Remembering our Chaplain, Msgr. Daniel J. McGlynn

We are very sad to announce that Reverend Monsignor Daniel J. McGlynn, a priest of the Diocese of Wilmington and chaplain for the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary, died on January 1, 2024. He was 84.

Msgr. Dan became our chaplain in 1982 when he was an as associate pastor at St. Francis de Sales in Salisbury, MD. Our founder, Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling, was very impressed by him and asked him if he would like to be the chaplain for our community. Msgr. Dan said yes, and thus began his long association with the Little Sisters.

Msgr. Dan was immeasurably helpful to our community, and by extension, to the Joseph House. For decades, no matter where he was stationed in the diocese, Msgr. Dan would visit us every month, with very few exceptions. He would present an engaging spiritual conference and meet individually with the sisters. At our celebration of the Eucharist, his prayerful manner and excellent homilies added to our enrichment. There was delightful fellowship at the dinner table, too, and we enjoyed preparing his favorite meal of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and stewed tomatoes, along with a cup of hot tea.

Sr. Marilyn Bouchard, our superior, knew Msgr. Dan for more than 30 years: “He was there for all of our special occasions, both sad and happy. He was such a part of us. He was just one of a kind. The classic message that he always gave to us is that God loves you. That was almost like his mantra. He just had a way of saying it in so many ways. He was just a real shining star for us.”

Msgr. Dan was born in Philadelphia on November 7, 1939. He came from a large family and had two sisters and five brothers. His was not the only religious vocation in the family: his brother Joseph joined the Franciscans.

In addition to St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Msgr. Dan attended Saint Fidelis College, in Herman, PA, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, and Loyola College, also in Baltimore.

Before becoming a priest, Msgr. Dan was in the Army and then worked as a personnel administrator for the Department of the Navy and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 22, 1982, and St. Francis de Sales was his first assignment. His other assignments included St. Elizabeth’s in Wilmington, DE, Immaculate Conception in Elkton, MD, and Corpus Christi in Elsmere, DE.

He returned to Immaculate Conception as pastor in 1993. In 2002, he became pastor of Holy Cross in Dover, DE. He continued to live there after retiring from full-time parish work in 2013. Msgr. Dan also served for a while as assistant vocation director for the diocese. He was honored with the title of Monsignor in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Msgr. Dan had fallen recently and was recuperating from surgery for a broken leg when he died. As our chaplain, he became our teacher, confessor, spiritual director, and friend. His passing leaves a void in our hearts, but at the same time we are filled with such gratitude for the gift of his life. He had his struggles and difficulties, through which he persevered, and he never shied away from talking about what he learned in his 52 years of sobriety. His courage alone was inspiring.

Msgr. Dan grew in wisdom and compassion from his trials, and these were the gifts he freely shared with us and with all the people who were blessed to know him.

Now his journey is complete; he has finished the race and kept the faith (2 Tim 4:7). Although Msgr. Dan has left us, we will always remember him with great love. May he rest in the fullness of peace and joy with our Lord in Heaven.

Service Details

Msgr. Dan’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at Holy Cross in Dover on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 1 p.m. with visitation beginning at 10 a.m.

Church address: 631 South State Street Dover, DE 19901.

Burial will be at Washington Crossing National Cemetery on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 2:30 p.m.

Cemetery address: 830 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Cross Church or the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, 1925 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19806 or St. Fidelis Friars, 900 Cathedral Avenue, Victoria, KS 67671.