Donna Toliver Grimes, ¡Presente!

Pax Christi USA is heartbroken to announce the passing of Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace Donna Toliver Grimes, who died on December 10 due to complications after open heart surgery.

Donna worked for many years with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops; she retired last year after serving with the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, specifically the Subcommittee on African American Affairs, and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

She authored Pax Christi USA’s book of Advent reflections for 2005 entitled Tell Us About the Times When Jesus Came and All God’s People: Catechizing in a Diverse Church (Loyola Press 2017), and was a regular writer for Halleluia People for Eat the Scroll Ministry, a Black Catholic adult evangelization ministry. Donna was a graduate of and instructor for the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana and an online facilitator for the University of Dayton Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation. She was a JustFaith facilitator, catechetical leader who served on several parish, archdiocesan and community boards in Washington, DC.

Donna first connected with Pax Christi USA in the early 2000s through Education for Justice, which was then a project of the Center of Concern. Donna served two terms on the national council and remained engaged with Pax Christi USA for nearly 20 years.

She was a member of the inaugural cohort of Peace Pairs (with Honorine Uwimana), the Bread Not Stones working group, and participated in the 2023 anti-racism summit.

“At her retirement, I remember Donna speaking about why she chose a career change that would lead her to a lifetime of advocating for people who were impoverished, those who were treated as second class citizens, those who were longing for peace and organizing for justice,” said Johnny Zokovitch, former executive director of Pax Christi USA. “She talked about wanting to do work that allowed her to look into the eyes of her kids and see that they knew what values she stood for in this world. Donna’s life and witness spoke of the justice, peace, dignity, love and respect that she felt all people deserve as children of God. She was a ‘North Star’ for so many in Pax Christi, for so many working for peace with justice, guiding us in the ‘things that make for peace.’ I am so grateful to her for her support and encouragement of me personally, but also and especially of her support and encouragement of young people in our movement throughout the years. Even as we grieve this loss, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all that Donna gave to us and showed us about what it means to be disciples of Jesus.”

Honorine wrote about getting to know Donna through the Peace Pairs program: “From our very first meeting, Donna never positioned herself as a teacher or expert, despite her decades of experience and the many hats she wore in faith, social justice, and the Black Catholic community. Instead, she shared her wisdom with humility, enlightening me in ways I couldn’t have imagined and sometimes we just shared our silence and confusion about what is happening in the church and in the world.

“… I’ll always remember how she gave me a tour of the streets of DC, sharing the history of different avenues and their personal significance to her. She also gave me my first tour of the National Basilica. It was during that visit I realized just how influential Donna was—every few minutes, someone would stop to greet her, yes it was always easy to be drawn to her warm and welcoming presence. …

“She often talked about St. Teresa of Avila, her parish, with such joy and a profound sense of belonging. When she discovered a resource or program she loved, she couldn’t help but share it with others. After a conversation about the Saintly Six, she introduced me to a class Michael Howard was teaching at LMU. She also introduced young adults to the Pax Christi Young Adult Caucus (PCYAC), constantly connecting people with opportunities to grow in faith and justice.

“I’ll never forget one time I told Donna about a PCYAC program I was speaking at, emphasizing that it was for young adults. To my surprise, Donna joined the program—not as a participant, but simply to support me. That’s who Donna was for me.

“She was always sharing anything good she came across, whether it was people, resources, programs, or prayers. It was Donna who introduced me to Our Lady Undoer of Knots. Her love for Mary and trust in Jesus were infectious.

“We often spoke about the sanctity of our Black ancestors, honoring their struggles and triumphs. Donna admired them deeply, and now, she has joined the great cloud of witnesses she revered and made proud.

“I will miss her deeply. Rest in God, good and faithful servant. You’ve left a permanent mark in our hearts.”

The funeral arrangements are:

• Thursday, January 2, 6-8 PM, wake at St. Teresa of Avila parish, 1401 V Street SE, Washington DC, 20020
• Friday, January 3, 10 AM viewing, 11-12:30 PM Mass, St. Teresa of Avila, followed by interment (1 PM) at Cedar Hill Cemetery and repast (2 PM) at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Panorama Room, 1600 Morris Rd., SE DC 20020

See also: Donna Toliver Grimes, Catholic official remembered as ‘bright light’ for her faith and work, dies at 70, December 20, 2024, Catholic Standard (newspaper of Archdiocese of Washington DC)