Fordham Mourns Loss of Two Priests

Fordham University lost two members of its ecclesiastical community in the past week. On Feb. 17, John W. Donohue, S.J., died at Murray-Weigel Hall, while Rev. James Boyce, O. Carm., passed away on Feb. 21.

Father Donohue, FCRH '39, who was 92 years old at the time of his passing, had worked as an editor for America magazine, published by the Society of Jesus, in addition to writing for the magazine for some 35 years. He retired from the magazine in 2007 as an associate editor after writing on numerous theological, ethical and political topics. In a University press release, James Martin, S.J., America's culture editor, called Donohue a "wonderful man, priest, colleague, confessor and Jesuit" who was "always elegant, witty [and] concise" in his writing.

In the same release, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University, called Donohue a "Fordham institution." 

"In his long career he has done as much to shape the character of the University as any single person," he said

Additionally, he was the first dean of Thomas More College, the all-women's institution on Fordham's Rose Hill campus, from 1963 to 1966 and served on the Fordham University Board of Trustees from 1969 to 1989, after which he was elected a trustee emeritus. Whilst on the board, Donohue was the secretary of the board on multiple occasions and served as the chair of the academic affairs committee.

Prior to his service in Fordham's administration, Donohue worked as a history and philosophy professor at the Graduate School of Education for 13 years before assuming his position as dean of Thomas More College, which merged with Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1974.

Becoming a Jesuit in 1939, the year of his graduation from Fordham College at Rose Hill, Donohue obtained a doctorate in education from Yale University before beginning his years of service at Fordham. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at the University Church on Feb. 22; Donohue will be buried in the Jesuit Cemetery in Auriesville, N.Y.

Fordham's other recent loss, Father James Boyce, O. Carm., associate professor and chair of the department of art history and music, passed on Feb. 21. Boyce was a member of the Carmelite Order who, in addition to his specialization in musicology, studied piano with Julliard faculty and at McGill and Catholic Universities.

Boyce, whose research interests included medieval Latin liturgy, was a beloved instructor in the music department who taught a variety of music courses. He held bachelor's degrees in music and French from McGill University in Montréal, a master's in theology from the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C., a master's in music from Catholic University, also in Washington and a master's and Ph.D. in musicology from New York University.