Father David Bulman, C.P., St. Paul of the Cross Province (1913-1972)

Born Neil Bulman on March 13, 1913 in Greenfield, Massachusetts, he was the son of William Bulman and Elizabeth Hennessey Bulman. After one year of high school he entered Holy Cross Preparatory Seminary, Dunkirk, New York. Upon graduation he went to the Passionist novitiate in West Springfield, Massachusetts which was under the direction of Father Alexander Croker. Shortly before he was to take his vows he decided to leave the novitiate due to illness. Two years later he had completed his college course at Boston College where he majored in sociology. Once again he entered the Passionist novitiate, in West Springfield which was now under the direction of Father Cassian Sullivan and professed his vows on October 7, 1936 and received the religious name of David. He joined the third year philosophy class and was ordained in the Boston Cathedral on May 1, 1941. After a year of sacred eloquence and a short time as a parish mission preacher Father Bulman was named the associate editor of Sign Magazine from July 1943 until January 1952. Under his direction the magazine started to publish signed book reviews. In April 1944 he wrote a courageous article against the United States saturation bombing of Europe. He was also very interested in labor issues and the influence of the Catholic novelists especially as it might be concerned with anti-clericalism. From then on he preached parish missions and retreats and carried around a portable typewriter in order to work on his talks. He also taught sociology to Passionist seminarians. In March 1969 he returned to the staff of Sign Magazine and remained on the staff until his death. He was a hard worker and considered a brilliant, exacting editor. After a brief stay due to illness at St. Mary’s Hospital in Hoboken, on November 22, 1971 he was transferred to St.Gabriel’s Monastery, Brighton, Massachusetts where he died several months later.