Father Jim O’Donnell blesses the Irish Garden fountain
Father Jim was beloved by all but especially the Irish and African-American communities. He grew up in East Cleveland and attended St. Philomena Grade School and Cathedral Latin High School and was ordained a priest in 1956 in the Diocese of Cleveland. For six weeks in 1974 he worked in India with Mother Teresa. Since then, Fr. Jim lived and worked in the inner-city Central neighborhood in Cleveland. He, along with Maggie Walsh-Conrad, formed the Community of the Little Brothers and Sisters of the Eucharist, to provide a ministry of presence to the poor of the neighborhood. The “Little” in the organizations’ title is important. He always made himself “little” in front of the people in the community.
Like Mother Teresa, he did the hard, physical and important work for the most in need. For example, serving as the Catholic Chaplain to the Northeast Prerelease Prison for Women, for those in Juvenile Detention, persons with disabilities and their families and so on. He and Sister Maggie helped bring Habitat for Humanity to the Central neighborhood, contributing to the development of more than 600 new homes. Their ministry also took on a deeply personal dimension when Sr. Maggie became a licensed foster-adoptive parent. Together, they welcomed 12 children into their home, known as the Visitation Home, offering them love, stability, and faith. Today, those children are grown, with some raising families of their own.
I could go on and on. The man was a saint. He was inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame in 2012.
With family from County Mayo, his Irish heritage was very important. He was an amazing and inspiring speaker. Once former Congressman Dennis Kucinich was to speak after him in the Irish Garden and he basically threw away his planned remarks to comment and reflect on Father Jim’s words. I remember his remarks and blessing at the Irish Cultural Garden in 2010 when they first turned on the fountain. “We don’t need much in life to be happy.” He was introduced by Ambassador Ed Crawford. See more from the Irish Garden dedication.
Watch the short (4:30) video. It’s worth your time.
