Past Loyola Marymount head Father Donald Merrifield fed Ala Moana Park’s homeless

By Hawaii Catholic Herald

To a group of homeless folks living in Ala Moana Park, he was not someone with a PhD from MIT, or a former president of a large west coast university, or even a priest, but just a friendly guy who brought them breakfast and company a couple times a week.

That’s how Jesuit Father Donald P. Merrifield spent a portion of his final years in Honolulu — in an informal friendship with a segment of the city’s down and out.

Father Merrifield died on Feb. 25 at Good Samaritan Hospital, San Jose, Calif. He was 81, a member of the Society of Jesus for 58 years, and a priest for 44 years. He served in Hawaii for five years.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 6 p.m., March 12, at the Newman Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Father Merrifield was born in Los Angeles on Nov. 14, 1928. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in physics in 1950 from California Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a doctorate in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He joined the Jesuits in 1951 and was ordained at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood in 1965.

Father Merrifield taught physics at Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco. He was also a consultant to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

In 1969, at age 40, he was named the 11th president of Loyola University of Los Angeles. Four years later, the university merged with Marymount College and became Loyola Marymount University.

During his 15 years as president, the university expanded greatly with 13 new buildings, plus new curriculum courses, programs and services to minorities and the handicapped.

Father Merrifield served as the university’s chancellor from 1984 to 2002.

In 2003, he was assigned to the Jesuit Community in Honolulu where he served the Manoa-Punahou Catholic Community, the Oahu Hispanic community, prison ministry and the Newman Center, leading retreats for students and parishioners.

He also served on the board of governors of Chaminade University of Honolulu.

It was shortly after his arrival in Hawaii that his walks through Ala Moana Park with his brother Peter, a long time Honolulu resident, turned into a modest ministry. Using his own money and the donations of friends, he would bring breakfast twice a week to about 30 homeless people whom he had befriended.

As his health declined, others helped him. Today, parishioners from Sacred Hearts Parish in Punahou and St. Pius X Parish in Manoa, and students from the Newman Center feed more than 350 people each week in several parks.

A few years ago, this ministry was named “Fr. Don’s Kitchen.” He said at the time that this tribute touched his heart more than any honor he had ever received.

Father Merrifield is survived by his brother Peter Merrifield of Honolulu, his sister-in-law Doris, nephews Mark Andrew of Oahu and John Allen of Maui, and niece Jane Louise Gitelman of Berkeley, Calif.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the “Fr. Don’s Kitchen” in care of the Newman Center, 1941 East West Center Road, Honolulu, HI 96822.