Father George M. Daly, MM

Born: October 8, 1899
Ordained: June 17, 1928
Died: March 20, 1963

George M. Daly was born in West Orange, N.J. on October 8, 1899. After his primary school he attended St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark. Following graduation he worked with a Wall Street firm as assistant teller until 1920, when he decided to continue his college studies. He entered St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, N.H. It was while attending this college that his thoughts of the priesthood and missionary life crystallized into a decision to apply to Maryknoll. He was accepted and began Philosophy in 1922. During his Deacon year he filled a vacancy on the Venard faculty. He was ordained on June 17, 1928 and assigned to the Venard for procuratorial work and to teach.

In 1929 he was recalled to the Center to assist in the Procurator’s Office and after three years was reassigned to the Venard. In the spring of 1934 Father George suffered an illness, but recovered shortly.

After his recovery he was overjoyed to learn that he was assigned to Hong Kong where he was to be Procurator for the South China missions and superior of the Procure. He took over the job when the Procure was still on Austin Road in Kowloon but soon moved into the new Procure built under the supervision of Brother Albert and located on an excellent site in Stanley. Father George outfitted the house and prepared it for the residence of
visiting missioners and as a language school. In 1939 he was assigned to Kaying but illness prevented him from entering upon this work. Once more he was back at the Center in the Procurator’s Office which had now expanded greatly. When it was necessary to appoint an assistant to the Treasurer General in 1943 his previous experience in Wall Street made him a good choice. In addition to his work in the Treasury he was also asked to handle the Mission Shipping Dept. which had grown enormously, as well as to take care of the transportation of our missioners to and from their posts. He was always trying to find ways to save the Society money, so he took up the work of purchasing for the missions and this absorbed a great deal of his time as he tried to keep the missioners happy by following their directions for purchases. Many a night he went back to his office to work late so as to get a shipment off a few days earlier. He was very conscious of the needs of the missioners, both physical and spiritual, so he made a special effort to write full and newsy letters in reply to their requests.

For many years Father George had the practice of saying his afternoon rosaries walking around the property. When the new chapel was constructed his very intense devotion to Our Blessed Mother attracted him to the Lady Chapel where he could often be seen, pacing up and down, as he thumbed his beads. In 1963, Father Daly fell ill. After receiving treatment, he died at Phelps Memorial Hospital on March 20, 1963.

The funeral was held at Maryknoll on March 22nd and burial took place in the God’s Acre which Father George had helped to build as a student.