Monsignor James Hannon, known for pastoral outreach and planning, dies at 71

Monsignor James W. Hannon, a former pastor and director of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s clergy personnel office who was beloved for his pastoral presence to people, died Oct. 6. He was 71 and had suffered declining health in recent years.

Bishop Adam J. Parker, who was an altar server at Monsignor Hannon’s first Mass celebrated at Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville after his friend’s 1988 ordination to the priesthood, remembered Monsignor Hannon as a hardworking priest totally committed to his parishioners.

For a time, Monsignor Hannon was responsible for leading nine different parishes at one time in Western Maryland, Bishop Parker said.

“He was able to bring people together to look forward to the future, to understand what the needs of the parish were and what needed to be done,” said Bishop Parker, who served with Monsignor Hannon in Western Maryland after Bishop Parker’s own priestly ordination in 2000.

“He was extremely organized so that he was able to make sure that the immediate needs were being met, that the sacraments were being celebrated, that the Masses were being covered, that the facilities were being cared for,” Bishop Parker said. “And he took very, very seriously the concept of order and organization.”

Monsignor Hannon was baptized at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex and confirmed at St. Andrew in Baltimore. He attended St. Paul Latin High School, a seminary high school, and then continued in the program when it transferred to Cardinal Gibbons High School in Baltimore.

He attended St. Mary’s Seminary College for two years before completing a bachelor’s degree in theology from what is now Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore.

A talented musician, Monsignor Hannon was a cantor at Our Lady of the Fields and also ministered as a teacher at Seton High School in Baltimore and the Institute of Notre Dame in Baltimore and as director of religious education at St. Andrew by the Bay in Annapolis prior to returning to seminary to complete a master’s degree in divinity from the Theological College at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

After his priestly ordination at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, the former parishioner of St. Mary in Govans served as associate pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Frederick until 1995, when he was appointed associate pastor of St. Ursula in Parkville. He was pastor of St. Peter in Westernport and St. Gabriel in Barton beginning in 1996, also serving as sacramental minister of St. Mary in Lonaconing.

Monsignor Hannon was pastor of St. Anthony Shrine in Emmitsburg and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Thurmont from 2000 to 2005.

He then returned as pastor of St. Peter in Westernport and St. Gabriel in Barton, adding pastoring duties in 2006 at St. Michael, Frostburg; St. Joseph, Midland; St. Mary, Lonaconing; and St. Ann, Grantsville.

In 2010, he added to his pastoring duties yet again when he was named pastor of St. Mary, Cumberland; St. Patrick, Cumberland; and St. Patrick, Mount Savage.

When a devastating fire destroyed St. Ann church in 2006, Monsignor Hannon led the effort to build a new $1.8 million church dedicated in 2009 that features large glass windows offering majestic views of a ridge of mountains and woodlands in Garrett County. Bishop Parker recalled that Monsignor Hannon regarded the completion of the new church as one of the greatest achievements of his life.

“It’s a beautiful worship space,” Bishop Parker said. “It is simple and elegant and that is a result of the style that he wanted to impart.”

Parishioners in Western Maryland said Monsignor Hannon profoundly connected with people in that part of the archdiocese..

Linda Nelson recalled how Monsignor Hannon traveled an hour from St. Peter in Westernport to a hospital in West Virginia to give the sacrament of the anointing of the sick to her 2-year-old son who was undergoing emergency abdominal surgery.

“The impact he had on all our lives was just incredible,” Nelson said. “He truly cared.”

Nelson, a registered nurse, found support from Monsignor Hannon in forming a wellness ministry at St. Peter – with the pastor often making time to participate in many of its programs. 

Bishop Parker recalled that Monsignor Hannon was also deeply committed to a bereavement ministry at the Westernport parish, assisting a committee that provided luncheons for families after funerals.

“For him, a funeral wouldn’t just be an hour-long Mass and then the burial,” Bishop Parker said. “It was almost a daylong event. He was very focused on the relational aspect of his ministry.”

Elaine Bradley, administrative assistant when Monsignor Hannon was pastor of St. Peter in Westernport during two separate stints, described the priest as a “kind, gentle man” who listened to people. During staff meetings, he would sometimes present a proposal to make some change only to reverse course after getting feedback, she said.

“He would say, ‘Yeah, you’re right. I never looked at it that way,’” Bradley said.

Deacon Harold Bradley, Elaine’s husband, said Monsignor Hannon was supportive of his own call to the diaconate and vested him at his 2011 ordination.

“He was the type of person who met you where you are,” Deacon Bradley said.

Monsignor Hannon was appointed associate director of the office of clergy personnel in 2011, becoming director in 2012. In 2017, following three years as interim director of the Seton Vicariate, he was appointed episcopal vicar for the Western Vicariate and vicar general for the Archdiocese of Baltimore while continuing as director of the office of clergy personnel.

Monsignor Hannon served as pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Parkton from 2019 until he retired in 2022 for health reasons.

Father Steven Roth, vocations director for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said he constantly consulted with Monsignor Hannon, whom he described as a “true model of priesthood.” As part of Monsignor Hannon’s responsibilities as clergy personnel director, he often visited priests struggling with health or difficulties in their assignments.

When a priest was in need, Father Roth said, Monsignor Hannon would drop everything and drive great distances to be present.

“He was tireless in his ministry,” Father Roth said.

Monsignor Robert Hartnett, who will preach the Oct. 10 homily at Monsignor Hannon’s funeral at Our Lady of Grace, had known Monsignor Hannon since the two were enrolled at St. Paul Latin School and Cardinal Gibbons. 

“He had maturity that kind of surpassed others,” Monsignor Hartnett recalled. “In many ways, he was an old soul even in his youth. He had insights and wisdom and he reflected on the deeper things at a very early age.”

Monsignor Hartnett noted that Monsignor Hannon was long committed to peace, reconciliation and harmony. He had an ability to connect with people from a wide range of backgrounds and interests, he said.

“He wasn’t afraid to draw people into his world and to share his interests with others,” Monsignor Hartnett said. 

In interviews with the Catholic Review over the years, Monsignor Hannon emphasized the importance of the need for parishioners to think regionally as more parishes struggled with declining populations and fewer priests available for ministry. He urged parishioners to trust in “collective wisdom” and to see the “gift” of a wider community working together in pastoral planning.

“We may have to face some ‘death’ to old ways and expectations, but we do so trusting that if we face that ‘death’ in a healthy way that we will emerge finding new life,” he said in a 2009 interview. “That is, after all, foundational to our faith. We can either be overwhelmed by negative forces or we can face the challenges ahead with confidence that God will guide us to life.”

Viewing for Monsignor Hannon is Oct. 9 2-5 p.m. and Oct. 10, 9-11 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace, Parkton. Bishop Parker will celebrate the Oct. 10 funeral Mass at 11 a.m.. 

A viewing will also be held Oct. 14 at St. Peter, Westernport, 10-11 a.m. Bishop Parker will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Monsignor Hannon will be buried at the parish cemetery. 

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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