New pastor brings experience, energy to Medford parish
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor
When Father Daniel Swift speaks about how he sees his role as pastor, his fervent prayer is that any parish he leads is “just a little bit of heaven right here on earth” for anyone from an uncertain newcomer to a lifetime parishioner.
Father Swift shared that sentiment while being installed as the eighth pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. The formal installation was celebrated during a Mass Nov. 1, the day on which the universal Church commemorated the Feast of All Saints.
Other concelebrants included Father Carlos Florez, parochial vicar; Father Phillip C. Pfleger, episcopal vicar of Burlington County, and Msgr. James Dubell, who preceded Father Swift as pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes.
Referring to his assignment to St. Mary of the Lakes as a “homecoming,” the Burlington County native smiled as he recalled growing up in neighboring Marlton. Before the town’s St. Joan of Arc Parish was established in 1961, the year he was born, his family worshiped in St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, at a time when “Marlton was an apple orchard and Medford was a prairie.”
He graduated from St. Joan of Arc School and Cherokee High School and worked in the Medford Shop ‘n’ Bag, then proudly noted that he served as an altar boy to then-Father Dubell, who was a parish weekend assistant in St. Joan of Arc while serving on the faculty of Holy Cross High School, Delran.
“I’m now Msgr. Dubell’s successor” as pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes, said Father Swift.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business marketing with a minor in computer sciences from Rutgers University, Camden, Father Swift prepared for the priesthood in Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., where he received a master of divinity degree in 1987 and a master of arts degree in moral theology in 1988. He was ordained a priest May 20, 1989, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop John C. Reiss.
Father Swift served as parochial vicar in St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold, and St. Joseph Parish, Toms River. In May 1997, Father Swift, in need of some time to discern his priestly vocation, was granted permission from Bishop Reiss to take a leave of absence from active ministry. He relocated to Roanoke, Va., and worked in the private and not-for-profit sectors, including as a hospital chaplain in Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
In 2002, realizing that the Lord was “calling me back to ministry,” Father Swift returned to the Trenton Diocese as a priest and was named temporary administrator of Holy Trinity Parish, Long Branch, and the following year, he was named pastor. In October 2005, he was named pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, where he served for 10 years until his appointment to St. Mary of the Lakes Parish.
During his tenure in St. Benedict Parish, a bustling community with close to 3,300 families and some 92 ministries and organizations, Father Swift proudly touted how the parish was honored with the “Top 100 parishes in the U.S” by Parish Catalyst for its vibrancy, growth and ministry. Parish Catalyst is a non-profit organization connecting vibrant pastoral teams in a unique process that accelerates parish vitality and growth.
Another honor came Father Swift’s way in 2013 he was presented with the National Catholic Education Association Distinguished Pastor Award for outstanding support of Catholic education.
Father Swift’s boundless energy and love for serving the Lord and his people has been evidenced in the four months he has been in Medford. So far, he has increased the number of finance council members, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers and candidates in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. He has established a parish pastoral council and introduced a new adult Scripture series that is attracting up to 200 weekly participants. He has designated the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass as the Children’s Mass and has initiated a committee to begin planning for the parish’s 75th anniversary.
On a diocesan level, he has held other appointments including diocesan director of vocation recruitment, a member of the pastors’ advisory committee for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal (now known as the Annual Catholic Appeal), a Project Rachel chaplain and an Education Advisory Committee member for the Office of Catholic Schools. While in Monmouth County, he was Vicar Forane of the Bayshore Deanery and he currently serves on the expansion and restructuring council and episcopal council.[[In-content Ad]]Related Stories
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By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor
When Father Daniel Swift speaks about how he sees his role as pastor, his fervent prayer is that any parish he leads is “just a little bit of heaven right here on earth” for anyone from an uncertain newcomer to a lifetime parishioner.
Father Swift shared that sentiment while being installed as the eighth pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. The formal installation was celebrated during a Mass Nov. 1, the day on which the universal Church commemorated the Feast of All Saints.
Other concelebrants included Father Carlos Florez, parochial vicar; Father Phillip C. Pfleger, episcopal vicar of Burlington County, and Msgr. James Dubell, who preceded Father Swift as pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes.
Referring to his assignment to St. Mary of the Lakes as a “homecoming,” the Burlington County native smiled as he recalled growing up in neighboring Marlton. Before the town’s St. Joan of Arc Parish was established in 1961, the year he was born, his family worshiped in St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, at a time when “Marlton was an apple orchard and Medford was a prairie.”
He graduated from St. Joan of Arc School and Cherokee High School and worked in the Medford Shop ‘n’ Bag, then proudly noted that he served as an altar boy to then-Father Dubell, who was a parish weekend assistant in St. Joan of Arc while serving on the faculty of Holy Cross High School, Delran.
“I’m now Msgr. Dubell’s successor” as pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes, said Father Swift.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business marketing with a minor in computer sciences from Rutgers University, Camden, Father Swift prepared for the priesthood in Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., where he received a master of divinity degree in 1987 and a master of arts degree in moral theology in 1988. He was ordained a priest May 20, 1989, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop John C. Reiss.
Father Swift served as parochial vicar in St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold, and St. Joseph Parish, Toms River. In May 1997, Father Swift, in need of some time to discern his priestly vocation, was granted permission from Bishop Reiss to take a leave of absence from active ministry. He relocated to Roanoke, Va., and worked in the private and not-for-profit sectors, including as a hospital chaplain in Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
In 2002, realizing that the Lord was “calling me back to ministry,” Father Swift returned to the Trenton Diocese as a priest and was named temporary administrator of Holy Trinity Parish, Long Branch, and the following year, he was named pastor. In October 2005, he was named pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, where he served for 10 years until his appointment to St. Mary of the Lakes Parish.
During his tenure in St. Benedict Parish, a bustling community with close to 3,300 families and some 92 ministries and organizations, Father Swift proudly touted how the parish was honored with the “Top 100 parishes in the U.S” by Parish Catalyst for its vibrancy, growth and ministry. Parish Catalyst is a non-profit organization connecting vibrant pastoral teams in a unique process that accelerates parish vitality and growth.
Another honor came Father Swift’s way in 2013 he was presented with the National Catholic Education Association Distinguished Pastor Award for outstanding support of Catholic education.
Father Swift’s boundless energy and love for serving the Lord and his people has been evidenced in the four months he has been in Medford. So far, he has increased the number of finance council members, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers and candidates in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. He has established a parish pastoral council and introduced a new adult Scripture series that is attracting up to 200 weekly participants. He has designated the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass as the Children’s Mass and has initiated a committee to begin planning for the parish’s 75th anniversary.
On a diocesan level, he has held other appointments including diocesan director of vocation recruitment, a member of the pastors’ advisory committee for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal (now known as the Annual Catholic Appeal), a Project Rachel chaplain and an Education Advisory Committee member for the Office of Catholic Schools. While in Monmouth County, he was Vicar Forane of the Bayshore Deanery and he currently serves on the expansion and restructuring council and episcopal council.[[In-content Ad]]