Joseph Hynan Obituary – Father Joseph Hynan, who had served as the fourth parish priest of St. Gerard’s Parish Dandenong North from 1974 until 1986, unexpectedly passed away Friday night. He had held this position from 1974 until 1986. When he was called away from his ministry, he was only a few months away from attaining the age of 87. We are relaying the news of his departure with a heavy heart and a great deal of sadness on our shoulders. Following his vocation to the priesthood on June 11, 1960, Fr. Hynan would go on to become St. Gerard’s second longest serving Parish Priest, falling just behind Fr. William Van Kooy in terms of total years spent. Fr. Hynan’s tenure at St. Gerard spanned a total of 12 years.
Fr. Hynan was given his ordination to the priesthood on June 11, 1960. He was born in Ireland, and he obtained his ordination there. Fr. Hynan was a priest at St. Gerard’s for a number of years, and throughout that time, he was able to exert a sizeable amount of impact on the parish. He accomplished this goal by offering support to a wide variety of parish organizations and by attending to the needs of a sizable population of parishioners. Having left the Parish in 1986 to take up a new position, St. Gerard’s was blessed to have the presence of Fr. Hynan in the Parish from 2010 onwards in retirement. He had left the Parish in 1986 to take up the new appointment.
Prior to it, in 1986, Fr. Hynan had vacated his position at the Parish in order to accept a new position. He made his house within the limits of the Parish, and he soon began to preside over the Masses that were attended by younger members of the community that was associated with St. Gerard’s Parish. Even though Fr. Hynan was required to move on from St. Gerard’s Parish in 1986 in order to accept a new job, the parish was still able to reap the benefits of his time there. Because of the steady deterioration in his health that he has encountered over the course of the previous few years, he was forced to relocate into a facility for the elderly in the year 2018.
This decision was made because of the fact that he has been experiencing these issues for quite some time. Fr. Hynan leaves behind an incredible body of work at the parish, and the community at St. Gerard’s will remember and think kindly of him. The community at St. Gerard’s will miss him terribly. Once all of the necessary arrangements for the funeral have been finalized in their completeness, an announcement will be issued on this page.