There were tears and cheers throughout the packed sanctuary at St. Augustine Catholic Church last Sunday as the Rev. Dan Danielson–known affectionately throughout the Tri-Valley as Father Dan–bid farewell to the parish he has headed for the last 22 years. Danielson, who just turned 70, is turning over the reins of the Catholic Community of Pleasanton, which also includes St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, to the Rev. Padraig Greene, who will hold the title of Parochial Administrator. At Sunday’s service, which included “A Word of Farewell” and also farewell liturgy prepared expressly for the occasion, Danielson talked about the many developments that have made the two parishes the largest in Pleasanton,
When he first came to Pleasanton, St. Augustine was at the edge of town, with cattle and horses grazing just outside the church’s parking lot. Bernal Avenue wasn’t built and Angela Street ended at the church, just a few blocks uphill from the historic downtown. Throughout his 44 years as a priest, Danielson has amassed a host of titles which have included retreat master, popular lecturer, nationally published writer, newspaper columnist and spiritual director. Concerned about young adults who had drifted away from the church, Danielson started holding retreats and also worked with individuals recently divorced on how to keep their faith alive. As the two churches grew, he developed smaller Christian communities, which continue today, meeting regularly to put a face on the church and its leaders who meet with them. His goal has been to keep the parish personable so that they don’t become too automatic and impersonal.
I’m not a Catholic but gained great respect for Father Dan during the years I have worked with him on community projects and covered his ministry and the Catholic community as a reporter. In 2000, as Pleasanton began talking about what it wanted to do on the 381-acres of land developers had given it as part of the Bernal purchase and housing development, Danielson was frequently at those meetings talking about Pleasanton’s need for more diversity. One night he was there with a Muslim group in support of their bid for a youth center to serve their children. After 9/11, he joined other religious leaders at a special tribute at the fairgrounds to those who died or suffered injuries as a result of the terrorist attacks. He was always active in the Pleasanton Ministerial Association and made St. Augustine available for ecumenical services on Good Friday before Easter.
Most recently, Danielson led the parish through a series of difficult public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council to finally gain approval for a multi-million-dollar expansion at St. Elizabeth Seton that will include facilities for youth sports and larger administrative offices. He supported other churches in their efforts to expand in Pleasanton despite a growing number of homeowners who object to once-small neighborhood churches becoming mega-churches with more traffic and nighttime events. But he wasn’t always successful. Perhaps his biggest disappointment was the rejection by the city of plans to build a major independent and assisted living center and skilled nursing facility on five still-undeveloped acres next to St. Augustine. Danielson felt the project would provide places for an aging population to live in Pleasanton while also receiving the support of the church congregation. Neighbors disagreed and blocked the expansion.
Although well-known in Pleasanton, Danielson is also actively engaged in many Catholic projects and organizations throughout the country. Ordained in 1963 at Oakland’s St. Jarlath Catholic Church, which was his home parish, he spent his first four years as a priest in Fremont. There he helped the congregation understand the many changes that occurred in the Catholic Church as a result of Vatican II, changes that he said were difficult for him as well as others. During the 1970s he served in a variety of roles in the Oakland diocese, was chairman of the diocesan Theological Commission and wrote a column for the Catholic Voice, a church newspaper, before taking the Pleasanton post in 1985. He plans to move to Corpus Christi Parish in Piedmont shortly, where he will “help out” but not be in charge. And also close enough to make an occasional trip to Pleasanton to keep in touch with the thousands of us here in Pleasanton who consider Father Dan our friend.
