Msgr. John Hyland, 73, will retire from active status effective July 1. Although retired, he will remain Vicar General for the Diocese of Davenport until July 1, 2016, when he fully retires.
Born in Minneapolis on May 1, 1942, he attended St. Vincent School and Assumption High School in Davenport. He graduated from St. Ambrose College in Davenport. He studied theology at Mt. St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and received his MA in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque. He also did graduate work in education administration at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.
On June 1, 1968, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Gerald O’Keefe at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
Then-Fr. Hyland was associate pastor at St. Mary of the Visitation in Ottumwa and at St. Mary in Fort Madison, both in 1968. He served as principal at St. Joseph Junior High, then coordinating principal for the Catholic school system in Fort Madison from 1969-74. He served as principal of Aquinas High School and executive secretary of the Fort Madison Catholic School System from 1974-90. Fr. Hyland was pastor of St. Mary in Augusta from 1984-85 and St. Joseph in Fort Madison from 1985-90. He became pastor of St. John the Baptist in Burlington starting in 1990, administrator at St. Patrick in Burlington from 1994-95, pastor of St. Paul in Burlington starting in 1996 and was pastor of the newly merged Ss. John & Paul Parish in Burlington from 1998-2005. In 2002 he received the title of monsignor. He has been vicar general since 2003.
“The Vicar General is second in command to the bishop; he serves as vice president of all the parish corporations and serves on many other boards as well,” Bishop Martin Amos said. “As Moderator of the Curia (the chancery), he has a number of people who report to him. Msgr. Hyland often says the job of the Vicar General is to do whatever the bishop doesn’t want to do,” Bishop Amos quipped.
Msgr. Hyland said he is willing to continue to serve as Vicar General with all its duties to help the priest who will succeed him to transition into the position.
Msgr. Hyland:
I want to congratulate you on your pending retirement.
It has been a personal and professional privilege of mine (since 1974) to have worked with you on a number of occasions and in a variety of capacities.
Know of my best wishes and prayers.
Tim