Biography:
Irish beginnings
Daniel O’Sullivan was born in Ardfert, County Kerry, Ireland, (or if you prefer “Eire”) on the February 6, 1888. Like some others of our Irish missionary priests, he studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Thurles. He was ordained a priest in Thurles’ Cathedral on June 14, 1914.
Fr Dan O’Sullivan arrived for service in the Archdiocese of Adelaide on the January 23, 1915. His first appointment was as an Assistant Priest in the Cathedral Parish of Adelaide by Archbishop John O’Reilly (1895-1915). He must have shown great promise and competence as Archbishop Robert W. Spence OP (1915-1934) appointed him Parish Priest of Manoora Parish on March 13, 1920.
Other appointments
On April 6, 1932, again by Archbishop Spence, he was appointed Parish Priest of Gawler until his appointment by Archbishop Matthew Beovich (1939-1971) to the Parish of Kingswood.
Fr Daniel O’Sullivan succeeded Monsignor Davis as Parish Priest of Kingswood Parish in January (1st of June) 1948. He gave the last 12 years of his life in dedicated Priestly Service of his God and his Kingswood Parishioners.
He died in Calvary Hospital on September 15, 1960, the Feast of Our Lady of Dolours, patron of his Parish Church. Two days later his Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Francis Xavier Cathedral where he began his Priestly Ministry in the Archdiocese. His mortal remains were buried in the West Terrace, Cemetery.
Some Memories of an altar server/seminarian
Fr John Chambers, an altar boy and later a seminarian recalls: “Daniel O’Sullivan was a man of Prayer, who lived a strictly ordered religious life. He never failed in his regular confession periods. If you came to Our Lady of Dolours Church on a Saturday evening at 7pm you would be greeted by 3-6 rows of people already present. Their Pastor, (though he never used that term), would enter the Church, via the sacristy, rosary beads in hand, with his normal steady, heavy tread and stride on the stroke of 7pm. You could experience the same regularity with his 8am and 10am Sunday Masses. His sermons at Mass or Afternoon Devotions (he never preached a homily), preached from the pulpit via the sacristy, were loud and clear, (no microphones), obviously well prepared, (no notes) eloquent, with vividly described scenes from the Gospels. I can still see the scene of St John the Baptist in his prison cell, Salome’s dancing, Herod’s stupid promise, his soldier executing his unjust command and Salome presenting the head of St John on a plate to her mother, Herodias.”
Some parishioners accused him of being Protestant for introducing Hymns during Mass.
His weekday Masses were scheduled for 6.45am. He was never known to be late. However, occasionally he did start Mass early, even, as early as 6.15am. It seemed that, on weekdays, whenever he finished praying the Office and his private prayers, it was time for Mass and Thanksgiving after Mass, with the exception of: “Ta, very much, thank you!” to the altar server. If you expected a discussion about football, cricket or any other – forget it!
He made no pretence of any social parish visitation. He announced this with the promise to always be available to all parishioners at the Presbytery, and he was! Fr John Chambers recalls that the St Francis Xavier Seminary required seminarians to visit and report to our Parish Priest during each holiday period. Over 10 years of term holidays each 1st day he would visit Fr Dan at his Presbytery to do this or to make an appointment to do so. He was always there and obviously interested.
Fr Daniel O’Sullivan, requiestcat in pace.
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