Thomas J. Donnelly, Former Board Chairman of FADICA, Philanthropist, Catholic Leader, Attorney Mourned

Washington, DC – – A former board chairman of FADICA, and lay leader, well regarded for his philanthropy and service to the Catholic church, died February 26th in North Andover, Massachusetts, following a long illness.

“Tom Donnelly lived the faith he professed” said Frank Butler, FADICA’s President. “He was dearly loved by the members of the foundation community who feel greatly privileged to have benefited from Tom’s servant leadership,” he said.

Mr. Donnelly, and his wife, Marilyn, received FADICA’s highest honor in 2005, the Charles Carroll Award in Catholic Philanthropy.

In a dinner given in the Donnellys’ honor, and attended by philanthropists and church leaders from across the country, the couple was celebrated for “extensive involvements in Catholic higher education, Catholic campus ministry, the right to life movement, international missions, work to combat world hunger, and efforts to promote a common ground of understanding within the church.”

In addition to his work on the board of FADICA, Mr. Donnelly also served on the boards of the Catholic University of America, Carlow College, the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Harvard Divinity School, the University of Michigan, Maryknoll, and the Catholic Common Ground Project, among other Catholic involvements.

In 1995, Mr. Donnelly and his family were the driving force behind the construction of the Donnelly chapel at the Catholic Newman Center in Pittsburgh.

The chapel is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Donnelly’s late brother, and is staffed by chaplains to students at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute of Technology and Chatham College.

“Tom Donnelly’s service and love for the church was an inspiration and gift to all of us” said Mr. Butler. “His memory will not only be cherished, but will continue to illustrate for generations to come what it means to be fully responsive to God’s invitation to serve others,” he said.

[A Memorial Mass for Thomas J. Donnelly will be celebrated 10:00 AM Thursday, March 3rd at Sacred Heart Parish in Pittsburgh, PA]