If you met Fr. Dunn, you had a friend for life.  I was privileged to call him my friend as was my father, George '47.  I will miss our lunches together.  His stories of earlier times at Holy Cross were always informative and entertaining. The Holy Cross community will surely miss Fr. Dunn.

Father  Dunn was truly one who served others, even when he disciplined one, which in my case will always be a significant "fail forward" moment in my life. Our relationship became extremely strong over the past few years as he served as a listening post as i vented re: the "new" Holy Cross. The Holy Cross Class  of 1962 was fortunate to have him say our 50th Reunion Mass.

Perhaps it was 1964 and the students at Holy Cross were all worked up about something.  We were having a demonstration on campus when the cry began "March on Worcester".  As the boisterous crowd made its way down Linden Lane a lone Jesuit was standing at the point where it left campust.  Fr. Dunn turned the crowd around with barely a word, such was his effect on the students.  

I thought my career as a Kimball Hall waiter was doomed the night I dumped a full tray of HC crockery on the Dean of Men. Charlie Dunn smiled and asked, "Are you OK, son?" That moment of care and generosity is with me still. We are all deeply grateful for his service and his wisdom. Go gently, great man.
Allan L. Service, PhD, Class of 1966

REMEMBERING FR. CHARLES DUNN

            I need only think of having dinner with Fr Dunn just last year, a dinner so late in our friendship.Why did it take so long?

            Our first contact was in 1961 when we freshmen all thought Fr Dunn was an ex-Marine. He never denied it, kept up the pretense better to keep us in line. Really the only close encounter came during class elections a few years later. My roommate Don Morrissey had rented a 'democratic' donkey to publicize our candidate. We were riding the donkey around the Quad in front of Kimball. Fr Dunn was less than impressed, took no action, but personally assured that we cleaned up the road apples left behind. Don and I were humbled.

           Fr. Dunn is one of many Jesuits who have informed my life since early youth: John Golden, H.C. '38', of South Boston, missionary in the Caribbean; Peter Mendonca, missionary in Poona, India; Julio Giulietti, missionary in Vietnam. All of these men exemplify the sense of Jesuit mission, the sense the College of the Holy Cross inspires to impart to its students -- service to God through service to others.

            Back in the early 80s Fr. Mendonca challenged me with the question, “what are you doing for Christ today?” That question helped move my life forward. For Fr Dunn, this question is easy; he has taken the Jesuit mission to heart and lived it every day, loyally and faithfully to God, the Jesuits, the College and the Holy Cross family. Over these years and decades “what are you doing for Christ” meant Fr Dunn quietly praying for me in good times and bad. My limited response has been to gift Fr. Dunn with a book close to my heart, Wilfred Thesiger's The Marsh Arabs. For all the Baghdad Jesuits, this has special meaning.

            I conclude with special words apropos to this special person, to his example for all, to his lived life:
                        Take, Lord, receive all that I am   all my liberty, my memory,understanding and my will             All that I am and have, you have given me,
and I give them back to you
to be disposed according to your will.
                                                                                                            St Ignatius Loyola
submitted by
Dr Robert E. Morris

HC '65'