Reverend Monsignor John J. McCann, 76, who served as pastor emeritus of the Church of Saint Mary, Manhasset, died on Wednesday, March 2, after a brief illness.
John J. McCann was born in Brooklyn on Oct. 6, 1939, to the late Regina and John McCann and was raised in New Hyde Park. The eldest of three children, he attended Holy Spirit Elementary School and went on to Saint Mary’s High School. He graduated from St. John’s University and continued his studies at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington. Ordained in 1965, Msgr. McCann was assigned to his first position as associate pastor of Notre Dame Church in New Hyde Park. He also served in this capacity at St. Joseph’s in Ronkonkoma followed by St. Patrick’s in Glen Cove. While at St. Patrick’s, he took on the responsibility of administrator before being named pastor in 1984. Msgr. McCann was named Domestic Prelate by Pope John Paul II in 1991 and continued his pastoral assignment at St. Patrick’s.
Msgr. McCann was installed on Nov. 8 of 1998 as the 11th pastor of the Church of Saint Mary in Manhasset. Monsignor McCann uniquely held the position of pastor and member of the St. Mary’s High School Class of 1957. He was the shepherd of over 3,000 families totaling more than 11,000 parishioners of St. Mary’s. Monsignor’s steadfast commitment to Catholic education enabled the growth of a state-of-the-art infrastructure that brought The Schools of St. Mary to the forefront of technology in Catholic schools on Long Island. With 900 students enrolled in grades preschool through 12, and another 1,000 participating in the Faith Formation Program, the campus continued to thrive under his leadership by bringing Catholic values, unparalleled academics, athletic, social and spiritual opportunities to the youth of the parish. While pastor at St. Mary’s he was also dean of the North Hempstead Deanery, served on the cemetery committee for the Diocese of Rockville Centre and was a member of the Manhasset Clergy Association.
As a priest, leader, mentor, friend and alumnus, Msgr. McCann was inducted to the Saint Mary’s High School Hall of Fame in 2008. Among his most noted contributions to the life of St. Mary’s, a renovation was done to the church, the parish offices were moved from the rectory and the Parish Ministry Center was opened. In addition, an extension was added to the elementary school, as well as a regulation-size gymnasium through a commitment campaign that raised funds allocated for these crucial projects that greatly enhanced space on the campus. The addition to the elementary school was named McCann Hall in his honor. Msgr. McCann had a vision for the two parish schools under his leadership. He aligned the elementary and high schools to create The Schools of Saint Mary as a preschool through 12th grade Catholic school with a continuum of learning and a world of possibilities driven by the overall mission to partner with parents in the faith formation of their children. He achieved his ultimate goal and witnessed the beginning of shared resources between the two institutions.
One of the most difficult times of his ministry was helping his parishioners in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. St. Mary’s parish and the Manhasset community were deeply affected by the loss of life. His guidance and compassion to the families of the victims will be remembered. He returned the kind gestures St. Mary’s received during this period by adopting Sacred Heart Parish in D’Iberville, MS, that suffered devastation resulting from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In 2012, Msgr. McCann rallied parishioners to assist a parish closer to home. Donations were earmarked to help rebuild Sacred Heart Parish in Island Park, NY, after Hurricane Sandy destroyed it. St. Mary’s also became a drop-off location for clothing, blankets and nonperishables to provide aid to victims of the storm across Long Island.
In addition to his love of God, his church and parishioners, Msgr. McCann enjoyed spending time with his family, gardening, boating and swimming. He was fascinated by trains and loved tending to the flowers in his garden.
Cherished by his adoring family, Monsignor McCann is survived by his brother, James, and Lucille of Wappinger Falls, NY, his sister, Patricia, and Michael Hoey of Dagsboro, DE. Msgr. was a proud and devoted uncle to seven nieces and nephews, and 13 great-nieces and nephews; Virginia and David Hammer (Daniel, Shannon and Michael), Joseph and Janine Hoey (Lucas, Grace, Rosa Jean and Lily), Christopher McCann, Kathleen McCann, Dennis and Heather McCann (Brigid, Dennis, Molly, Martin and Megan), Timothy and Megan McCann (Audrey) and Michael and Angela McCann.
Bishop William F. Murphy was the principal celebrant at the Funeral Mass held on Monday, March 7, at the Church of Saint Mary. Rev. Fr. Alan Sikorski was the homilist. Interment was at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury. A month’s mind Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 2, at the Church of Saint Mary. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Schools of Saint Mary Scholarship Fund. This fund assists those in need of tuition assistance.
