South Yorkshire Times, May 19th, 1935
A triple celebration has taken place at St. Wath On Dearne this week. Catholic Joseph’s Roman Church. Wath-on-Dearne this Week It has been the Diamond Jubilee of the Church, the fortieth year since the present priest, Dean Donkers was ordained and nine years since he came to St. Joseph’s.
After celebrations of High Mass a special concert and presentation took place on Wednesday when tribute was paid to the Dean whose efforts have considerably enhanced the beauty of the church during his rune years stay in Wath and who by his pious ministrations, has made himself warmly regarded by, all his parishioners. Suecial reference was made to his humility of which his speech bore ample witness, to his sense of beauty, of which his completely redecorated church stands as a memorial and to his kindness of heart, of which the cheers and exaltation of his people were a living testimony.