Edward Louis Donald Pikell, O.P., Death, 1998-01-31
![Edward Louis Donald Pikell, O.P.](http://archives.opcentral.org/assets/PF/Pikell.png)
Scope and Contents
This collection contains personal materials relating to friars after they have left the order, passed away, or transferred to another province. Each friar's file contents are mostly limited to their novitiate records, canonical assignments, historically important correspondence, and a small number of personal items if desired upon their passing. Within the broader collection, each Friar is sorted as a series.
Friars with particuarly substantial historically important papers or items outside of the scope of the Personal Files are placed within a dedicated collection under their name.
This collection is a work in progress and any use of these files requires the explicit permission of the Provincial. Contact the Archivist to discuss access or inquire about friars that may not been cataloged yet.
Dates
- Creation: Death, 1998-01-31
Conditions Governing Access
Requires explicit permission from Provincial to access any records. Contact the Archivist for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
Can only be accessed upon written permission of the Provincial. Contact the Archivist for further details.
Biographical / Historical
Edward Louis Pikell, the second of eight sons born to Joseph W. Pikell and Martha V. Shubert, was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 25, 1933. Because of family moves he attended several grammar schools: Chandler School, Goshen, Indiana; Mt. Mercy School, Pewee Valley, KY; and St. Gertrude School, Franklin Park, Illinois. After attending Fenwick High School (1947-51) he spent two years at St.
Mary' s College, Winona, Minnesota.
In August of 1953 he entered the Dominican Novitiate at St. Peter Martyr Priory, Winona, Minnesota, and was given the religious name Donald. Following profession of vows there on August 31, 1954, he was assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, for his philosophical studies. There he obtained a M.A. in Philosophy and made his solemn profession vows on August 31, 1957. For three years he pursued his theological studies at the College of St. Rose of Lima, Dubuque, Iowa, and was ordained on June 4, 1960, by the Most Rev. Leo Binz, Archbishop of Dubuque. Donald was then sent to the University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome, Italy, for advanced studies (1960-62) and obtained the Lectorate in Sacred Theology.
His first assignment in ministry was as an instructor in philosophy at both De Lourdes College, Des Plaines, Illinois, and Aquinas Institute, School of Philosophy, River Forest, Illinois. In 1964 he joined the faculty of St. Xavier College, Chicago, Illinois, where he taught philosophy, theology and natural science and for a time served as coordinator of the Xavier Computer Center. In 1970 he was assigned to be associate pastor at Holy Ghost Parish, Hammond, Louisiana, where he served until 1972 when he joined the campus ministry staff at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. In 1974 he was transferred to Champaign, Illinois,
and was a member of the campus ministry staff at the University of Illinois, a ministry which he carried out for nine years. From 1983 through 1995 he ministered as an associate pastor at St. Gertrude Parish, St. Claire Shores, Michigan. After twelve years at St.
Gertrude's he embarked on a new apostolic ministry and became a staff member of the Heartland Center for Spirituality, Great Bend, Kansas, as well as a part-time chaplain to the Dominican Sisters in Great Bend.
Throughout the latter half of 1997 Don began to have attacks which made it difficult for him to breath. Short hospitalizations were followed by a return to work at the Heartland Center. Shortly after Christmas of 1997 his breathing difficulties grew worse and he moved to the infirmary of the Dominican Sisters. Although his condition was known to be serious, his death came unexpectedly in the early evening of January 31, 1998, the result of acute respiratory distress. A wake service was held at the Dominican Sisters' Motherhouse in Great Bend on February 3rd and a funeral Mass celebrated the next day. On February 5th a second wake service and the Mass of Christian Burial were celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, and burial was in the Dominican Plot of All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois, on February 6, 1998.
Extent
From the Collection: 1 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Archives of the Province of St. Albert the Great, U.S.A. Repository
1910 S. Ashland Ave
Chicago Illinois 60608 United States
3122430011
archivist@opcentral.org