February 8, 2026

OBITUARY: Father Lionel Edward Bonneville

REGIONAL
Staff report

SPRINGFIELD – Father Lionel Edward Bonneville, 88, died Thursday, Feb. 5. Father Bonneville was a priest of the Diocese of Springfield for 63 years.

Known to his family, friends, and parishioners as Father Ed., he was born on August 21, 1937 in Holyoke, the son of the late Lionel E. Bonneville, Sr. and Evelyn J. (Boudreau) Bonneville.

Father was raised in Springfield, where he attended public schools before graduating from the former Cathedral High School in 1955. He and his family were long- time parishioners of the former Holy Family Parish in Springfield.

He attended St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield from 1955-1957, and then attended St. John Seminary in Brighton, 1957-1963. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Springfield at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Feb. 2, 1963,

Following his ordination, he was assigned as assistant pastor at Holy Cross Parish in Springfield and while there he was appointed to serve on the newly formed, Springfield Action Commission.

In 1966, Father was assigned as assistant pastor at St. Brigid Parish in Amherst and in 1968 he was assigned as assistant pastor at St. Charles Parish in Pittsfield. 

In June 1968, he was sent to the Catholic University in Ponce, Puerto Rico to participate in a summer program at the Institute for Inter-Cultural Communication for Spanish and Cultural studies. Upon returning to the diocese he was assigned as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Holyoke where he began his ministry to the young and rapidly growing Spanish-speaking community.

To better serve the pastoral needs of that community Father founded the Casa Maria Catholic Center first in the “flats” neighborhood of Holyoke, and later to south Holyoke with a dedicated team of women religious from several religious communities joined him in ministering to the Spanish Catholic community.

While serving in Holyoke, he began ministry to the Spanish-speaking inmates at the Hampden County Jail and House of Correction on York St. in Springfield. He continued his voluntary ministry to these inmates for the next 20 years’

In 1975, he was appointed to full-time Spanish ministry with residence at Sacred Heart in Holyoke. While ministering in Holyoke, he was appointed  to serve on the Holyoke Model Cities Policy Board.

In 1978, he was transferred and appointed Director of the Spanish Apostolate in Springfield with residency at Sacred Heart Springfield. He was also appointed the Director of the Spanish Apostolate for the Diocese of Springfield. Working out of the Casa Cristo Rey diocesan Spanish center and bringing with him the model of collaborative, multi-cultural ministry which he had successfully developed in Holyoke.  

In 1980, Father Ed left Spanish ministry and was appointed pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish (now Our Lady of the Hills Parish) in Haydenville, While serving as pastor there, he began ministry as a part-time Catholic chaplain in 1987 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds where for many years he was a member of the treatment team for veterans suffering from combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In 1989, he was appointed pastor of the Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Springfield, at the time one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Springfield.

In 1990, he was the first recipient of the new national “Secretary’s Award for Excellency in Chaplaincy” recognized for his part-time ministry at the V.A. Medical Center.

In 1992, he was transferred and appointed part-time Catholic chaplain at the new Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, where he ministered to the inmate population until his diocesan retirement in 2007. He continued to serve as the part-time Catholic chaplain at the V.A. Medical Center in Leeds until his retirement from there in 2020.

During his life, Father Ed enjoyed playing handball, racquetball, downhill skiing, jogging, walking his latest dog “Lucy” and was known as an avid gardener. As he told all he came in contact with “the greatest love, however was always that of being a priest and bringing God’s love, mercy and peace to those I have served.”

In addition to his parents, Father Lionel Bonneville was predeceased by his beloved sisters Joan E. Arends in 2020 and Janice C. Jarry in 2022. He is survived by his sister Gloria A. (Bonneville) Dufresne and her husband Michael P. Dufresne, Jr. of Virginia. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews as well as his beloved cousin Marie Louise Marion and her husband Raymond Marion of Chicopee, and many other beloved cousins and friends.

Father’s family would like to express their gratitude and sincere thanks to Mrs. Sue Wehner, RN, BSN, the Wellness Coordinator for the Diocese of Springfield. Her constant care, loving support and medical expertise during Father Ed’s last years was of tremendous help to him and to his family, and was and greatly appreciated.

Funeral services will be Friday February 13th at St. Catherine of Siena Parish on Parker St in Springfield. Public visitation will be held from 10:00am-11:00am, followed by the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11:00am. Rites of committal will take place at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Springfield.