Massachusetts Catholic Priest Who Opposes ICE Inherited Estate of Dying Parishioner… through will drawn up two days before her death
NOTES BETWEEN PRINTED EDITIONS
Helen Donovan died on Friday, January 16, 2015. (HELEN DONOVAN Obituary (2015) – Dedham, MA – Boston Globe). Funeral arrangements were handled through the Lehman Reen & McNamara Funeral Home of Brighton, Massachusetts.
She was waked the following Friday in a Memorial Gathering at St. Susanna Church in Dedham from 6-8 p.m., followed by a funeral mass and reception on Saturday at 9 am.
Two days before her death, a will which bears the signature of Phil Mandeville, notary public, bequeathed all of her property “of any nature whatsoever, both real and personal” to her “Pastor, STEPHEN JOSOMA of Brighton, Massachusetts.”
The will was witnessed by Nancy and Linda Bates, both noting that on January 14, 2015 they resided at 2 Mountain Road in North Easton, Mass, (a typical estimated nearly hour’s drive from Hellen’s home) per notary signature, the note on which the notary detailed:
“On this 14th day of January, 2015, before me, the undersigned notary public, personally appeared HELEN M. DONOVAN, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification which was Massachusetts Drivers License, Nancy Bates, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which was Massachusetts Driver’s License, and Linda Bates, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which was Massachusetts Driver’s License, to be the persons whose names are signed on the proceeding or attached document, and acknowledged to me that they signed it voluntarily for its stated purpose.”
The 1-family Cape-Cod style house with forced hot air heating, gable roof, vinyl siding, had no mortgage, having been paid off and discharged on April 26, 2012.
The home’s current assessed value is in excess of $536,000.
Questions remain:
- Was this or was this not reported to the archdiocese? We are told by a former parishioner that it was not until last week after the priest’s latest political outburst and demonstration.
- Is the priest renting out the home? We are told he is, and has for years. Is this also disclosed to the archdiocese? And, is it OK with them?
- Is there any conflict of interest with a priest receiving property, personally, from a parishioner?
