Paul Vincent Donovan was a bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of the Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo is a Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern portion of the State of Michigan that encompasses Allegan, Van Buren, Berrien, Cass, Saint Joseph, Kalamazoo, Branch, Calhoun, and Barry Counties. The Diocese consists of 46 parishes 13 missions,...

 in the state of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 from 1971-1994.

Biography

Born in Bernard

Bernard, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 112 in the city, with a population density of 1120/sq mi . There were 56 housing units, of which 50 were occupied.The racial makeup of the city in the 2010 census was 100.0% White American....

, Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, Donovan was ordained a Catholic priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 for the Diocese of Lansing

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing

The Catholic Diocese of Lansing is located in Lansing, Michigan. It encompasses an area of 6,218 square miles including the counties of Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw...

 (where he had moved with his parents, attending St. Mary Cathedral High School) on May 20, 1950. His seminary studies had been at St. Joseph Seminary

St. Joseph Seminary

-United States:* Saint Joseph College Seminary in Chicago, Illinois* Saint Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana* St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie in Yonkers, New York...

 in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

, St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

, and at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Norwood, Ohio

Norwood, Ohio

Norwood is the second most populous city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The city is an enclave of the larger city of Cincinnati. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census. Originally settled as an early suburb of Cincinnati in the wooded countryside north of the city, the area is...

. On June 15, 1971 Pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 Paul VI named him the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Kalamazoo. He was ordained a bishop on July 21, 1971 by Cardinal

Cardinal (Catholicism)

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...

 John Francis Dearden of Detroit

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne...

. The co-consecrators were Bishops Alexander M. Zaleski

Alexander M. Zaleski

Alexander Mieceslaus Zaleski was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Lansing from 1965 until his death in 1975.-Biography:...

 of Lansing

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing

The Catholic Diocese of Lansing is located in Lansing, Michigan. It encompasses an area of 6,218 square miles including the counties of Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw...

 and Michael Joseph Green

Michael Joseph Green

Michael Joseph Green was a 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Reno in the state of Nevada from 1967-1974.-Biography:...

 of Reno

Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno is an ecclesiastical territory of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern Nevada region of the United States, centered on the city of Reno. With the urging of Cardinal George Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, Pope Pius XI established the Diocese on March 27, 1931...

. He choose as his episcopal motto: "To Serve Rather Than Be Served." He was the diocesan bishop in Kalamazoo for 23 years, retiring in 1994 for health reasons.

Bishop Donovan, 86 years old, was found dead on Thursday, April 27, 2011, outside of his vehicle following a minor accident in Wayland Township. Police indicated there does not appear to be any foul play associated with the Bishop's death. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Allen Henry Vigneron

Allen Henry Vigneron

-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...

, Ph.D., the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan, was the principal celebrant at the Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Funeral Mass in the Diocese of Kalamazoo's St. Augustine Cathedral. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Robert C. Morlino

Robert Charles Morlino is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Madison, having previously served as Bishop of Helena.-Early life and education:...

, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison

Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison

The Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, is the Roman Catholic Diocese for the southwest corner of Wisconsin. It comprises Columbia, Dane, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, LaFayette, Marquette, Rock and Sauk counties. The area of the diocese is approximately...

, Wisconsin, was the homilist. The Funeral Mass was also attended by Archbishop Vigneron's immediate predecessor, His Eminence, Adam Joseph Cardinal Maida, the retired Cardinal Archbishop of Detroit. Burial followed at Mount Olivet Cemetery

Mount Olivet Cemetery

Mount Olivet Cemetery may refer to:In Canada:* Mount Olivet Cemetery-Halifax, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:* Mount Olivet Cemetery , California* Mount Olivet Cemetery , Colorado* Mount Olivet Cemetery , Connecticut...

in Kalamazoo.