BishopAccountability.org
	Retired Norwich Bishop Dies of Cancer at 80 Associated Press, carried in Newsday January 14, 2008 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--obit-hart0114jan14,0,6353739.story [See also more information about Hart and Norwich.] NORWICH, Conn. - The Most Rev. Daniel Hart, retired bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, has died. He was 80. Hart had been fighting cancer the past six months and died Monday, diocesan spokesman Shane Griffith said. Born Aug. 24, 1927, Hart became an ordained priest in 1953 and later became a vice chancellor in the Boston archdiocese. Hart was installed as bishop of Norwich in 1995 and retired in 2003 at age 75. Church officials credit Hart with shepherding the diocese through a period of fewer priests, a shifting population and a tightening economy. He oversaw the establishment of the diocese's Web site and other innovative measures. "He was a strong and courageous spiritual leader for the Catholic faithful. As priest and shepherd, Bishop Hart personified the motto on his coat of arms, 'Do not be afraid,"' said Hart's successor, Bishop Michael Cote. Monsignor Thomas Bride said Hart's educational background in business administration, theology and pastoral counseling prepared him to lead the diocese into the new millennium. "We are forever grateful for his astute leadership and his fearless yet holy presence," Bride said. Hart also oversaw the diocese during a tumultuous time for the Roman Catholic church as priests around the nation were accused of child sexual abuse. Many of the allegations came from adults who said they were molested years earlier as children. Hart became a defendant in lawsuits stemming from the sexual abuse scandal and was accused of failing to protect victims from predatory priests. He was cleared of most of those charges in 2002. Bishop Hart will lie in state from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich, followed by a memorial Mass. A funeral Mass will be held at the cathedral at 11 a.m. Friday.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.