Michael T. Donohue

East Lyme - Monsignor Michael T. Donohue, 74, of Niantic died Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. Born in Westerly, R.I., Msgr. Donohue was the second of five children born to the late John J. Donohue and Catherine Keegan Donohue. He was raised in Pawcatuck, attended St. Michael School, and was graduated from Stonington High in 1965.

He began his religious vocation at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, continued it at Our Lady of the Angels in Albany, N.Y., and was chosen to complete his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy where he was ordained in 1975 by Pope Paul VI, who was canonized into sainthood by Pope Francis in 2018.

Following his ordination and returning to the United States, he trained as an officer and a chaplain in U.S. Navy in Newport, R.I. and he began his ministry in the Diocese of Norwich.

His 45-year career throughout the diocese included the Sacred Heart parish (Vernon), St. John (Uncasville), St. Joseph (Willimantic), Sacred Heart (Norwichtown) and in 1993 he became pastor of Saint Matthias Parish in East Lyme, where he oversaw the design and construction of a new church that was first planned in 1988 to accommodate a growing congregation an insure the continuation of the Catholic community in the Flanders village of East Lyme. In the spring of 1996, the then Father Donohue initiated a program of stewardship to take the steps necessary to build a new church. His lifelong interest in art and architecture made it possible for him to envision what became an octagonal Romanesque red brick building designed around the stained glass windows installed in the original church 1939, blending the legacy of the past with an eye toward the future.

He was predeceased by his sister, Catherine D. Lathrop and his nephew Charles J. Lathrop of Stonington; he is survived by his brothers, John J. (Patsy) Donohue and Joseph S. Donohue (Debbie Burlingame), all of Pawcatuck, and Christopher Donohue of Westerly. He is also survived by his five nephews, John, Patrick (Erin), Sean (Kelly), Timothy (Colleen) and Benjamin (Lauren); and his three nieces, Tricia Detterman (David), Anne Wang (Roger) and Emily Donohue (Tom Studt).

Msgr. Donohue's body will lie in state at St. Matthias Church, 317 Chesterfield Road, East Lyme, beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, followed by a Parish Mass at 7 p.m.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 17, by the Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, Bishop of Norwich. Due to ongoing concerns regarding the spread of Covid-19, the family respectfully requests that those attending wear face masks. Burial will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at Saint Michael Cemetery, Stillman Avenue, Pawcatuck.

Thomas L. Neilan & Sons East Lyme Funeral Home has been entrusted with handling the arrangements. Please visitwww.neilanfuneralhome.com to leave the family an online condolence.