In 2000, Teaneck had 39,260 residents. In 2002, Fr. Hilary left to go to St. Cecilia’s, where he is now the pastor. In 2002, Fr. Dan O’Neill came to St. Anastasia’s. He was raised in Englewood, attended St. Cecilia's Church and St. Cecilia's Grammar School, He went to the high school seminary in 1957, when he was not yet 14 years old. Fr. Dan said, "Therefore,I have been a Carmelite my entire life."
Fr. Dan was ordained in 1969 at St. Cecilia's, so, by his account, he is
"... Marking 40 years a priest this spring [2009]." He served in high schools in Los Angeles and Chicago, on the Carmelite Mission Band as a travelling preacher and was a vocation director. He worked in 4 parishes: St. Joseph in Demarest, St. Mary in Closter, St. Gelasius, an inner city parish in Chicago and now St. Anastasia's.He served on many Carmelite boards and committees and was the Treasurer of the Carmelite Province in Chicago for 6 years.Fr. Dan earned an MA in English from Notre Dame and a Doctor of Ministry from University of St. Mary of the Lake in Chicago.
Fr. Dan extended the construction at St. Anastasia’s, with a newly configured parking lot and, in 2007, converted the lower church into the Redmond Center at a cost of $950,000. The Redmond Center is multi-functional, echoing the uses in the 1930’s. A fully constructed kitchen, space for a Mass, portable tables and storage make the Redmond Center useful for everything from Children’s Mass to Fellowship Gatherings.
Fr. Dan initiated other events, such as the Carmelite Forum and the Theology Round Table, for the discussion of religious books. There are still groups who meet regularly to discuss, for instance, Pope Benedict’s encyclical on Hope (Spe Salvi)
Pictured: Fr. Dan(2008).
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