St. Francis Xavier community mourns Father Stan

Anjuli Patil · CBC News

· Posted: May 13, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

St. Francis Xavier University is mourning the nonaccomplishment of Rev. Stanley MacDonald, a affable beingness connected field and an ardent protagonist of varsity sports astatine the Antigonish, N.S., school.

MacDonald, known affectionately arsenic Father Stan, died connected Sunday. He was 92. 

"St. FX mislaid a gentleman. St. FX mislaid a friend. We're going to miss him," Bob Hale, adjunct vice-president of medication and ancillary services astatine St. FX, told CBC News connected Monday.

MacDonald was from Glace Bay, N.S., and attended St. FX. He played varsity rugby and hockey and graduated successful 1954, aboriginal becoming a clergyman and returning to St. FX successful 2008 to beryllium a clergy-in-residence.

He regularly attended varsity games for some men's and women's teams. Hale said MacDonald would often beryllium the 1 to get the assemblage chanting "Go X Go" astatine games.

WATCH | Father Stan leads Go X Go chant successful locker room:

"The kids would stitchery astir him and echo his 'Go X Go' until the full arena got going with it. At the caller hoops championships successful Halifax, Father Stan — they captured it connected the large surface and had a 'Go X Go' chant successful the Scotiabank Centre, truthful that was beauteous breathtaking for him and his family."

When helium wasn't astatine games, Hale said, MacDonald made clip for everyone and was genuinely funny successful their stories.

"He wanted to cognize wherever they were from, who their parents were and if they were enjoying their clip astatine St. FX and if determination was thing helium could bash for them," Hale said.

"Even erstwhile helium had fallen ill, erstwhile the nurses and assorted different unit would travel in, helium ever had clip for them and made them consciousness similar they were the astir important happening happening astatine that time." 

In a missive to the field community, St. FX president and vice-chancellor Andrew W. Hakin said MacDonald "always had a smile, a fist bump, and a cheery connection for everyone helium met."

Hakin described MacDonald arsenic "an unofficial guidance counsellor, publication nine guide, spiritual advisor, repast companion, and the eventual StFX Super Fan."

"He represented the precise champion of being Xaverian. May his noble tone remainder successful peace," Hakin wrote.