Fr. Donald Cozzens was an American priest, author and lecturer who died in December 2021. He was the author of many books, including The Changing Face of the Priesthood (2000), Freeing Celibacy (2006), and Notes from the Underground (2012).

Notes From the Underground was written just before the end of what he regarded as the dark days of the Wojtyla/Ratzinger era. In the twilight of the papacy of Benedict XVI, Fr. Donald wrote that he felt like he belonged to an underground church.

Theologian Edward Hahnenberg, a friend and former student of Donald, recalled being with him when Francis, a humble and unpretentious man, arrived on the world stage on the evening of March 13th 2013 and greeted the crowds from the balcony of St. Peter’s with the simple words Buona sera.