Daniel Donovan

Daniel Donovan is a priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto, a graduate of St Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, BA, 1958, Université Laval, STL, 1962, The Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, SSL, 1965, and the Wilhelmsuniversität, Münster, 1971, DrTheol. He has taught a range of courses in Systematic Theology at St Augustine’s Seminary and, between 1971 and 2002, at the Faculty of Theology in St. Michel’s College where he also directed some 20 doctoral theses. Since retiring in 2002, he has continued to teach on a part time basis in the Christianity and Culture programme at St. Michael’s.

Having been in Rome 1963-1965 when Vatican II was unfolding and having had among his professors in Germany Joseph Ratzinger and Karl Rahner, two influential figures at the Council, Father Donovan developed a special interest in the Council and in the difficult process of its implementation in the life of the Church, a process that continues today.

Father Donovan’s interest in the visual arts was awakened by the four years he spent in Europe and has led to the assembling of a collection of Contemporary Canadian art that now numbers some 400 works which have been donated to St. Michael’s College. The collection has been highlighted by a series of 6 TV programmes which have been shown subsequently on Omni television many times. The collection has also led to the publication of two catalogues. Over the years, many students have taken tours of the collection in conjunction with their classes.