Monsignor Dan Hart greets Saint John Paul 11 on his 1982 visit to Scotland and, right, celebrating Mass with his nephews, the late Father John and Father Joseph McAuley. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St Patrick’s Church on Friday 21st August at 12 noon, followed by burial at Old Dumbarton Cemetery.
One of the Archdiocese of Glasgow’s best-known and oldest priests has died. Monsignor Dan Hart, who was the lead organizer of the 1982 Papal Visit of Saint John Paul II, was 94 and had been a priest for 70 years. Monsignor Dan died in Ayr Hospital after a short illness.
He was born in May 1932 and ordained a priest on St Patrick’s Day of 1956 at the old Scots College Chapel in Rome by Bishop William Andrew Hart, the Bishop of Dunkeld, who was his uncle.
The young Daniel received most of his primary education in Sussex before attending St Patrick’s High School in Dumbarton for a year and then going on to Blairs College, the junior seminary.
He was a familiar face at St Patrick’s Former Pupils’ reunions and enjoyed meeting old friends and family in Dumbarton, taking part in baptismal services, and officiating at the marriages and funerals of family and friends. He was a celebrant at the ordination ceremonies for his nephews, Fathers John and Joseph McAuley.
Father Dan was sent to Rome in 1949 and studied at the Gregorian University for seven years. His sharp intelligence and capacity for hard work were rewarded with Licentiates (the equivalent of Master’s degrees) in philosophy and theology.
After ordination, Fr Dan came home to a short posting at St Anne’s in Dennistoun, but in those years of priestly surplus, the Archbishop was able to largely spare him from parish duties for another four years, and he studied at Glasgow University, gaining an honours degree in history. Then he added a teaching qualification to the rapidly growing collection of letters after his name, after a year at Jordanhill College.
It was perhaps inevitable that his academic prowess would lead to a posting in education, and so it was – he was sent to St Mary’s College Blairs – his alma mater – to teach the junior seminarians from 1961-1969. It was an exciting time to work in seminaries as the changes of Vatican II filtered through, too slowly for some, too quickly for others.
Fr Dan’s dream of becoming a parish priest was put on hold again when he was given a new posting – this time as a lecturer at Notre Dame Teacher Training College in Bearsden, where he went on to teach generations of teachers between 1969 and 1981. During those years he stayed at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour parish in Broomhill, where he is still warmly remembered by older parishioners.
1981 saw him named by the then Archbishop Winning as Director of the Archdiocesan RE Centre, and Fr Dan moved with the job to St Joseph’s, North Woodside Road. It was while he was there that he was asked by the Scottish Bishops to take on the role of chief organizer of the Papal visit of 1982.
Fr Dan’s sharp mind, easy manner, capacity for work and good contacts meant the visit was a triumph, with almost 300,000 packing into Bellahouston Park to see St John Paul II. It was surely one of the highlights of his life to look out over that immense crowd and see the joy and goodwill filling the park with the largest attendance ever at a public event in Scotland.
Finally, in 1984 – almost 30 years after being ordained – he was given the role he had always hoped for – that of a parish priest, at St Helen’s Langside. He served there for 23 years. It was to be his only appointment as PP.
He was named a Monsignor in 1993, and the whole parish shared his joy. He saw St Helen’s grow and develop and was much loved by parishioners who appreciated his kindly manner and thought-provoking homilies. He retired in 2007 but remained active almost until the very end of his life.
Daniel Joseph Chaloner Hart died on Saturday 8 August in Ayr Hospital near the flat in Troon to which he had retired. Requiescat in pace.
Funeral arrangements: The Reception of Remains and Vigil will take place at St Patrick’s Church, Dumbarton, on Thursday 20th August at 6.00 pm. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St Patrick’s Church on Friday 21st August at 12 noon, followed by burial at Old Dumbarton Cemetery.