McDonald, Perry

Perry McDonald, a Capuchin friar of the Province of St. Joseph, died Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Milwaukee after a brief illness. He was 84.

Born Duane Joseph McDonald on Nov. 1, 1941, in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, to Francis and Lucy Wiest McDonald, Perry grew up in a close rural family with his brother Kenneth and sister Mary Ellen. Influenced by his Capuchin uncle and the friars at St. Lawrence Seminary High School, he entered the order in 1959 and was ordained a priest Oct. 19, 1967.

Perry's six decades of ministry were marked by his dedication to formation work, guiding countless men preparing for religious life. He served as postulancy and candidacy director, worked in retreat ministry at Monte Alverno, and held two terms as provincial vicar from 1996 to 2002. A formative summer before ordination at St. Labre Native American Mission in Montana shaped his pastoral approach, teaching him cultural humility and the importance of meeting people where they are.

In his later years, Perry served as pastoral director of the House of Peace in Milwaukee, where his calm presence and pastoral judgment served those experiencing poverty and instability. He remained active in community life and historical research until his final days.

Perry once reflected that "my call to be a Capuchin has always been more important to me than my call to be a priest," an affirmation of his fundamental identity as a brother among brothers.

He is survived by his brother Kenneth & sister-in-law Yolanda McDonald, his sister Mary Ellen McDonald Sjoberg, and his Capuchin brothers of the Province of St. Joseph.

Perry requested a green burial, his funeral was held at Our Lady of the Holyland Parish, Holy Cross Church, and was buried at Mt. Calvary Friary Cemetery, Mt. Calvary, WI on Monday, December 1, 2025.