Daniel Anthony Hart

Daniel Hart was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the third son of John and Susan (née Tierney) Hart.[1] After graduating from Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, he entered Boston College, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.[2] He then studied at St. John's Seminary in Brighton, earning a Master of Divinity degree in 1953.[3] He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Richard Cushing on February 2, 1953.[4] He then served as a curate at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Lynnfield until 1954, when he was assigned to complete his graduate studies at Boston College.[1] In addition to his studies, he served at St. Paul Church in Wellesley.[1]

He returned to parish ministry as a curate at Sacred Heart Church in Malden.[3] In 1964 he became vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese of Boston.[2] From 1970 to 1976, he was a curate at St. John the Baptist Church in Peabody.[3] During that period, he was also elected president of the Archdiocesan Senate of Priests.[1] He also earned a Master of Education degree, with a major in pastoral counseling, from Boston State College in 1972.[3]

On August 24, 1976, Hart was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Boston and Titular Bishop of Tepelta by Pope Paul VI.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on October 18 from Cardinal Humberto Sousa Medeiros, with Bishops Thomas Joseph Riley and Lawrence Joseph Riley serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.[4] As an auxiliary bishop, he served as regional bishop for the South Pastoral Region.[2] Following the transfer of Bishop Daniel Patrick Reilly to Diocese of Worcester, Hart was named the fourth Bishop of Norwich, Connecticut, on September 12, 1995.[4] He was installed at the Cathedral of St. Patrick on the following November 1.[4] During his eight-year-long, Hart raised over $15 million through his "Response of Faith Campaign" in 1998 for the support and maintenance of diocesan services.[3] He also expanded the diocesan Catholic Charities.[3]

Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Hart submitted his letter of resignation to Pope John Paul II in August 2002.[1] His resignation was accepted on March 11, 2003, and he was succeeded by Bishop Michael Richard Cote, then-auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Portland, Maine.[4] After a six-month-long battle with cancer, Hart died at St. Joseph Living Center in Windham, aged 80.[1] He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Norwich.[1]

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich