By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: COURTESY
Brother Donald Neff, who worked at Chaminade-Madonna College Prep from 1990-2005 and now lives with the Marianist community in Hollywood, is marking 70 years of religious profession in 2020.
HOLLYWOOD | Marianist Brother Donald Neff, who served at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory for 15 years and is currently a member of Nativity Parish in Hollywood, is marking 70 years of religious profession.
Born April 19, 1930 in Dayton, Ohio, he made his first vows with the Society of Mary on Sept. 8, 1950 in Marcy, New York.
From 1990 to 2005, he served as alumni development director at Chaminade-Madonna, coordinating special events and serving as community relations coordinator. He returned to Hollywood after his retirement in 2013 and continued to represent the Marianist mission office as a preacher until 2016.
He is currently a parishioner at Nativity and resides at the Marianist community in Hollywood, where he continues to support the mission by maintaining phone and written communication with donors from Florida.
His ministry over the past 70 years includes: teacher and sodality moderator in Ohio; teacher, prefect, fundraising coordinator and sodality moderator in Puerto Rico; teacher, athletic director, sodality moderator and principal in Ohio; vocation director for Ohio Province; business manager, facility coordinator and fundraiser in Australia; founding headmaster, recruiter and formation leader for two schools in Australia; principal, alumni director and special events coordinator in Puerto Rico; vice principal of academics, development and fundraising coordinator in Ohio; property director and Marianist mission office assistant in Ohio; mission preaching in Ohio.
Brother Neff earned a bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Dayton in 1954, a master’s degree in education at Xavier University in 1965 and a certificate in counseling at the University of Dayton in 1968.
“I am very grateful and humbled for the blessing of being invited to become a member of Mary’s Special Family, the Marianists," Brother Neff said. "Mary’s call was special and allowed me to be an entrepreneur in education, work with youth via education and school administration, and witness my commitment to the world community. The realization of the blessings I received by being invited to become a Son of Mary continually vitalizes and energizes me."
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