Fr. Roderick « R.B. » MacDonald
1932-2018
MacDonald, Rev. Roderick Bernard « R.B. », age 86,
passed away on October 27, 2018 in Green Meadows Community Residence
for Seniors, North Grant, Antigonish County.
Born on January 10, 1932 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, he was the
son of Angus Charles and Mary
(MacIntyre) MacDonald.
Fr. R. B. served the diocese of Antigonish for more than six
decades. Ordained in Rome on December 21, 1955, he served in
parishes in Sydney and Antigonish, but his primary service was as
Professor of Theology and later Dean of Arts at St. Francis Xavier
University. He also served on the Board of Governors and the
Senate of the university. He trained as a
scripture scholar and was a noted homilist, but his interests were
broad and varied. He was an avid collector of books and
stamps, a photographer, a creative knitter, and a tenacious researcher
of the history of the diocese of Antigonish and the writings of John
Henry Newman. Fr. R. B. graduated from St. Francis Xavier
University in 1952, obtained a doctorate in sacred theology from the
Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide, Rome in 1958 and a licentiate in
sacred scripture from Institutum Biblicum, Rome in
1966.
He is survived by his sisters, Marie (late Anthony) Cipriani,
Milford, Massachusetts, and Lorraine MacDonald, Sydney; brother John
H. (Anne) MacDonald, New Glasgow; nieces, Karen (Herbert) Cares, Mary
MacDonald (David McGreer), and Carmel (Ken) Scott; nephew, Paul
(Marilyn) MacDonald, and their respective families.
Besides his parents, brothers, Alan and Angus and nephew,
Andrew, predeceased him.
Visitation will be held at Morrison Hall, St. Francis Xavier
University, on Tuesday, October 30, from 2 to 4 p.m. with
Bible Vigil at St. Ninian’s Cathedral at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass
will be celebrated by Bishop Brian Dunn at St. Ninian’s
Cathedral on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 11 a.m. Burial
in the parish cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of C.L. Curry
Funeral Home, Antigonish.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Fr Roderick RB MacDonald 19322018..
Décès pour la Ville: Antigonish, Province: Nova Scotia
