Donna Summer

Back in 2010, for one of our clergy retreats, we invited a priest from the order of Father Benedict Groeschel CFR. This was Fr Glen Sudano, who was one of the original 8 who drifted away from the Capuchin order to start their own order back in the1980s, now still flourishing beautifully with many vocations. Since I was in New York for 22 years, and knew many of the monks Capuchin Friars of the Renewal (CFR), I was given the honor to introduce Father Glen. In his introduction, he told us that he grew up in Brooklyn, and joined the Capuchins in 1978, being ordained in 1984. But the biggest surprise came to me when he told us that he had two brothers, Barry and Bruce, and the latter is married to an African-American. Then he told us, ever so nonchalantly, “and by the way you may know his wife – her name is Donna Summer!” Yes, the Disco queen of the 70s and 80s – and they’ve been married 30 years! He was probably more surprised to see that most of the African priests knew who Donna Summer was, as did everyone else present - we all remember the disco years, as most of us were either studying in the Seminary or enjoying teenage life and disco-dances. 

Donna and Bruce in the middle flanked by Giorgio Moroder and his wife.

Donna married Bruce Sudano in 1980 and they had 3 daughters. She died after 32 years of marriage on May 17, 2012, aged 63, at her home in Naples, Florida, from lung cancer. Being a non-smoker, Summer theorized that her cancer had been caused by inhaling toxic fumes from dust from the September 11 attacks in New York City. She was in her apartment near Ground Zero when the attacks occurred. It’s always a surprise to find out how people are related to each other, as listened to Fr Glen preach to us, as the brother-in-law of Donna Summer!