Death
of Monsignor Desmond P. Dillon
The Reverend Monsignor Desmond Patrick
Dillon, 99, a senior priest of the diocese in residence at St. Joseph Parish in
Kennewick, died at 1:30 a.m. Friday, May 9 at the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice
House in Kennewick following a brief illness.
His funeral will be Monday, May 19
at 11AM in the Church. Viewing will be
from 5 – 7PM, Sunday, May 18 with a Vigil and Rosary at 7PM in the Church.
Msgr. Dillon was born January 31, 1915
in Hong Kong, the son of Francis Dillon and Petronilla (Lema da Rosa)
Dillon. He attended schools in Victoria, B.C., Hong Kong and Seattle
before graduating from O’Dea High School in Seattle in 1933. He then
entered St. Edward Seminary in Kenmore for an eight-year course of
studies.
Msgr. Dillon was ordained on May 22,
1941, at St. James Cathedral in Seattle by the Most Rev. Gerald Shaughnessy,
S.M. He served as a parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Tacoma, Holy
Family Parish in Auburn, and St. Catherine and St. Theresa Parishes in
Seattle. Special assignments in Seattle included assisting then Fr. C. M.
Power (later Bishop of Yakima) at the St. Peter Claver interracial learning
center from 1944-1946. He was named administrator of St. Andrew’s Parish
in Ellensburg in 1946.
Msgr. Dillon became a priest of the
Diocese of Yakima at its formation in 1951, and remained at St. Andrew’s until
1959. Special assignments in Ellensburg included work with the Central
Washington State College (now University) Newman Club and assisting in
establishing Catholic Credit Union. He
was named pastor of St. John Parish in Naches in 1959, where he served for
three years, along with being named director of Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of Yakima. He served in that role until 1968, and was in
residence at Holy Rosary Parish in Moxee from 1962 to 1966. He had a
special concern for the establishment of the St. Vincent stores, and helped to
resettle Cuban refugees.
In August 1966, Msgr. Dillon was named
pastor of St. Paul Cathedral. He served there for two years, then was
pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Quincy briefly. Following a sabbatical, he
was the diocesan property manager for three years while in residence at St.
Peter’s in Cowiche. He was named pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Kennewick
in September 1972, serving for three years, and then served for four years as
pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Prosser.
Msgr. Dillon was named pastor of St.
Joseph Parish in Sunnyside in August of 1979, serving for four years, then was
named pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in Toppenish, where he served until
1986. He then assumed senior priest status and moved back to St. Joseph’s
in Kennewick. In 1991, on the occasion of his 50th anniversary
of ordination, he was named a Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope John Paul II,
with the title Monsignor. He continued to assist regularly at Sunday Mass
in Kennewick until poor health and advancing age in recent years made it
impossible for him to continue.
In retirement, Msgr. Dillon kept up a
lively correspondence with the bishops of the diocese, and was a frequent
contributor to the “letters to the editor” section of the Tri-City Herald
newspaper, writing on topics ranging from abortion, to secularism, to
interreligious dialogue, to musings about eternal life.
Msgr. Dillon had an abiding love for
the Jesus Caritas Fraternity of Priests, based on the writings of Blessed
Charles Eugène de Foucald, a French priest, ascetic and martyr who died in 1916
in Algeria. As the “regional responsible” in the fraternity for many
years, Msgr. Dillon regularly exhorted his brother priests to build fraternity
in small groups. He also was an avid promoter of vocations to the
priesthood and religious life.
During Msgr. Dillon’s final illness, a
steady stream of parishioners from the Tri Cities came to pray with him at his
bedside, a testament to the mutual relationships of love and concern he had
developed with clergy and laity alike. He also was able to finalize his
funeral plans and to dictate a final letter to Bishop Joseph Tyson, who was
able to pray at Msgr. Dillon’s bedside shortly after his death.
Survivors include cousins and many
nieces and nephews.
The Vigil Service and Rosary followed by Sharing of Memories of Msgr. Dillon
will be Sunday, May 18 at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 520 S. Garfield
St. in Kennewick, with a viewing of the body beginning at 5 p.m. The funeral Mass
will be Monday, May 19, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph, with the Most Rev. Joseph J.
Tyson, Bishop of Yakima, presiding. Following cremation, the committal service
will take place at a later time at the parish columbarium.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Msgr.
Dillon’s memory may be made to St. Joseph School or Tri-Cities Prep, 520 S.
Garfield, Kennewick, WA 99336 or to the Yakima
Diocese Priests’ Retirement Fund, 5301-A Tieton Dr., Yakima, WA 98908-3493
