Father Daniel J. Hurley

Father Dan is no stranger to Long Island, or to the Massapequa area for that matter. Quite surprisingly, most of his parish work has been in this neck of the woods. Looking back over his 43 years in the priesthood, he has many fond memories and rewarding experiences.

Growing up on Long Island in East Norwich, Father Dan is the youngest of five children with three sisters and one brother. His mother came to the United States from Ireland and met his father here. His father was a Nassau County police officer who worked very hard - all the way up to Lieutenant. His parents raised all five children and provided a college education for each of them, despite not having the opportunity to have a college education themselves.

Father Dan attended St. Dominic’s Grammar School and then went on to Cathedral College Preparatory Seminary in Brooklyn for high school and two years of college. He studied six years at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington and was ordained in 1959.

His first parish assignment was at St. Martin of Tours in Amityville. He remained there for three years until he was asked to teach at St. Pius X Prep Seminary in Uniondale in 1962. He taught for nine years and helped many young people determine their goals and paths to take in life. This was a very positive and rewarding experience, especially since it was so unexpected. As you may have guessed, Father Dan had not originally planned on teaching as part of his ministry. However, his experience in teaching did not end here.

In 1971 Fr. Dan was invited to help establish a diocesan retreat program for high school juniors and seniors as well as college age young people. The “Christian Awakening” program, which was adapted by Father Doug Brown from the Cursillo program, was a three-day retreat that provided a short course in Christianity. Focusing on the theme of God’s friendship in the post-Vatican II era, it was a profoundly significant experience for many young people. They could attend this program only once. Each group of students came a bit apprehensive but left with a sense of faith, hope and readiness to face the future. This experience had a lasting impact on the leaders as well as the participants. On a personal level, these were wonderful years for Father Dan, which he cherishes to this day. He is still in contact with several participants and was able to follow them throughout all stages of their lives. All in all, Father Dan spent 20 of his 43 years serving young people and he is grateful for their contribution to his life.

In 1982 Father Dan returned to parish work at Our Lady of Lourdes in Massapequa Park. The following year he was asked to be pastor at St. Raphael’s parish in East Meadow. With limited parish experience, Father Dan now had the responsibility for a parish with more than 5,000 families! But he thrived at St. Raphael’s, creating a team environment for decision making with parishioners involved in the process. He established many new outreach programs and ministries, and even renovated the church. While he was very happy there, after twelve years, he was asked to serve as the pastor at St. Rose of Lima. Being very open to new opportunities and experiences, he graciously accepted and has been at St. Rose since 1995.

At St. Rose Father Dan employs many of the same techniques that were so successful for him in the past. He believes strongly in a team effort, the involvement of lay people, creating new programs and ministries and increasing the involvement of our youth in the parish.

In his spare time, Father Dan enjoys swimming, travel, shows and movies. He has visited Rome and Ireland, and enjoyed a wonderful pilgrimage to the Holy Land four years ago.

“The priesthood has been a very happy and challenging journey for me,” says Father Dan. “Working with people has been a great blessing,” he adds. Father Dan is thankful for all of the extraordinary experiences he has had and all of the wonderful people who have enriched his life. And yes, he is looking forward to many more wonderful years here at St. Rose.