Pillar of diocese, priest for 72 years mourned at funeral liturgies

MIDDLESEX — When the Diocese of Metuchen was established Nov. 19, 1981, it became the 24th largest diocese in the United States. Many sets of strong shoulders were needed to help carry it through its formative years and into a stable future.
Among the clergy who did some of the early heavy lifting was Msgr. William Haughney, then pastor of St. Joseph Parish, North Plainfield. Within two years, Msgr. Haughney had been appointed to serve on several important committees or positions, all the while tending to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the members of St. Joseph’s and then, for 13 years, as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish until he retired in 1996.
At a Mass of Commemoration Sept. 25 and funeral Mass Sept. 26 at Our Lady of the Mount Church, Msgr. Haughney’s family and scores of his former parishioners and friends came to say goodbye to the 98-year-old priest, who died Sept. 21, and pay homage to the many roles he played for the dioceses of Trenton and Metuchen and in parishes.
At the Mass of Commemoration Sept. 25, Father Timothy A. Christy, diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia, presided. Father Christy noted because the diocese lost such a good priest, the faithful should continue to pray for vocations and led the congregation in a “Hail Mary.”
Father Daniel Cahill, a retired priest from the Diocese of Trenton, gave the homily.
“He was my first pastor in St. Anthony of Padua Church, Hightstown, when I came out from seminary in Ireland as a 24-year-old in 1973,” Father Cahill said. “He was a humble priest who taught by example. He truly loved the priesthood and everything associated with it.”
Father Cahill described Msgr. Haughney as a “people person” who loved to mingle with the faithful in the parking lot or parish hall after Mass and played golf weekly with three other members of the parish.
Msgr. Haughney reached out to the community at large, and Hightstown was primarily Protestant back then. “When he left, the Episcopal pastor said, ‘His leaving was the talk of the town.’
”Tomorrow,” Father Cahill added, “he will be laid to rest at St. Vincent Cemetery in Madison next to his mother and father. God will say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Inherit the kingdom I have prepared for you.’”
Bishop James F. Checchio presided at the funeral Mass. The bishop extended his condolences to Msgr. Haughney’s family and assured them he would keep them in his prayers and asked that they pray for him. He also thanked the family for the gift of Msgr. Haughney’s priesthood, which lasted 72 years.
“How many souls did he comfort during their life and assist into heaven? God bless and reward him and know of our prayers for you,” the bishop said.
Msgr. Eugene Prus, who gave the homily, served on the first diocesan College of Consultors with Msgr. Haughney.
“He was a powerful figure in the lives of all of us,” Msgr. Prus said. “He was a brother priest, a friend, a pastor. He baptized countless numbers of children, married people and prepared people for confirmation.”
When the diocese was formed there were no priests with degrees in canon law so some were sent away to study canon law, Msgr. Prus noted.
“We needed a judicial vicar [in the marriage tribunal] and Msgr. Haughney got that role and filled it beautifully,” he said. “The Archdiocese of Newark would send down a canon lawyer two or three times a week who would help, but it was Msgr. Haughney who put together the office, made it work, made it function and kept it going. We will always be indebted to him for that.”
Bishop John C.  Reiss of the Diocese of Trenton appointed then-Father Haughney to the position of “Chancellor of the Northern Counties” on Dec. 24, 1981 until Jan. 31, 1982, which cleared the way for Father Haughney to be one of four priests who would affix their signatures to the certificate of incorporation of the Diocese of Metuchen.
He was still serving as pastor of St. Joseph Church, North Plainfield, when the diocese was established Nov. 19, 1981, and was one of four priests present at a press conference announcing the new diocese at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Metuchen, Nov. 24, 1981.
It was also announced that St. Francis Church had been selected as the cathedral church of the new diocese primarily for its accessibility to its members.
Between 1981 and 1983, Father Haughney was given membership on The Bishop’s Liaison Committee for Transition and Diocesan Organization; served on the diocesan Expansion and Parish Boundaries Commission, and was appointed episcopal vicar of Middlesex County.
While pastor of Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish and episcopal vicar of Middlesex County, he chaired the Ad Hoc Committee on Hispanic Ministry, which was formed to consider ways of meeting the needs of the Hispanic community in the diocese.
“We are indebted to him for all of the work he did, but his heart was always in the parish. That is what he loved doing He was the most comfortable and the happiest when he was with his people,” Msgr. Prus said.
“He was a kind, gentle man and ran a wonderful school here. He was especially good to those who were hurting, who needed to confess their sins. They were never afraid to approach Msgr. Haughney. Jesus said if you want to follow me be a servant and he was very much a servant of God and his people.”
Msgr. Haughney was born in Morristown, one of two children of William and Julia Cantwell Haughney. Life during the Great Depression became even more difficult when his father left home. When he was a fifth-grader at St. Vincent Martyr School, Madison, his mother took him and his sister, Alice McGuire (nee Haughney), to live with their maternal grandparents.
In an article in “The Catholic Spirit” for one of his significant anniversaries in his priesthood, Msgr. Haughney said, “I benefitted from the wisdom of my farm-born grandparents. They were practical, and gave me everyday wisdom, like when my grandmother said, ‘Stop talking. You’ll never learn when you are talking. Listen!’”
His inspiration to become a priest was nurtured by the religious members of an abbey.
“On my way to [Bayley] high school [in Morristown], I would bike past a house taken over by the Carmelites in nearby Convent Station,” Msgr. Haughney said. “The mother prioress saw me and asked if I could serve Mass [as an acolyte], and I did. The nuns and priest there encouraged me.”
After high school, he earned a degree in philosophy at Seton Hall University, South Orange, and a Master’s Degree in sacred theology at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Msgr. Haughney completed his formation training at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington, and was ordained to the priesthood May 31, 1947, by Bishop William Griffin in St. Mary Cathedral, Trenton. He celebrated his first Mass at the Carmelite Monastery in Morristown.
Msgr. Haughney served as parochial vicar at the parishes of Holy Angels, Trenton; St. Joseph, Keyport; St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen; St. Mary, Perth Amboy, where he also taught high school; St. Bonaventure, Lavalette; St. Michael, West End, and Corpus Christi, Willingboro.
He was elevated to prelate of honor with the title of monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
He also served the diocese as a member of the Presbyteral Council.
In addition to his sister, Msgr. Haughney is survived by his four nieces and two nephews: Kathleen (Scott), Patricia, Denise (Ken), Beth (James), John (Maria) and David. He is also survived by seven grand nieces and nephews and four great grand nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Msgr. Haughney’s name to your favorite charity. Arrangements were handled by Sheenan Funeral Home, Dunellen.