byFather Robert M. O'Grady Pilot Staff
Msgr. Francis J. McGann Pilot file photo
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The last member of the ordination class of 1949, Msgr. Francis J. McGann died on April 24, 2020, from complications of Covid-19. He was 95 years old.
Born in Woburn on Aug. 13, 1924, Msgr. McGann was the youngest child and second son (and last surviving) of the late Joseph and Alice (Fitzpatrick) McGann's three children.
He attended Woburn Public Schools and on graduation from Woburn High School he entered St. John Seminary as a member of the Class of 1949. Archbishop Richard Cushing ordained him at Holy Cross Cathedral on May 4, 1949. His home parish was a particular hot spot for vocations to the priesthood in no small part due to the intensive pastoral activity of one of the assistants at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Father James A. Garrity. Father Garrity had a reputation of being omnipresent at everything involving the youth of the parish, CYO activities; altar servers and more. At one point, there were a more than a dozen seminarians from the Woburn parish, among them would have been the late Msgr. Robert Boyle, Msgr. Francis G. O'Sullivan and Father Charles McGahey. This would not include the young men who entered religious congregations, notably the Jesuits.
Following his ordination, Father McGann was assigned briefly as an assistant at St. Brendan, Bellingham, then later in 1949 he was assigned as an assistant at Blessed Sacrament, Walpole. From 1953 to 1965, he served as an assistant at St. Mark, Dorchester; as if following Father Garrity's example, Father McGann labored intensely but especially among the youth of the parish and inspired more than few vocations to the priesthood form the Dorchester parish.
In 1965, he was assigned as an assistant to St. Peter Parish, Cambridge, being reunited there with his former seminary professor and now pastor and auxiliary bishop, Thomas J. Riley.
In May 1973, he was named pastor of St. Paul Parish, Hingham, where he served almost a dozen years. In 1985, he was granted a period of priestly renewal at the sabbatical program at St. Patrick Seminary, in Menlo Park, Calif. He returned to the archdiocese and was briefly the administrator of St. Patrick Parish in Lynn. From there he was named in April 1986 as pastor of St. Eulalia Parish, Winchester.
Having served in several of the oldest parishes of the archdiocese, Father McGann found himself as pastor of one of the newest. During his tenure at Winchester, the town that bordered his hometown, Woburn, he saw the renovation and reordering of the parish church, providing a new seating arrangement and installation of new stained-glass windows and statuary. Bernard Cardinal law celebrated a Mass for the Dedication in October 1986.
In August 1995, just following his 70th birthday Father McGann was granted senior priest retirement status, which did not last very long as he was named Regional Vicar of the South Region of the archdiocese following the transfer of Bishop Daniel Hart to the diocese of Norwich. In January with the arrival of Bishop John McCormack as new regional bishop, the now Msgr. McGann could actually retire.
Pope St. John Paul II had named him as a member of the papal household as a Prelate of Honor in December 1995 with the title of Reverend Monsignor.
Msgr. McGann then retired as senior priest in residence at St. Joseph Parish in Needham, where he functioned virtually as an associate for the next two decades. Just as in all his previous assignments he took more than his share of duties: celebrating Masses, the other sacraments and sick calls. Only a few months ago did his declining health require his move to Regina Cleri Residence in Boston.
During his long priestly service Msgr. McGann gained many plaudits for his priestly zeal and example; his genuine concern for all, but in a special way for brother priests. His death brought simple but eloquent adjectives: fine, exemplary, hard-working, good -- priest.
Funeral Services for Msgr. McGann were celebrated at Calvary Cemetery, Woburn, with burial following there.