The first Mass celebrated by St. Daniel Parish was held in the gym of the Clarkston Junior High School on Sunday, June 25, 1961. Seventy families signed the register book at that first Mass. St. Daniel was a mission of Our Lady of the Lakes for eight years and the first Mass was presided over by Rev. Frederick J. Delaney, then pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes in Waterford.

As the parish grew, it became evident that permanent building was needed. Groundbreaking  was held on Sunday, May 24, 1964 for what is now the Cushing Center was Sunday, January 30, 1965.

As the number of families increased, construction on the current church began September 14, 1980. The new church was dedicated December 19, 1981, by then Archbishop Edmund C. Szoka. Renovations on the old church building began and it was dedicated the Cushing Center on Sunday, September 9, 1990 by Bishop Dale Melczek. The Center was named in honor and in memory of 12-year St. Daniel Pastor Rev. Charles E. Cushing, who died while paster at St. Daniel on December 14, 1989.

Peace Plaza
and Peace Pole

   The Peace Plaza is shaped in a triangle with one angle pointing to the church, the focus of our worship together; the second points to the Cushing Center, the focus of our fellowship together; and the third points to the world, the focus of our mission as Catholics.  It's important to participate in all three, to strive to live a full life in our parish family.

   The Peace Plaza planters have beautiful flowers and plants growing in them during late spring and summer; hardy plants in the fall; and evergreen branches, ribbons and lights in the winter.  Benches line the interior for seating during the summer.

   A Peace Pole is in the center triangle with the inscription "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in four different languages.  The members of St. Daniel Parish dedicated our Peace Pole on November 24, 1991.  The Peace Pole is an international symbol of peace.  The message of peace is in English, Spanish, Swahili and Ottawa.  The English represents the peace "we need among ourselves"; the Spanish represents the "Hispanic community who are our neighbors with whom we need to reach out in justice"; the Swahili, an African language, represents the "brothers and sisters in true works of peace and justice"; and Ottawa represents the Native Americans "who lived in this area before we came here, and who knew how to live with the land and environment."

   Please say a prayer for world peace as you pass by.

    Mary of the Way