Fr David Andrew Fisher, a veteran Black Catholic priest of the Maronite Church and longtime university professor, has died in Pennsylvania. He was 67 years old and no cause of death was released.
Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, who heads the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, announced the news in a letter to the priests of the eparchy on March 30, three days after Fisher’s passing.
“Father David dedicated his life to serving God’s people. He was admired and respected for his kind and generous heart,” Zaidan wrote.
“Now that his heart has stopped beating on earth, it is time for him to enjoy everlasting life in the Father’s home. Father David will be dearly missed by everyone whose lives he touched in his many years of ministry.”
Born in 1958 in Columbus, Ohio, Fisher was a graduate of Bishop Hartley High School and Ohio Dominican University, where he graduated in 1980. He later went on to study for the priesthood in Rome, earning three degrees at the Pontifical Gregorian University, including a Licentiate in Sacred Theology in 1983 and a doctorate in 1995. He also studied at the University of Eichstatt in Germany.
Fisher was ordained to the priesthood in 1984, returning to Ohio to serve in parish ministry for a number of years. He transferred to the Maronite eparchy in the 1990s—likely becoming the first African-American Maronite priest. He was named pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Maronite Catholic Church in Cincinnati in 2009, remaining in the post until 2013. He also worked with Cross Catholic Outreach, and served for a time in Sweden assisting with the missionary work of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
Over his more than four decades of ministry, Fisher served as a professor at various local and international Catholic institutions of the Eastern and Latin Churches. These include, among others, his alma mater, Ohio Dominican; the Pontifical College Josephinum; Xavier University; Rosemont College; Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West; the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius; St. Charles Borromeo Seminary; and the University of Dayton. He also taught at two public institutions, Central State University and Columbus State Community College.
Fisher was also a prolific writer, having been published in the Eastern Orthodox publication Diakonia, The Maronite Way, and The Maronite Voice. He also authored or co-authored at least four books, including “Light in the Darkness: Various Readings on Philosophy and Theology,” “Love and Transformation: Essays On The Primacy of God’s Love,” “Speak Lord for Your Servant Is Listening: Reflections On Sacred Scripture,” and “The Maronite Way: Brief Introduction to the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Catholic Church.” In 2017, he was also recruited to assist Maronite priests with a comprehensive guide for homilies during the various feasts of the church’s liturgical calendar.
Fisher is predeceased by his parents, Morgan Cecil and Jean Peck Fisher, and is survived by his brother, Philip; sister-in-law, Darnell; nephews, Lamar and David; and a niece, Felicia.
A viewing has been scheduled for 9am ET on Thursday, April 9, at St. Cyprian Catholic Church in Philadelphia, where Fisher had previously been in residence. A funeral Mass will take place at 11am ET, followed by burial at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springfield, Pennsylvania.
A memorial Divine Liturgy for Fisher will be celebrated on Sunday, April 19, at his former parish, St. Anthony of Padua Maronite Catholic Church in Cincinnati, at 10:30am. A 40-day Divine Liturgy will take place on Sunday, May 17, at Saint Maron Church in Philadelphia at 11am.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
