A beloved priest passed away on Sunday in London.
Fr. John Devine was our parish priest at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sarnia when I was young.
The school my brother and I attended was next door to the church and Fr. Devine was a constant presence as we walked to and from school past the church and when he came into classrooms frequently to talk to the children.
Many of my classmates became altar servers at the request of Fr. Devine and many of the servers were girls.
It was at a time when there were no female altar servers. We didn’t know it but we were breaking new ground.
We loved working with Fr. Devine and he made us feel appreciated and respected. He joked and laughed with us frequently. He answered all our questions, including, “Do animals go to heaven?” and taught us to love and respect every human being.
He worked with a nun named Sister Mary and they were a formidable team. She was his equal always and we knew that as children.
Moving is tough when you’re a kid and you leave the familiar. When our family was leaving the city for Lambton County, Fr. Devine gave me a gift before I left. It was a beautiful lantern that I still have to this day. It was to light my way. It always has.
His kindness has never been forgotten by me and countless others.
http://donohuefuneralhome.ca/tribute/details/5628/Reverend-John-Devine/obituary.html#tribute-start
Isle of Rumleski 
That’s a really sweet tribute. I also attended St. Joe’s during Father Devine’s tenure, and have yet to find a priest with his compassion and sense of fairness.
I tell many people that my father was a feminist. Father Devine brought my dad into the Catholic faith. How fitting.
Say hello to Mike, will you? We were in the same grade.
Natalie Stinson
I will say hello to my brother for sure Natalie. Thanks for sharing your story of Father Devine. He was a special man for sure and so glad he was part of all of our lives.
Well said my friends …
He was a very special man … so many great memories 🙂