Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 176-177:
Mons. Daniel Cremin

The Cremin brothers were concerned with the last things - one as a priest, the other as an undertaker.

The priest was Daniel Joseph Cremin, born in South Brisbane in 1895 and schooled at St Joseph's, Kangaroo Point and later at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace. His clerical training began at Springwood where he must have shown promise for he proceeded to Mount Melleray and then to the Irish College in Rome.

Ordination took place in St John Lateran Basilica in March 1919 with three others in the photograph: Justin McCarthy, James O'Connor and Con Cahalane. These three were Irish born but all were destined for Brisbane.

Dan first assisted at Toowoomba and a few years after was made Parish Priest of Roma. In 1926, he relieved Pat Fouhy at Laidley, then returned as Parish Priest in 1928 to remain there until 1945. He was well liked and remembered as 'cultured, artistic, elegant, a man of literature, a good speaker and appreciative of music'. He was in fact, something of an orator. As well as building a new presbytery nearer to St Patrick's and a new church at Glenore Grove, his pastoral work expanded. New sodalities and societies were formed and the Corpus Christi procession grew into a major event in the town. There were several country churches to attend and every month he would drive out to certain homesteads such as McGrath's, up at The Crossing past Mulgowie where surrounding Catholics would gather for a weekday Mass.

Fr Cremin also had a great interest in fostering vocations. Following his Silver Jubilee in 1944 he handed his testimonial of nearly £2000 to Archbishop Duhig to set up a bursary for the education of a Seminary student. In 1940, he had donated the marble pulpit at Kangaroo Point in memory of his father.

In 1945, Dan was transferred to become Parish Priest of Ashgrove. At about the same time he was made a Domestic Prelate and given the title Monsignor. When the Seminary at Banyo started, he was the Professor of Pastoral Theology. It was still the time when all Catholics worked and prayed for the conversion of Australia and Mons. Cremin sponsored convert classes around the city. Another hat he wore was Diocesan Director of the Holy Name Society. In 1956-57, he built St Finbarr's Church.

Hard work for Christ and the years caught up. The last eighteen months of his life was spent in Mt Olivet Hospital where he died on Christmas Day, 1967. Mons. Leo Carlton took as his text at the Mass at St Stephen's 'A great priest who in his days pleased God'. 'The Mons.' was buried at Nudgee.

His brother was a partner in the firm Foley and Cremin, Funeral Directors, of South Brisbane. They had responsibility for Nudgee Cemetery for a time. In the 1930s, one of their funeral cars was a Rolls Royce which earlier in its life had been Sir Henry Royce's personal car for use on the Riviera where he lived for long periods.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)

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Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rt Rev Monsignor Daniel Joseph Cremin, died 25 Dec 1967

Monsignor Cremin was born in South Brisbane, the only son of Daniel and Margaret Cremin. Having been educated first at St Joseph's, Kangaroo Point, and then at Gregory Terrace, he began his seminary studies with one year at St Columba's in Springwood. In 1913 he undertook Philosophy at Mt Melleray, Ireland and passed on to Irish College, Rome, to complete his studies. He was ordained Priest in St Johns Lateran, Rome, by Cardinal Pompili, on 18th May, 1919. In that year, to facilitate his return to Australia, he became an army Chaplain, with the rank of 1st Lieutenant, on an A.I.F. troopship returning from World War I. His first appointment was as Assistant Priest to Denis Fouhy in Toowoomba (1920-25). His duties included those as chaplain to Toowoomba General Hospital and Willowburn Special Hospital. He was a significant force behind the establishment of St Vincent's Hospital, Toowoomba. This Toowoomba appointment was followed by others: Roma (1926-28); Laidley (19 years) and Ashgrove (for 23 years). For seven years he was Professor of Pastoral Theology at Banyo Seminary, Director of the Grail Organisation and Assistant Director of the Holy Name Society. He was admitted to Mt Olivet Hospital in 1966 and died there peacefully on Christmas Day, 1967. He is buried in the Nudgee Cemetery.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.