Funeral celebrations will be delayed to a later date. Arrangements have been made through Rosar-Morrison Funeral Chapel (Toronto).
In memory of Fr Hawkins, donations may be made to CJI, 70 Saint Mary Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 1J3 cji@jesuits.ca | Online (Please indicate it is in memory of Fr Hawkins).
Links
In memoriam – Jesuits of Canada
Dignity Memorial
Obituary
Fr Michael (Mike) Hawkins SJ died very peacefully on April 30, 2020 at René Goupil House in Pickering, Ontario. He was 83 years old and in his 63rd year as a Jesuit.
Born in Valois, Quebec, Fr Mike was the son of Raymond John Hawkins and Leah Evelyn Gray. From the beginning, he had always felt called to the foreign missions to share his talents and faith with others. In 1963, he volunteered for India, and there he did studies in Philosophy, Theology and the Hindi language. He was ordained a priest in 1969. For almost 45 years, Fr Mike devoted himself to teaching, administration and pastoral work in India. In 2006, he returned to Canada to do spiritual direction in Pickering, Ontario. The 4 Bishops of Darjeeling wrote: “Fr Mike Hawkins served the people of Darjeeling as a great Jesuit Missionary. We remain ever-grateful to him.”
Fr Mike Hawkins SJ and Oshish Tirkey SJ in Pickering, Ontario (January 2020).
Photo: L. Balkaran/CJI
Prayers and Tributes
“From the Holy city of Jerusalem, I, Father Issa Abusada, the parish priest of our Greek Melkite Cathedral of Jerusalem, Our Lady of the Annunciation, will offer on Friday, the 8th of May, 2020, a mass for the repose of the soul of the late Fr Michael Hawkins SJ. May our God and Lord welcome him in the eternal life and fulfill your hearts with His Divine consolation.”
“May the Holy Spirit console your hearts with His Divine Consolation and fulfill your hearts with Peace and a strong Christian faith.”
“I also present to you all my deep condolences.”
– Father Issa Abusada
Parish Priest of the Melkite Cathedral
Our Lady of the Annunciation
Jerusalem
“I love and respected him so dearly. His unforgettable and very valuable contribution in his ministry for the poor in India as well as the rest of the Jesuits who served with him is monumental and historical in the shaping of the people from the Foothills of the Himalayas. Not only to them, but to transient visitors such as I and my son, Justin, who went there 2 years prior to my visit. I am a blessed recipient of his kindness, his generosity, and his quick wit. “
– Jane Lee
