RIP
Fr. Dominic DeBlase, SDB (1926-2016)
by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB
Fr. Dominic Bartholomew DeBlase, SDB, died at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, N.Y. He was 89 years old and had been a professed Salesian for more than 63 years and a priest for 55 years.
Upon his retirement in 2011, Fr. Dominic jointed the Marian Shrine community at Haverstraw-Stony Point. When the dementia from which he suffered necessitated a move to greater care, he resided briefly at Northern Riverview in Haverstraw and then was transferred the Cabrini of Westchester nursing home in Dobbs Ferry in June 2015. In November he was formally assigned to the provincial residence community in New Rochelle.
Fr. Dominic was born in Liberty, N.Y., on September 21, 1926, to Bartolo and Josephine DeBlase, members of St. Peter's Parish in Liberty. After graduation from Liberty High School in 1943, he enrolled in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. When he was drafted in the Navy, his studies were interrupted between February 1945 and September 1946, but he completed a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree at RPI in June 1948. He remained in the Naval Reserve until he was discharged in order to enter the seminary.
Dominic arrived at Don Bosco College in Newton as a Son of Mary in June 1950, completed the necessary Latin studies, and was admitted to the novitiate in Newton in September 1951. He professed vows there on September 8, 1952. He earned a B.A. in philosophy from DBC in Newton in 1954.
Bro. Dominic remained at DBC in 1954-1957, teaching and assisting in the seminary program. He also earned an M.S. in physics from Fordham University in 1956.
Bro. Dominic embarked to Turin, Italy, in 1957 to study theology at the Pontifical Ateneo Salesiano, earning a licentiate. He was ordained in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin on February 11, 1961.
Fr. Dominic's classmate Fr. Harry Peterson writes: "He was always a pleasant person, very unassuming, and humble. Indeed, he was a great Salesian."
Fr. Dominic returned to DBC after ordination to teach math and the sciences until 1966. He was also dean of men (1963-1965) and dean of the Sons of Mary (1965-1966). The academic dean, Fr. Joe Herzog, described him as "a very hard-working professor ... who demanded as much diligence from his students" and "won the respect and admiration of his students not only for his intelligence and scholarship, but for his ability to communicate this knowledge as well"; he was also credited "capable leadership" and "successful development" in the physics and math departments.
In 1966 Fr. Dominic moved to Don Bosco Juniorate in Haverstraw as director, but didn't complete his term before being reassigned as director of Don Bosco Tech in Paterson in 1968. Four years later he went to Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero to teach math and the sciences.
His ministry at Shaw was cut short when he was named province treasurer and director of the provincial residence at New Rochelle in 1973. He served in those positions with such distinction that in 1979 he was appointed provincial. He started with responsibility for 182 Salesian priests, 66 coadjutor brothers, 65 seminarian brothers, and 7 novices serving in 22 houses stretching from Eastern Canada to the Bahamas, and westward to Cedar Lake and New Orleans.
In Sherbrooke, Fr. Romeo Trottier remembers Fr. Dominic fondly: "I was very saddened by the death of Fr. Dominic. . . . For all the duration of his term as provincial, I was his delegate for Canada. My relationship with him goes all the way back to Newton in 1950 when he was a Son of Mary. and our teacher of general science. I was fortunate to participate at GC22 in 1984 with him. He was a real gentleman, a genuine Salesian and priest. I always found him very respectful of persons and very friendly, never assuming airs of superiority. A real man of God! Salesian Canada owes very much to him."
Upon completion of his term as provincial in 1985, Fr. Dominic went to Don Bosco Tech in Boston as treasurer. In 1989 he was appointed director again, this time at Mary Help of Christians School in Tampa, where Fr. John Nazzaro says he found in him a great mentor.
In 1991 he was accepted as a volunteer for the Salesian mission at Lungi, Sierra Leone. He was treasurer for two years and then director from 1993 to 2005, greatly appreciated by both his confreres and the people of the Salesians' schools and parish. For example, Fr. Daniel Libby, SDB, writes:
[I am] saddened by the death news of Fr. Dominic DeBlase, whom I lived with for a year as a prenovice here in Lungi. The news of the death of Fr. Dominic is heavy enough to break anybody down. I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the entire provincial community. He was indeed a holy, cheerful and unassuming person. His smile alone was something that never left anyone unhappy. His life as a holy and cheerful Salesian taught me many great virtues in the Salesian context. Indeed, we have lost a GREAT Salesian. The parishioners and pupils here are mourning a dear friend, father, mentor and grandfather. He will always be remembered here in Lungi.
Returning to the States, from 2005 till 2011 Fr. Dominic served as assistant pastor and community treasurer at Nativity Parish in Washington. He retired to the Marian Shrine community.
Celebrating his 50th anniversary of religious profession in 2012, Fr. Dominic remarked very simply, "I thoroughly enjoy my priesthood and service to Don Bosco and my Salesian Family."
Fr. Dominic is survived by several nieces and nephews.
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