Most Rev. Daniel Joseph Meagher was born on 10 November 1961 in the NSW Riverina town of West Wyalong. Bishop Danny was the second of six children of Alan and Elizabeth (nee Woods). Life on the farm was difficult and his parents left West Wyalong and brought their family to settle in Sydney.
His father was a publican and owned a number of hotels including the Commercial Hotel at Port Kembla and the Matraville hotel which they owned for 25 years.
Bishop Danny was educated by the Jesuits, completing his secondary schooling at St Ignatius College Riverview in 1979.
He studied economics and law at the University of Sydney and during this time he volunteered at the Matthew Talbot hostel for homeless men and also at the local St Vincent De Paul conference at St Canice’s parish in the inner Sydney suburb of Elizabeth Bay.
Bishop Danny practised as a solicitor for three years with Mallesons, Stephen Jaques before embarking upon his studies for the priesthood at St Patrick’s Seminary.
He was ordinated a priest on 22 July 1995 at St Mary’s Cathedral by Cardinal Edward Clancy. He has ministered in many parishes in Sydney and was founding Parish Priest at Holy Spirit Parish in Carnes Hill from 2000-2004 before he went on to study for two years at the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome, obtaining a Licentiate in Fundamental Theology.
After returning to Sydney, Bishop Danny was appointed Director of Catechesis for World Youth Day from 2006-2008, working closely with then Bishop Anthony Fisher in the planning of this landmark event for the Catholic Church in Australia.
He has served in numerous leadership positions, including as Director of Mission for Catholic care and as Director of Formation in the Permanent Diaconate program.
Bishop Danny spent a stint in rural NSW as Administrator of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Broken Hill in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes from 2012-2014.
He returned to Sydney to take up an appointment as Rector of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd from 2015-2020 and in 2021, he served as Administrator of All Hallows in Five Dock.
Bishop Danny has worked with the homeless, spending six months in early 2021 with the homeless and the marginalised in inner Sydney. He said Mass weekly at the Matthew Talbot hostel and also volunteered to help the homeless and marginalized at many charities of the Church, including Cana, David’s Place and the operations of The Order of Malta.
“I spent a lot of time ministering to the homeless, living at Surry Hills and travelling down to parks around Central where they congregated. I also got to know a lot of people living in the housing commission areas. I am attracted to that because I find that by being close to people on the margins, I come much closer to God. I hope to continue that as Bishop”.
On 18 November 2021, Pope Francis appointed him a bishop as Titular Bishop of Pocofelto and an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney.
He was ordained a bishop at St Mary’s Cathedral on 8 December 2021 by Archbishop Anthony Fisher and is currently Episcopal Vicar for Education and Health.