The Rev. Daniel J. O’Hara is a dyed-in-the-wool Central New Yorker. He’s a priest with a passion for our drumlins and lakes, our proud history and our hopeful ambitions. But most of all, Father O appreciates our people. Born and raised in Camillus, the pastor of both Immaculate Heart of Mary in Galeville and St. Joseph the Worker in the village of Liverpool has remained ever-faithful to his Upstate roots. This Sunday, June 10, Father O will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his ordination with a Mass of Thanksgiving at noon at Immaculate Heart of Mary, 425 Beechwood Ave., just off Old Liverpool Road, in Galeville. The Mass will be followed by a reception at St. Joseph’s, 1001 Sixth St., at the corner of Tulip Street, in the village. Irish ancestry
Father O’s family immigrated to America from County Sligo, in Ireland. Various O’Haras have populated Warners, Auburn, Skaneateles and Skaneateles Falls. The son of Charles and Josephine O’Hara, young Dan got his earliest religious training at St. Joseph’s Church in Camillus where the Rev. Thomas Guyder was pastor. Dan attended classes in the West Genesee School District before choosing to stay in Syracuse to matriculate at Le Moyne College where the learned Jesuits held forth. At Le Moyne, Dan began to answer to a higher calling. He did his graduate work at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora over in Western New York. On June 13, 1987, O’Hara was ordained into the priesthood by the Most Rev. Frank J. Harrison, the bishop of the Syracuse Diocese. Serving CNY
Father O’s first assignment was in the town of Clay, at St. John’s Church on Soule Road where he served as a parochial vicar from 1987 to 1992. He spent about a year in Oneida County at St. Paul’s Church in Rome, before becoming associate pastor at St. James Church on South Salina Street in Syracuse. After five years as the associate pastor, he was appointed St. James pastor in 1998 and led the congregation there for a solid decade. In January 2008 Father O became pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary and – after the two Liverpool parishes were joined in May 2011 – he also assumed the helm at St. Joe’s. For the past 18 years, Father O has also served as chaplain to the Syracuse Fire Department, an assignment he gladly continues. We’re lucky to have Father O here in Liverpool where he continues to nurture his cherished Central NY. ‘Tomb with a View’
The Acme Mystery Theatre Co., the brainchild of actor Bob Greene who lives in Liverpool, presents “A Tomb with a View,” an interactive comedy, at 7 p.m. on Thursdays through June 28, at the Spaghetti Warehouse. The crazy comedy has a peculiarly plunderous plot. A mega-corporation named Arrested Developments wants to turn the old Possum Estate into a shopping mall. Problem is the estate was the site of an historic tragic mining disaster. The zombie descendants of the ill-fated miners have hired an attorney and are planning a class-action lawsuit. And so the fun begins… The Spaghetti Warehouse, is at 689 N. Clinton St., near the Inner Harbor; $32.50/includes meal, tax and tip; 475-1807. Honky Tonk Hindooz
One of CNY’s most eclectic trios, the Honky Tonk Hindooz, will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, at Johnson Park, in Liverpool. The Honky Tonk Hindooz – guitarist Terry Quill, who lives in Liverpool, and accordionist Theresa Walsh and bassist Taylor Price – will play as part of the annual Liverpool Is The Place Summer Concert Series. The trio plays a remarkable mix of psychedelic country garage rock and obscure rock’n’roll oldies. Free concerts are scheduled every Monday and Wednesday evening through Aug. 22 in the Johnson Park amphitheatre in Liverpool’s village center at the corner of Vine and Oswego streets. In case of rain on concert nights, the performances will be canceled; liverpoolistheplace.com; 457-3895.