Dcn Don is a retired New York City Police Detective who served from 1994 through 2008.  He and his wife Marilyn have eight children and have been married for twenty-six years. Dcn Don was raised in New York on Long Island in a Catholic family by both his parents and is the youngest of three boys.  Dcn. Don served in the U.S. Air Force and after being honorably discharged in 1994, entered the New York City Police Department.  In 1999 Dcn. Don and his wife followed a calling from God and sought the adoption to 2 boys from a Russian orphanage.  That experience led them to become foster parents in 2000.  They opened their home to many children over the course of 5 years and 2 of their foster children were soon adopted.   

These experiences drew the Prendergast family closer to Christ and the Catholic Church.  Through Jesus a profound sense of responsibility of family and the witnessing of family life with all its difficulties was the calling of their married life.  These experiences along with others led to the calling of Dcn.Don to serve the Catholic Church in the ministry of the Permanent Deacon.  Serving as a living witness of fatherhood,husband, and after years of training, Dcn. Don was ordained on June 23, 2012 in the Archdiocese of New York at St. Patrick Cathedral.  During the last 12 years of ordained ministry withthe typical ministries of offering the Sacraments of Baptism, teaching religious education, praying with families at wake services along with serving at the celebration of the Eucharist,Dcn. Don, his wife Marilyn have experienced Parish life in both suburban, rural Parishes, as well as a monastic community.   In early summer of 2021, Dcn Don relocated his family to Florida and thus to St. Ann's Parish in DeBarry.  It was time to allow the Holy Spirit to present us with new experiences.  Dcn. Don currently serves the Parish of St. Ann's in variety of functions beyond the Altar.  He offers specialized educational programs for adults who are continuing their formation.  Dcn. Don is also a motorcycle enthusiast and is a member of the Punishers Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club where he serves as their spiritual advisor and offers prayers and pastoral care for members who are infirmed or in need of guidance and direction. He also serves them as bereavement support for family members who have lost a loved one either by accident or illness.    Dcn. Don now has now ventured into a new direction offering his life experiences in the form of Christian Life Coaching.  Utilizing the lessons he has learned to weather the storms and pass through the fire of a secular world, while remaining faithful to God, his wife, children, and those around him.  Through The Fire Christian Life Coaching is where others can gain real life practical knowledge and coaching utilizing 1on1 encounters with Dcn. Don along with educational sessionsand daily spiritual encouragement designed to provide a solid foundation for the individual who feels off balance in today's secular world.  There are many years of service ahead and Dcn. Don prays for the strength, wisdom, and health to meet them all head on.