The Our Lady Of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Catholic Parish Community celebrated the Golden Jubilee of their pastor, Monsignor Charles H. Hagan, on Monday, May 18.
The Jubilee signifies the 50-year anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. Hagan was ordained in Rome, on May 17, 1970, by Pope Paul VI.
During his 50 years after ordination, Hagan has had varied assignments, serving on the faculty of Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia and Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield, and as a Newman Chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and at Beaver College (Arcadia University) in Glenside, the Catholic Physician’s Guild, Dominican Retreat House and Immaculata University.
Hagan also served as a pastor and assistant pastor at Holy Cross, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and at Ascension Parish, Philadelphia, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Southampton, and St. John Bosco, Hatboro.
He has served as OLMC’s pastor since 2001 and in 2009 was named Chaplain to Pope Benedict XVI, thus receiving the title of Monsignor.
Hagan sat beside two different 6ABC newscasters to provide commentary during the papal visits to Philadelphia in 1979 (Pope John Paul II) and in 2015 (Pope Francis).
In addition to a large banner on the OLMC Maple Avenue property, across from the church, OLMC school officials organized a drive-by car parade of school families and many other parishioners.
The parade was a salute to Hagan, who has led the Doylestown Parish for nearly 20 years. Honking horns, messages of congratulations and decorated vehicles greeted the beloved pastor, who stood waving on the rectory lawn as the parade passed by.
Though a new pastor has not yet been announced, Hagan plans to retire to another location in July and will be missed by many, especially the OLMC Community.
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