Date of death: 1/27/2012
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1943
Fr. Donald Walpole, OSB, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, IN, died on Friday, January 27, 2012, at the monastery. He was 94.He was a jubilarian of both monastic profession and priesthood, having celebrated 71 years of monastic profession and 68 of priesthood.Fr. Donald was born in Indianapolis, IN, on May 1, 1917, one of six children of Martin and Mary (Hannan) Walpole. He received the name Martin at his baptism. After completing his elementary education at St. Patrick Catholic School in Indianapolis, he attended that city’s Cathedral High School.Following his graduation from Saint Meinrad College in 1939, he was accepted into the novitiate at Saint Meinrad, subsequently professing his simple vows on August 6, 1940, and, three years later, his solemn vows. He was ordained to the priesthood on September 21, 1943.After his ordination, Fr. Donald was assigned as assistant in the office of The Grail magazine at Abbey Press. He also at this time enjoyed a brief stint teaching English at Saint Meinrad’s school for those seeking to become brothers, St. Placid Hall. Parish assignments included serving as assistant pastor at St. Benedict Church, Evansville, IN (1945), and at St. Ferdinand Parish, Ferdinand, IN (1956-1957).He taught an additional two years of English in St. Placid Hall in the mid-1950s. Returning from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1952 with a Master of Fine Arts degree (with a major in art and printing), Fr. Donald began a 45-year career of teaching the history and practice of art to Saint Meinrad seminary undergraduates.Fr. Donald was also a master artist. Sketches, mosaics, murals, and canvases of Our Lord, the Blessed Mary and various saints can be found from South Bend to the Bahamas, from Evansville to Guatemala’and throughout every building on the Saint Meinrad campus.The Office of the Dead will be prayed on Sunday, January 29, at 7 p.m. CST in the Archabbey Church, followed by visitation until 9 p.m. Visitation on Monday will be from 8 to 9:45 a.m. in the Archabbey Church, followed by the funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in the Archabbey Cemetery. All times are Central Time.