DANIEL GARDNER, FSC
Manhattan University, NY
Entering high school from a relatively small, neighborhood Catholic grammar school, I was not sure what it would be like at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, the Lasallian high school in western New York. It seemed overwhelming—multiple classrooms, many student faces, and a whole list of new teachers. I even had to leave the neighborhood.
My fears were alleviated on the first day when I quickly realized that the Brothers and their lay partners had created a community where a strong sense of our Catholic faith and a commitment to service inspired the faculty, students, and alumni to live out a particular mission in the Church—The Lasallian mission. The dedication and the Lasallian spirit that the Brothers displayed as they built that community inspired me to follow them in the footsteps of St. John Baptist de La Salle.
I have been part of the effort to build that same Lasallian spirit and strong sense of community in various schools across the District of Eastern North America ever since.
It has been my privilege to pray, live, and work with the Brothers at:
- Christian Brothers Academy – Lincroft
- Christian Brothers Academy – Albany
- Resurrection School – New York City
- St. Raymond High School – The Bronx
- Manhattan University – The Bronx (where I currently serve)
I have striven to build up Lasallian communities of faith and service in those apostolates and to model the example that the Brothers provided for me at St. Joe’s—a student-centered and caring environment in which our students have the opportunity to encounter the holy presence of God.
Life in community has helped sustain me in ministry, but it has also provided me the opportunity to see the deep faith and commitment of my Brothers for this mission. Hopefully, that fraternal example has helped me to touch the hearts of the young people entrusted to my care.
