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Father Dunnill honoured

Members of the Thunder Bay Police Service paid their respects to their long-term chaplain Father Michael Dunnill Thursday morning at St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
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(Jodi Lundmark, tbnewswatch.com)
Members of the Thunder Bay Police Service paid their respects to their long-term chaplain Father Michael Dunnill Thursday morning at St. Paul’s Anglican Church.

Dunnill passed away May 8 at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre at 77 years old. He had been the police force’s chaplain since 1988.

"He started out as a spiritual guide for the members of the service but he became much more than that," said Chief Robert Herman. "He became part of our policing family. His family was our family and we were his family."

Dunnill, a past president of the International Conference of Police Chaplains, really understood policing culture, Herman said.

"He comforted us in times we needed it," he said. "He helped us do our job, especially if we had to do certain notifications or unpleasant duties. He listened to us."

Father Mike touched the lives of every officer in the force, said Herman, noting his son is a member of the Thunder Bay Police Service.

The service was like Father Mike’s parish and he went about his duties professionally. He easily earned the respect of the force and a couple of years ago they renamed their briefing room the Father Michael Dunnill Briefing Room.

"The reason for that is Father Mike would come in and say morning prayers, but following the prayers he would walk through the building, he would talk to us," Herman said. "He would find out what’s going on in our personal lives, share the odd joke with us. You could hear his laughter.

"You didn’t’ have to see him to know he was there. Father Mike battled many personal health issues over the years but he didn’t let that interfere with what he did for the police service and for his community."

Herman noted that it was a tough day for the men and women of the Thunder Bay Police Service and there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know Father Mike.

"He left a legacy and it’s going to be our responsibility to make sure that it continues with the chaplaincy program in the Thunder Bay Police Service," he said.




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