Associate publisher reflects on Deacon Donadieu’s impact

May 17, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.

Rayanne Bennett, executive director of Communications and Media and associate publisher of The Monitor, reflected on Deacon Joseph Donadieu’s passing, expressing her esteem and gratitude for the foundations he established with the Diocese’s communications ministry.

She said, “Though it has been more than 15 years since Joe retired from his long-standing post as the executive of The Monitor newspaper, we cannot fail to acknowledge the undeniable influence that his service has had on diocesan communications and the many ways he helped to shape what they have become today.

“Joe’s commitment to build a quality, authentic and well-respected diocesan newspaper laid the groundwork for the updates we were able to make over the years, leading to an award-winning magazine and dynamic website,” she added.

“On a personal level, I had the privilege of working with Joe in the early 1990s when I was hired to manage the Metuchen edition of The Monitor. It was my first job in Catholic journalism and I had much to learn.  No words can adequately describe the benefit of working under his mentorship.   His sense of professionalism and mission offered an invaluable example of what a Catholic editor and diocesan communicator needed to be.”

“The Diocese of Trenton has been blessed to have benefited from the communications ministry of Joe Donadieu,” Bennett concluded.