Interment of Hibernian Chaplain, Fr. Kevin Aloysius Devine C.S.P. at Arlington National Cemetery
We send our tremendous gratitude to our AOH Brothers of Arlington Virginia and Washington D.C. who attended the interment of New York City native and Hibernian Chaplain, Paulist Fr. Kevin Aloysius Devine C.S.P.at Arlington National Cemetery. Fr. Devine entered eternal life on March 25, 2021 at the age of 90 and was a Paulist Priest for almost 65 years and the Chaplain of William B. Burke, Division 3, New York County, AOH for many years.
He was born December 23, 1930, in New York City, a son of Edmund and Joan (Twomey) Devine. He had four brothers: Donal, Patrick, Finbar and Matthew and they grew up in the mostly Irish American Community of Inwood, at the Northern tip of Manhattan. The Devines were a legendary family with a proud tradition of service to the United States and NYC including: the Army, the FBI, and NYPD. Finbar Devine was one of the founders of the NYPD Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Band in 1960, and served as the Drum Major from 1960 until his death in 1995. Fr. Kevin was predeceased by the other members of his immediate family. He is survived by many nieces and nephews, a large extended family, and his Paulist Brothers.
Fr. Kevin was ordained a priest on May 3, 1956, one of 17 Paulist priests ordained that day by Cardinal Francis Spellman. In September, 1962, he began his distinguished 31-year career as a U.S. Army Chaplain. He served all around the world with the US Army including in Germany, Korea, Vietnam (1969 and 1970), Alaska, and Greenland. During his military service, Fr. Kevin was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star (with the Valor designation) and was promoted to the rank of Colonel. After retiring from the Army in 1993, Fr. Kevin returned to his native Inwood and became an associate pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd. The September 11th attack on the World Trade Center had a large impact on the Good Shepherd Parish and the Inwood community and Fr. Devine helped them heal afterwards. Fr. Devine served at the World Trade Center site ministering to the first responders and recovery workers. As a result of his serving at the WTC, the Port Authority PD presented to the Church of the Good Shepherd a steel cross recovered from Ground Zero to stand as a memorial to those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001.
The Plaque in the memorial garden at Good Shepherd sums it up very well.
FATHER KEVIN DEVINE’S
GARDEN OF ETERNAL LIFE
When the tragedy of 9/11 occurred and it became clear that the Inwood Community was affected greatly, Father Kevin Devine helped bring us together and heal through our love and faith in God.
He was instrumental in helping us acquire the steel cross from Ground Zero. Through his vision of the Good Shepherd protecting us through life, dying on the cross for our sins and then welcoming us into eternal life, this beautiful garden was created.
Father Devine has been a constant source of love and support and it is an honor to have him in our lives. The families of those lost on 9/11thank him for being a “Missionary in Inwood.”
