Próspero Policárpo Untalan Cristóbal, son of the late Adriano and Carmen Untalan Cristobal was born in 1931 in Agaña, Guam.  Prior to World War II, Próspero attended Guam [Elementary] Institute, Agaña Post Office School and Government School.  Following the war, he attended Sinajaña Elementary School, George Washington High School in Agaña; and was among the first student body of Fr. Duenas Memorial High School in Ta’i, Mangilao, graduating in 1952.

The following September, Próspero entered the novitiate of the newly-established Province of St. Mary in Milton, MA, and was invested in 1952, receiving the religious name “Daniel,” and professing his vows a year later.  He began his philosophical studies at Mary Immaculate Friary in Garrison, NY, graduating in 1955.

Daniel continued his theological studies in Garrison and completed his theological requirements in 1959.  Father Daniel was ordained by the Most Rev. Apollinaris Baumgartner, OFM Cap, Vicar Apostolic of the Marianas Islands, in the same year at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral in Agaña.  He later proved himself to be a talented minister as he served in a variety of apostolates and parochial settings.

He first ministered at his alma mater, Fr. Dueñas High School as an instructor until 1961 and again from 1964-66. After a short period of assistance in Saipan, he served as an assistant pastor at St. Francis Church in Yona, and Santa Barbara in Dededo.  He later ministered as pastor at San Miguel in Talofofo, Santa Barbara, and St. Francis in Yona.

In 1985 he was appointed pastor of St. Jude Thaddeus Church and served there until 1994.  During this time, Father Daniel was once again called upon to lead the Guam pilgrimage to Rome to attend the beatification of Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam.  Venerable Diego was responsible for establishing the Spanish presence in the Mariana Islands.

Throughout his priestly life, as early as 1961, Father Daniel has been a dedicated spiritual advisor to the Secular Franciscan community and was instrumental in establishing several fraternities on Guam.  While residing with the friar community of St. Fidelis in Agaña, Daniel served as the Director of Secular Franciscans and the Cursillo Movement for the island.

He was also active in the on-going development of the Christian Mothers Society.  In 1975, Father Daniel was appointed by Bishop Flores to coordinate all the Holy Year diocesan events including a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  In later years, because of his successful organizational abilities, he would again receive several diocesan appointments to chair diocesan committees.

While serving as pastor of Santa Rita, Father Daniel was appointed to chair the monumental task of organizing all the church preparations for the historic visit of John Paul II to Guam in 1981.  After Santa Rita, Father Daniel served as pastor of Our Lady of Peace and Safe Voyage in Chalan Pago until 2001 when, at the age of 70, he was appointed pastor of San Miguel parish in Talofofo.  There he served the people faithfully until the end of 2009 when his health declined rather quickly and he had to be retired to St. Fidelis Friary in Agana Heights.

After struggling for 10 months from the effects of a congestive heart failure and a stroke that he experienced just two weeks before his death, he very peacefully breathed his last breathe on the 15th of August, the Feast of the Assumption of our Lady.

Father Daniel, we thank you for your willingness to serve wherever you were sent in your 51 years as a priest and for sharing your talents and your spirituality with the people of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa and the Archdiocese of Agana.  We will miss you very much.