Father Dan Swift was born and raised in his home Parish of St. Joan of Arc in Marlton, NJ. He is the third of four children born to Bob and Nancy (now deceased). Father Dan is a product of Catholic education, graduating from St. Joan of Arc School in Marlton in 1975. He graduated in 1979 in the top 10 percent of his class from Cherokee High School, Marlton, before pursuing his undergraduate studies at Rutgers University, graduating in 1983 with high honors with a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a Minor in Computer Science. Father Dan received his graduate education at Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD in 1988, earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Moral Theology.

Father Dan was ordained at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton on May 20, 1989. Upon ordination, Father Dan was assigned as Associate Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Freehold from 1989–1994. He was Director of Recruitment for the Office of Vocations from 1994–1995 and was Associate Pastor of St. Joseph Church in Toms River from 1995–1997. With the blessing of Bishop Reiss, Father Dan took a four year leave of absence from 1997–2002 and relocated to Roanoke, VA, where he served as an active Parishioner at St. Andrew Church. He held several positions in the not for profit and corporate sectors, as well as Chaplain at Roanoke Memorial Hospital, a Trauma I Medical Center for Southwest Virginia. Father Dan returned to active ministry in February, 2002, and served as Administrator and then Pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Long Branch until 2005. Father Dan’s next Pastorate was at St. Benedict Church and School in Holmdel from 2005–2015. In July 2015 to June 2026, Father Dan was Pastor at St. Mary of the Lakes in Medford.

Bishop O'Connell named Father Dan the next Pastor of Church of Saint Leo the Great.  Father currently serves on the Episcopal and Presbyteral Councils for the Diocese of Trenton.

On July 1, 2026, we welcomed Father Dan as Pastor of Church of Saint Leo the Great, our sixth Pastor.  We are blessed to welcome him to our Parish Family.

Father Dan looks forward to many happy and fruitful years of ministry with us.