Donald William Shea (April 15, 1936 – May 18, 2016) was an American Army officer who served as the 19th

Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army (CCH) is the chief supervising officer of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. (Chaplains do not hold commanding authority). From 1775 to 1920, chaplains were attached to separate units. The Office of th ...

from 1994 to 1999. Shea went to seminary at the

Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity The Saint Paul Seminary (SPS) is a Roman Catholic major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, SPS prepares men to enter the priesthood and permanent diaconate, and educates lay men and women o ...

St. Paul, MN Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

. Ordained a priest for the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena The Diocese of Helena ( la, Dioecesis Helenensis) is the Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in western Montana with its cathedral located in Helena. The diocese was created from the year-old Apostolic Vicariat ...

in 1962,

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Shea was granted the honorary title of

monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in 1991. He was designated a protonotary apostolic supernumerary in 2002 after his military retirement and return to

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

in 1999.

Awards and decorations

Gallery

File:DonaldSheadeputy.jpg, Brig. Gen. Shea in 1991 File:Donaldshea.jpg, Maj. Gen. Shea in 1994

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, Donald W. 1936 births 2016 deaths United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Vietnam War chaplains United States Army generals Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Army Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Army Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) 20th-century American Roman Catholic priests