Vincentian Father Martin F. McGeough, former Jail and Prison Ministry coordinator, dies
April 25, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
Updated with information on April 29, 2024
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced April 24 the death of Vincentian Father Martin F. McGeough, former diocesan coordinator of Jail and Prison Ministry.
Funeral arrangements will begin May 1 with viewing hours from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. in the Community Chapel of St. Vincent’s Seminary, 500 E. Chelten Ave., Philadelphia.
Viewing hours will continue May 2 from 9 to 10 a.m. in the Community Chapel of St. Vincent’s Seminary with a Mass of Christian Burial following at 10:30.
Interment will be in the Congregation of the Mission section of Princeton Abbey & Cemetery, 75 Mapleton Rd., Princeton.
Father McGeough was born in Astoria, Queens, N.Y. He was one of four children born to Barney and Mary McGeough.
Father McGeough graduated from Immaculate Conception High School, Astoria, and Plainsboro-based St. Joseph College Seminary, which at the time was part of the Trenton Diocese. He went on to Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, Pa, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1971; a master of divinity degree in 1975, and a master of theology degree in 1976.
As a member of the Congregation of the Mission community, he professed temporary vows in 1969 and final vows in 1972. He was ordained a priest May 29, 1976 in the chapel of Mary Immaculate Seminary.
Throughout his nearly 50 years of priesthood, Father McGeough served as a teacher, a parish priest and was involved in mission development work. His assignments included teaching in St. Joseph Seminary; serving for six years both as parochial vicar and then pastor of St. Michael Parish, Auburn, Ala.; for one year as parochial vicar of St. William Parish, Naples, Fla., and for 18 months in Immaculate Conception Parish, Philadelphia. He returned to Alabama where he spent 14 years, 10 of which as pastor of Holy Family Parish, Lanett, Ala., and the remaining four in mission development work in East Central Alabama. For five years he then served with the Vincentian Hispanic Ministry Team in Hampton, N.Y., before arriving the Diocese of Trenton in 2012 as coordinator of Jail and Prison Ministry. Following more than five years of service in Trenton, he was then transferred to Emmitsburg, Md., as pastor of the town’s St. Joseph Parish.
When he was getting ready to depart the Diocese in 2017, Father McGeough was interviewed by The Monitor in which he shared about the joy he found in serving in the Diocese.
In the Chancery, he spoke of how he enjoyed collaborating with colleagues from other diocesan offices on various projects, celebrating morning Mass in the chapel and sharing pleasant conversation and hearty laughs over lunch in the cafeteria.
“Here in the Chancery, there are people on these three floors who are so dedicated to the Church,” he said. “They do wonderful things to make the Church’s mission here in Central New Jersey come alive and be fruitful.”
Of his Jail and Prison Ministry work, Father McGeough said it “turned into something more than I could have ever imagined.
“I came to see myself as a pastor with the prisons being my parishes and the inmates my parishioners,” he said. “They were given to me, and I did my best to take care of them.”
This story will be updated with funeral arrangements and more about the life and ministry of Father McGeough as information becomes available.
Father Martin McGeough, center, is pictured with Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia, left, and Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., during a farewell reception hosted in the diocesan Chancery Sept. 29, 2017. Brittany Wilson photo
Related Stories
Saturday, November 23, 2024
E-Editions
Events
Updated with information on April 29, 2024
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced April 24 the death of Vincentian Father Martin F. McGeough, former diocesan coordinator of Jail and Prison Ministry.
Funeral arrangements will begin May 1 with viewing hours from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. in the Community Chapel of St. Vincent’s Seminary, 500 E. Chelten Ave., Philadelphia.
Viewing hours will continue May 2 from 9 to 10 a.m. in the Community Chapel of St. Vincent’s Seminary with a Mass of Christian Burial following at 10:30.
Interment will be in the Congregation of the Mission section of Princeton Abbey & Cemetery, 75 Mapleton Rd., Princeton.
Father McGeough was born in Astoria, Queens, N.Y. He was one of four children born to Barney and Mary McGeough.
Father McGeough graduated from Immaculate Conception High School, Astoria, and Plainsboro-based St. Joseph College Seminary, which at the time was part of the Trenton Diocese. He went on to Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, Pa, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1971; a master of divinity degree in 1975, and a master of theology degree in 1976.
As a member of the Congregation of the Mission community, he professed temporary vows in 1969 and final vows in 1972. He was ordained a priest May 29, 1976 in the chapel of Mary Immaculate Seminary.
Throughout his nearly 50 years of priesthood, Father McGeough served as a teacher, a parish priest and was involved in mission development work. His assignments included teaching in St. Joseph Seminary; serving for six years both as parochial vicar and then pastor of St. Michael Parish, Auburn, Ala.; for one year as parochial vicar of St. William Parish, Naples, Fla., and for 18 months in Immaculate Conception Parish, Philadelphia. He returned to Alabama where he spent 14 years, 10 of which as pastor of Holy Family Parish, Lanett, Ala., and the remaining four in mission development work in East Central Alabama. For five years he then served with the Vincentian Hispanic Ministry Team in Hampton, N.Y., before arriving the Diocese of Trenton in 2012 as coordinator of Jail and Prison Ministry. Following more than five years of service in Trenton, he was then transferred to Emmitsburg, Md., as pastor of the town’s St. Joseph Parish.
When he was getting ready to depart the Diocese in 2017, Father McGeough was interviewed by The Monitor in which he shared about the joy he found in serving in the Diocese.
In the Chancery, he spoke of how he enjoyed collaborating with colleagues from other diocesan offices on various projects, celebrating morning Mass in the chapel and sharing pleasant conversation and hearty laughs over lunch in the cafeteria.
“Here in the Chancery, there are people on these three floors who are so dedicated to the Church,” he said. “They do wonderful things to make the Church’s mission here in Central New Jersey come alive and be fruitful.”
Of his Jail and Prison Ministry work, Father McGeough said it “turned into something more than I could have ever imagined.
“I came to see myself as a pastor with the prisons being my parishes and the inmates my parishioners,” he said. “They were given to me, and I did my best to take care of them.”
This story will be updated with funeral arrangements and more about the life and ministry of Father McGeough as information becomes available.
Father Martin McGeough, center, is pictured with Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia, left, and Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., during a farewell reception hosted in the diocesan Chancery Sept. 29, 2017. Brittany Wilson photo