Stan Lee, Neil Gaiman…Fr. William J. Donnelly, MM? Yes you read that right. You can add the name of Fr. William Donnelly to the list of comic book writers. Though Fr. Donnelly’s comics don’t center around caped crusaders or different worlds filled with fantastical characters, his work is just as important and meaningful. Fr. Donnelly took pen to paper and wrote about what he knew – the lives of Maryknollers and others of the Catholic faith. His work, Heroes and Heroines of Maryknoll, profiles ten Maryknollers who have lost their lives serving the poor and marginalized in far-off places around the world. Through simple drawings and adapted biographies, Fr. Donnelly is able to tell these stories to an audience who may not have otherwise have heard them. By changing the medium from a regular book or article into a comic book, he was able to spread the story of Maryknoll to an even wider group of people. Below are some examples of his work that I hope you enjoy and that inspire you be as creative as Fr. Donnelly!
Cover of Heroes and Heroines of Maryknoll
Sample pages from Heroes and Heroines of Maryknoll
Sample pages from The Life of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Sample pages from Saint Maria Goretti
Fr. William Donnelly’s work can be found in the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers’ Creative Work and Personnel Papers Collection.
