His last Pastorate was at Vernon River from 1937 until 1948. Fol- lowing his return to Charlottetown he was Chaplain at the Charlottetown Hospital.

He died on May 30, 1957. He was named Monsignor by Pius X1 in 1925. The following tribute was paid to him by one of the Island papers:

“The passing of Right Reverend Monsignor Maurice McDonald will be learned with regret by all our citizens. Known and esteemed throughout the Province as “Father Maurice”, he was devoted to his priestly calling and even during late years, when handicapped by illness, was zealous in the performance of his duties as chaplain at the Charlottetown Hospital, where it was his daily practice to visit the sick and cheer them with his genial presence.

He served for many years, and with much success, in the responsible position of Rector of St. Dunstan’s Cathedral, and also as parish priest at Alberton, Tracadie and Vernon River. He took great in- terest in education and in all that pertained to the welfare of the younger generation, and seemed himself to be endowed with the gift of perpetual youth. His was a long life of usefulness to his Church and to the community, and his memory will be cherished as a notable example of zeal and conscientiousness”.

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