Walsh, who was ordained in 1968, served as the chaplain at St. Vincent dePaul Summer Camp in Angola during the summer of 1969. He became friends with college students Jane Chambers and Andrea Zgoda, who were reaching the end of their second summers as counselors at the camp. “We were ready for an adventure, and Fr. Dan Walsh provided us with a golden opportunity,” Zgoda recalled. “He invited us to accompany him on a trip to visit his sister in Binghamton. Knowing that this great music festival was taking place near Woodstock, we were happy to detour and check it out.”

Walsh, a fan of folk music, had been to folk music festivals in the Toronto area. “I just expected to be sitting there listening to Peter, Paul and Mary or Joan Baez,” Walsh recalled. “You know, ‘Change the world,’ the folk music scene. This was a little more ‘in your face,'” he laughed.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the trio set out for Angelica, where Walsh pastored a church, and then Binghamton to visit his sister. Walsh even brought his Mass kit, hoping to celebrate Mass at Woodstock on Sunday.

“Father Dan was so full of joy in his vocation, and it was truly infectious,” said Zgoda of her mentor and friend. “Not even for one second did we or our parents hesitate to say yes to this adventure. We all knew we couldn’t be in better hands.”

Submitted Photo Pictured at Cedar Beach are Jane Chambers of Mayville, Rev. Dan Walsh of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and Andrea Zgoda of Buffalo, who traveled to Woodstock together on Aug. 16. 1969. Last week, the three friends met in Dunkirk to recall their memorable time at the legendary music festival.

Although Walsh was disappointed that they missed the folk music scheduled for Friday, the group was determined to arrive early on Saturday to enjoy as much of the music as possible. “When we reached Woodstock, it was already packed with tons of cars and people just everywhere,” Chambers said. “Father Dan parked somewhere and I remember walking on a muddy road for awhile. The very first thing I heard as we got closer to the music was Country Joe and the Fish chanting, ‘Give me an F! Give me a U! Give me a C! Give me a K!’ I was 18, fairly innocent and stunned.”

Zgoda was equally shocked. “We were getting an education about life outside our Catholic experience,” she said. “…We watched peaceful but high hippies smoking weed and skinny-dipping in ponds — or maybe mud puddles would be a more apt description!”

Walsh recalled that the experience was nothing like the folk music festivals he had enjoyed in the past. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of Jefferson Airplane, but was disappointed to learn the band wouldn’t play until early Sunday morning. “It was more than we expected,” he recalled. “The mud, the nudity; it was just too much. We listened to four bands, including Country Joe and the Fish and Santana.”

Zgoda said, “Father Dan made sure to put things in proper perspective for us. … We heard some very vulgar language, inhaled the smoke clouding us and heard some raunchy and some incredible music. After about four bands, he wisely suggested we make our way out of the festival, since we had seen much and experienced the temperament of the crowd.”

The trio left by 2 p.m. and made the long, muddy trek back to their car, which had to be pushed out of the mud. “I did become concerned that Woodstock would end in a riot. The pot — I didn’t know that much about it — really mellowed people out, so they didn’t riot, but many of them did get sick,” Walsh said. “They were charging about 25 cents for some water out of a hose. I didn’t like that! But there were some local farmers who brought in food and shared it, which was good.”

For Walsh, the disillusionment of those who had been to Woodstock and left was a surprising contrast to the excitement he noticed of those just arriving. “We stopped at a rest stop on Route 17 on the way back,” he recalled. “There were five guys there who were covered in mud and looked so tired and worn out. I said, ‘I bet I know where you just came from!’ Like us, they’d just left Woodstock. I felt a little out of place at Woodstock. There were so many people coming and going. Those coming were filled with excitement. Those leaving felt disappointed that it wasn’t what they had hoped or expected.”

Chambers recalled being shocked by the experience. “I was overwhelmed by Woodstock, yes, but I was not frightened because I was with Father Dan,” she pointed out. “I believed then, and I believe now, that Father Dan is one of the nicest and most trustworthy people I know. It was a great road trip.”

Although his experience at Woodstock is not a story Walsh shares often, he said, “I share it to be relevant, so to say.” Walsh added that many people feel the Catholic Church is not relevant today, but he and many clergymen are passionate about finding new ways to teach religion and stay current.

“I like to believe I was counter-cultural in those days, trying to read the signs of the times and relate to the group of people we now refer to as ‘baby boomers,'” he told the OBSERVER. “I still like to think I’m counter-cultural in the post-modern world. I try to preach Judeo-Christian values and behavior in a world that sometimes seems lacking in biblical teachings.”