Father Daniel (Dan) Harrison

Daniel Harrison, who was always and universally known as Dan, was born on 15th March 1944. Accepted as a student for the Diocese of Leeds, England, by Bishop Dwyer, he trained for the priesthood at Ushaw College in County Durham, England. He was ordained by Bishop Wheeler at St Anne’s Cathedral, Leeds on 20th May 1967.

Fr Dan’s first appointment was as Assistant Priest in the parish of Holy Rood, Barnsley. In 1970 he moved to the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish, Leeds and in 1974 he was appointed to St Joseph’s, Keighley.

In 1977 Fr Dan joined the Leeds Diocesan Mission to Peru. For the next ten years he lived in the capital Lima, ministering to some of the city’s poorest inhabitants. He returned to the Diocese in 1987 when he became the Chaplain to St John’s School at Boston Spa, England. This role was to occupy him for the next eleven years until Bishop Konstant appointed him as Parish Priest of Our Lady of Good Counsel at Seacroft in Leeds. 

During that time Father Harrison became involved with the International Foundation for the Service of Deaf Persons, first as a member of the board and later as Secretary of the Foundation. A post he held until very recently.

Fr Dan left Seacroft in 2006 and moved across the city to become the Parish Priest of St Mary’s, Horsforth. In 2010 St Mary’s merged with the neighbouring Assumption and Holy Name parishes to form the new parish of Our Lady of Kirkstall. At that point Bishop Roche asked Fr Dan to become the Chaplain to the Little Sisters of the Poor and the residents at Mount St Joseph’s in Headingley. He retired from active ministry in 2020.

In retirement Fr Dan went to live independently at Roundhay in Leeds but early in 2024 ill health caused him to move into residential care. He died suddenly in the early hours of Wednesday 2nd October 2024.

Extending over more than fifty years Fr Dan’s priestly ministry was distinguished by the variety of the roles he fulfilled. He will be remembered fondly around the Diocese of Leeds but much further afield as well, by people in Lima, Peru. In particular he will be in the prayers of the community at St John’s Catholic School for the Deaf in Boston Spa and, across the UK, among the diaspora of the former Mount St Joseph’s Home.

The funeral arrangements which have been made for Fr Dan Harrison are as follows:

• Reception of the Body into Leeds Cathedral on Monday 28th October, 7.00 pm.

• Requiem Mass in the Cathedral on Tuesday 29th October, 11.00 am.

• Followed by Interment at Killingbeck Cemetery on Tuesday 29th October, 1.00 pm.

May he rest in peace.