Biography of Rev. Fr. Daniel Cody, Pastor (1982-2013)

Daniel Cody was born on September 17, 1937, in Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Ireland. He was the sixth of nine children born to Daniel and Bridget Cody. His older siblings are Dick, Peggy, Martin, Anna †, and Walter; the younger are Michael, Breda, and Tom.

His father was a farmer, a good one, and his dairy cows and vegetable crops consistently provided sufficient food for the entire family. His father and mother had a wonderful marriage and were always absolutely kind to one another. They treated their children with the same kindness and treated them equally, showing no favoritism, not even to the two who became priests – Dan and Tom.

Father Dan knows his decision to become a priest was rooted in his marvelous home life, and though his elementary schooling with the Irish Christian Brothers at St. James School contributed to his decision, a significant influence was his uncle, on his mother’s side, who was the pastor of his parish in New Castle in northern England. It was in his final year of high school that Father Dan said to his parents, “I think I’m going to the seminary.” He entered in September 1956, was ordained in June 1962, and “never looked back.”

When Father Dan was in seminary, one of his first cousins was a pastor in Sarasota, in the Diocese of St. Augustine. Each year, his cousin returned to Ireland to visit the family, and when he was with his seminarian cousin, he would say, “Dan, I hope you’re coming. You’ll enjoy the Florida climate.” Well, Father Dan came to Ascension Parish in the Diocese of St. Augustine in August 1962. His next parish was Most Holy Redeemer where he served for fourteen years until he was assigned to our parish of St. Joseph in 1982.