Staff | St Margaret Church

Meet Our Parish Staff

Reverend Daniel J. McLearen

Pastor

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Fr. McLearen is a native of Virginia and worked as an engineer in the oil fields of the Gulf of Mexico for Schlumberger Offshore Services for seven years before leaving the work force to begin his studies for the priesthood. His education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from the University of Virginia and his degree in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University. In the fall of 1986, he began his seminary training at St. Mary’s Seminary and University where he received a Baccalaureatum in Sacra Theologia and a Masters of Divinity in 1991. He was ordained to the Priesthood on January 25, 1992 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, and following several assignments throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford as Parochial Vicar and Pastor, he became the Pastor of St. Margaret Church in Madison, on February 1, 2013, for seven years. Then, after spending 3 years as the Rector of the St. Joseph Cathedral, he returned as Pastor of St. Margaret Church on October 19, 2022. He has been a member of the Hartford Bishops Foundation from its inception, is presently its Secretary, and sits on the HBF Vibrant Parish Committee Subcommittee. He is the Chair of the Campaign Advisory Committee for the Forward Faith Campaign, and sits on the Pastors Advisory Council for the Archbishops Annual Appeal. He is presently the Dean of Deanery Number #3, which places him on the Presbyteral Council as well as the Personnel Board.

Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair

Archbishop of Hartford

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Archbishop Blair was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Detroit on June 26, 1976, following studies at Sacred Heart Seminary College, Detroit; the North American College, Rome; and the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. Archbishop Blair holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History from Sacred Heart Seminary College; a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) from the Pontifical Gregorian University; a Licentiate in Theology (S.T.L.) with a specialization in Patristics and the History of Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University; and a Doctorate in Theology (S.T.D.) from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome.

Nicholas Chapman

Seminarian of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut

Email: Nicholas.Chapman@StThomas.edu

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Dear Madison Catholics- hello!

My name is Nick Chapman, and I’m a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Hartford. I’m excited to spend two weeks at St. Margaret Parish this January. Whether it’s serving at Mass, meeting parishioners, or observing how Father Dan serves as Pastor, there will be a lot for me to learn from you all.

A bit about myself: I grew up in Windsor, CT and graduated from UConn with a computer engineering degree in 2017. While I always liked going to Mass growing up, it was the joyful group of peers I met at the UConn Catholic Center who inspired me to put Jesus at the center of my life. It was there that I first began to think about the priesthood.

After college, I spent two years serving as a FOCUS missionary sharing the Gospel through authentic friendships on college campuses in PA and NY. After that, I returned to CT and worked for two years as an aerospace project engineer. Over time and with daily prayer, God changed my outlook on the priesthood from one of fear to that of a growing desire to serve Him as His priest. In the summer of 2021, I decided to take the plunge: I left my job and entered seminary. My first year at St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota went well and “felt right”. I am half-way through my second year and, God willing, I’d be ordained a priest after four more years of seminary formation.

I’ll be living at the St. Margaret rectory until January 15^th, after which I’ll return to seminary. During my stay I’m happy to meet for a meal, a walk, or coffee to share more of my story and to hear yours.

My email is Nicholas.Chapman@StThomas.edu – I’d love to hear from you. Please pray for me and know of my prayers for all of you.

May God bless you,

-Nick Chapman