1816 – 1849 (May 19)
Francis McDonnell was born about the year 1816 in Ireland. After immigrating to the United States he sought entrance into the Order and was vested together with Brother John Gallagher at Villanova, Pennsylvania, on November 9, 1843, taking the name Brother Thomas. He served at both Villanova and Saint Augustine’s in Philadelphia. Brother Thomas worked on the building of the first chapel at Villanova in 1844 and saw it to completion.
He was later sent to Saint Augustine Church in Philadelphia and there he died, suddenly, of epilepsy, on Saturday, May 19, 1849 at the age of 33. He is buried in the vault at Saint Augustine’s in Philadelphia, though his name was never inscribed on the large stone covering the vault.
