Springfield Bishop Emeritus Timothy McDonnell has died at the age of 88. The Bishop announced several weeks ago that he had an "untreatable" form of cancer.
Bishop McDonnell was the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield.
He became Bishop in 2004 and served for 14 years before retiring at the age of 75.
Bishop McDonnell was instrumental in a series of consolidations within the diocese that he said would ultimately make the church stronger.
Springfield Mayor Dom Sarno issued a statement following the announcement of the Bishop's passing.
“After the devastating EF3 tornado of June 1, 2011, along with Congressman Richie Neal and myself, Bishop McDonnell played an important role as we succeeded in securing millions of dollars to rebuild Cathedral High School, now Pope Francis Prep School, on the same site as a continued anchor to our East Forest Park neighborhood. Besides his religious wisdom, he brought a business acumen side to his style of leadership. As we say goodbye and in the Irish proverb ‘May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.’”
Congressman Richard Neal said, ""I was saddened to hear of the passing of Bishop McDonnell, whose leadership and steady presence left a lasting mark on the Diocese of Springfield and the broader community he served so faithfully. In a moment of great sorrow and uncertainty for Catholic education in our region following the 2011 tornado and the destruction of Cathedral High School, we were grateful for Bishop McDonnell's decision to continue that great legacy and establish new roots with the construction of Pope Francis Preparatory School.
"I recall several conversations with him leading up to that decision, during which I always enjoyed his keen wit and terrific sense of humor. Needless to say, we were fortunate to have Bishop McDonnell come to the Springfield Diocese at a time when we needed his thoughtful guidance the most."
Funeral services have yet to be released.
(Photo: Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield)