22 Mar 1998 Rev. John Hugh MacDonald
Funeral services for the late Rev. John Hugh MacDonald, 68, pastor of Saint Columba Parish, Lakevale, Antigonish County, and associated parishes, will take place this Thursday, March 26, at 2 p.m. in St. Ninian’s Cathedral, with Bishop Colin Campbell officiating. Burial will be in St. Columba Parish Cemetery. This evening (Wednesday) there will be a wake service at St. Ninian’s Cathedral at 7 p.m. Father MacDonald died suddenly at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital on March 22. Born and raised in Lennox, Antigonish County, he was a son of the late Ronald Alexander and Mary (Gillis) MacDonald. After study in local schools and graduation from St. F.X. University, he attended St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto, Ont., and was ordained in St. F.X. Chapel on May 26, 2956, by his uncle, the late Archbishop JOhn Hugh MacDonald, of Edmonton, Alberta. After serving in a number of parishes in the diocese as assistant, he taught at Saint Pius X School in Ottawa for one year. Assigned to St. Francis Xavier University in 1965, he obtained a M.A. degree in psychology from the University of Windsor in 1968, and taught at the university until 1977. At that time, he was appointed to St. Joseph’s Parish, Brad d’Or, and in 1979 was appointed pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Glace Bay. In 1989, he was appointed pastor of Holy Name Parish in Westville and in 1990 pastor of St. Columba Parish in Lakevale, with the associated parishes of Holy Rosary, Ballantynes Cove; St. George’s Georgeville; and St. Mary’s, Maryvale. AT the time of his death, Father MacDonald was a member of the personnel board and the vocations promotion committee of the diocese. He is survived by a brother James A (wife Clara), Antigonish; two sisters Elizabeth (Mrs. Alexander G.) MacDonald, and Agnes (Mrs. John Daniel) MacDonald, both of Malignant Cove; many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Rev. Ronald and William; a sister Mary (Mrs. Bernard) Chisholm; and two infant siblings.