Father Felix Cornelius Donnelly ONZM (23 November 1929 – 26 August 2019) was a New Zealand priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland.
[1] In 1964-1965, he studied pastoral theology at the Lumen Vitae Catethetical Institute in Brussels Lumen which contributed to his sometimes controversial reform of religious education in Catholic schools with less emphasis on rote learning and church regulation and the encouragement of students to examine in group discussions the practical living out of their Christian commitment.
By 1970 Donnelly had relinquished his religious education role and had turned to more general social support initiatives for youth.
[6] In the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the welfare of youth.
Bishop Pat Dunn of Auckland said that one of the great strengths of Donnelly was his kindness and strong sense of compassion.