Fr. Donald Hawes to celebrate his 70th Jubilee, 95th birthday
Fr. Donald Hawes ...
The 70th Jubilee Mass of Father Donald Hawes has been scheduled for Sunday, June 4 at 11 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Church, Wexford. In addition to celebrating 70 years as a priest, Father Donald is also celebrating his 95th birthday.
Donald John Hawes was born December 22, 1928 to John and Ellen (Conway) Hawes of Wexford (rural Lansing). He was baptized December 24, 1928 in Immaculate Conception Church, Wexford. Following the tragedy of his father’s sudden death May 9, 1935, his mother raised Donald and his siblings on the family farm.
Donald Hawes graduated from Loras College in Dubuque in 1949 and from St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, MD in 1953. He received his sub-diaconate at St. Mary’s Seminary June 6, 1952. Father Donald Hawes was ordained a priest May 16, 1953 in Christ the King Chapel at Loras College, Dubuque.
His parish assignments as a priest have included: St. Martin (Cascade) - 1953 to 1956; Holy Family (Mason City) - 1956 to 1960; St. Patrick (Dubuque) - summer of 1960; Faculty of Wahlert High School (Dubuque) - 1960 to 1967; Principal of Newman High School (Mason City) - 1967 to 1970, (served two years as executive coordinator); St. Agnes (Plymouth Rock) - 1970 to 1985, (served as executive secretary and principal of Notre Dame High School, Cresco); St. Mary (Waterloo) - 1985 to 1997; St. Joseph (Waterloo) - 1995 to 1997, (served as Metropolitan Coordinator of Catholic Education for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area) - 1985 to 1989; St. Aloysius (Calmar) - 1997 to 2015; St. Wenceslaus (Spillville) - 1997 to 2015; St. Patrick (Waukon), St. Mary (Hanover) and St. Mary (Dorchester) - 2015 to 2016. Father Donald retired from parish ministry in July of 2016.
He has been State spiritual director for the Catholic Order of Foresters since 1990. He was named the 2015 Fraternalist of the Year for the Catholic Order of Foresters; he is a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus; and he has served as the Spiritual Director of the FCSLA (formerly Catholic Workman) in Spillville.
Father Donald enjoys gardening, canning and freezing abundant produce each year. Every Sunday after parish Masses he would come “home” to the family farm. Monday mornings Fr. Donald and his brother, Msgr. Cletus Hawes, would celebrate Mass in their home parish church. Many trips and cruises were enjoyed by Msgr. Cletus, Fr. Donald, his mother and numerous other family members through the years.
Everyone is invited to join Father Donald Hawes in celebrating 70 years of priesthood and nearly 95 years of life June 4 at a reception following the 11 a.m. Mass. If attending, please RSVP (by call or text) by May 15 to Theresa Heuker (563-419-2776) or Regina Manning (563-419-0541). If unable to attend, send a card to him at: 2423 Wexford Hollow Drive - Lansing, IA 52151.
