant mothers.
The Mass was conducted by Father Brian Jane, the former head priest at St. John the Baptist Church before he was transferred to Sarnia. The reception that followed was hosted by the James H. Sutton Funeral Home.
Family members of Father Donato, including his brother Christopher, attended last Friday night. At the reception, Christopher gave a eulogy for his older brother.
“We gather not to mourn, but to honour a life,” said Christopher.
Stating his brother was “not an ordinary man,” Christopher said Father Donato would make sacrifices to help others and answered the call to serve.
“He looked to go places where many choose to look away,” said Christopher.
When Father Donato opened the shelter, “he offered them not just a roof, he offered them dignity.”
“He never thought of himself,” added Christopher.
The children and youth at the shelters thought so highly of Father Donato, they considered him to be a father and some even called him “Little Jesus” as a sign of how much he meant to them.
“His legacy lives on in every soul he touched,” said Christopher. “He didn’t just preach the gospel, he lived it.”
While noting he misses his brother dearly, Christopher added the work will continue.
Marc Beneteau said Father Donato had a large impact on his life and that of his wife Mary. They learned the suffering that people have in life is a demonstration that “nothing is easy.”
Mary kept in regular contact with Father Donato when he moved back to D.R. Congo and she and Marc hosted a large yard sale at their Middle Side Road home along with other Hope of St. Joseph Shelter volunteers. Mary said she had “a warm, spiritual feeling” come across her when she first met Father Donato, noting he carried himself with humility and compassion for those suffering through poverty.
“He would never outright ask for anything but he got his message across,” she said.
Mary added Father Donato was like a brother to her and she can’t put into words what it meant to see everyone pay tribute to him.
“His love for humanity is more than anything I’ve ever experienced,” said Beneteau.
Through Father Donato, Mary said “I’ve experienced the presence of God many times.”
“I miss him terribly,” she said. “We all do.”
Larry Allen, president of The Hope of St. Joseph Shelter Inc., said they learned Father Donato’s story through their work together on St. John the Baptist Church’s social justice committee. They started with a pasta dinner, expanded to the giant yard sale and continue to fundraise through other avenues.
“We learned so much about the tragedies happening his country,” he said.
“When I think of Father Donato, I think of the Good Samaritan.”
Allen added work of the charity continues, with a dinner planned for Nov. 16 at Coachwood Golf and Country Club to fundraise. He encourage people to continue to donate if they can. Tickets for the fundraiser go on sale Oct. 6 and are $35 each.
Kim Bornais said Father Donato had a profound impact on her and her family, noting he encouraged her to pursue the role of ministry. She said Father Donato loved children and loved Jesus.
“Well done good and faithful servant,” she stated.
The shelters in the D.R. Congo continue to provide the basics for 56 abandoned children and youth. All school-aged children and young adults are in school or in a skill training program.
For more information, please visit www.hopeislife.ca.
Memorial Mass held to pay tribute to Father Donato
By Ron Giofu
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