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September 11, 2002
Fun Irishman, Father John McGinn, dies at 75
Denver native gave 50 years of priestly service to the Church
By Roxanne King
Father John Joseph McGinn, who served the Archdiocese of Denver for 50 years as a priest, died Sept. 3 in his north Denver home. He was 75.
His brother priests and family fondly remembered "Jack" as a generous, fun Irishman, who loved the Church, good used cars — and golf.
Father McGinn was born April 13, 1927, in Denver. He attended St. Catherine of Siena School and Regis High School before attending St. Thomas Seminary.
He was ordained June 7, 1952, by Archbishop Urban Vehr.
"He was always a lot of fun; came from a wonderful Irish family in St. Catherine's Parish," Msgr. James Rasby recalled about his friend and former seminary classmate.
As seminarians, during summer breaks, the two drove Gray Line sightseeing limousines for $8 an hour and "hoped we'd get a tip," Msgr. Rasby said.
They remained lifelong friends after ordination. Among Msgr. Rasby's fondest memories are the years of their first assignments to parishes as assistant pastors, Father McGinn to St. James and Msgr. Rasby to Christ the King.
"As young priests on Saturday night we hurried through confessions and then the young priests on the east side of town would rush, rush to the restaurant called Chat and Chew and eat hamburgers and drink milkshakes and discuss who had the hardest jobs — you know the young assistants always worked harder than the pastors," he said with a chuckle, "and we would talk about our parish school teams, little league football, or basketball or baseball.
"We discussed our opinions on the business of the archdiocese, of course they never asked our opinions, but we had them," he added with a laugh.
A friend of Father McGinn's since high school, Msgr. Ed Madden, pastor of Our Lady of the Plains in Byers, also was ordained with him.
"Father McGinn was an uncomplicated person, for him the basics were always the most important things," Msgr. Madden said. "He lived simply and he always realized that the Lord was the one who he was to serve.
"He was very grateful to be a priest. He was the only priest I knew who would each year around the time of his ordination send a note thanking Archbishop Vehr for ordaining him."
Friendly and straightforward, Father McGinn always said what he thought, Msgr. Madden added.
"He was a great friend of youth, helping them to know their faith," the priest said, explaining that Father McGinn liked to personally prepare the children of his parishes for their sacraments.
And he was generous, especially to his friends.
"I was vicar for priests and I had to go to Kremmling and Grand Lake for Christmas Masses," Msgr. Madden recalled. "I had a Duster, which wasn't very good. He insisted that I take his car, which was better — a Toronado.
"I ran into a snow bank," he added with a laugh. "It didn't damage the car, thank goodness.
"He lived simply, but he did have a weakness for used cars," he said, chuckling. "He oftentimes had two or three that he was either buying or selling. He knew good cars."
The likeable priest with the dry sense of humor served as a mentor to Father James Moreno, J.C.D., judicial vicar for the Metropolitan Tribunal.
"I looked up to him because of the manly piety he had," Father Moreno said. "Throughout my priesthood he gave support to me."
Father McGinn also tried to teach the younger priest how to have fun by playing golf. With a laugh, Father Moreno described the elder priest's aggravation with the younger priest's lack of golfing skills.
"I remember him taking me out to Park Hill Golf Course when I was a new priest and he was so frustrated with my golfing that he asked the pro, "Is there anything you can do with this priest?"
The ardent golf fan told the Register in an interview earlier this year that "it would help a whole lot if a priest could play a lot of golf."
"As the Lord said to the apostles, 'Go out to the desert and pray,'" Father McGinn said. "Tucson and Phoenix have some pretty nice golf courses. Jesus knew what he was doing."
But prayer, he said, was the most essential element of any successful priest's life.
"If you don't talk to God a little bit you don't get many good answers," he said.
Vince McGinn's most cherished memory of his older brother by a dozen years, the eldest of seven children, was of a big brother's tender love — even at his proudest moment.
"(Jack) was ordained at the Cathedral, of course it was a big deal, something that everyone was blown up and puffed up about," he said. "After the ceremonies they all came out and everyone was standing out almost into the street. Everyone was hugging everybody, I ran up to Jack and kind of tackled him, hugged him around his legs. Someone just took my head off. I think it was Mom. 'You don't touch him ever, ever again.' I took off up the alley, crying. He come after me and grabbed me and asked what was wrong. I said, 'Mom said I can't touch you no more.'
With a catch in his voice, Vince said, "He picked me up and hugged me and said, 'You can touch me anytime.'"
Father McGinn served as pastor at St. John in Yuma, Guardian Angels in Denver, Church of the Ascension in Montbello, and St. Louis in Louisville.
He served as associate pastor at St. Mark in Westminster and as parochial vicar at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Holy Ghost parishes in Denver and at St. Thomas More in Centennial.
After retiring in June 2001 he continued ministering at Holy Family in Denver and other parishes.
Father McGinn is survived by three brothers, Vincent, Guffey, Colo.; Philip and wife Dolly McGinn, Lakewood; Martin, Denver; and 13 nieces and nephews.
Father Moreno led a rosary and vigil service for Father McGinn at Holy Family Parish Sept. 8. Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., was the main celebrant at a funeral Mass at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Sept. 9. Msgr. Rasby delivered the eulogy. Msgr. Madden gave the homily.
Interment was at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
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