Counselor, Servant, and Friend: Meet Saint Joe's Newest BOSH, Brother Dan St. Jacques

By: Dylan Hollender '17, Communications and Marketing Coordinator

The mission and dedication of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart takes men of faith, character, and devotion, and brings them to where God needs them most. The Saint Joseph High School community is excited to have  gained such a man in Brother Dan St. Jacques, who arrived on campus this summer. Br. Dan has traveled far and wide spreading the message of Christ and the Brothers, and has been doing so faithfully since the 1960s. 

A Faithful Upbringing

Br. Dan grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire with three older brothers and two younger sisters. His family is of Franco-American descent and he flourished in his heritage, being taught both English and French during his early childhood days. 

His first interaction with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart came at an early age when he was a member of the first graduating class of Bishop Guertin High School in his hometown of Nashua.

Br. Dan thrived in his spiritual journey at Bishop Guertin and decided to take on God’s call to religious life by joining the Novitiate of the Brothers in Rhode Island in 1966.

“I have always had a spirit of adventure and enjoyed experiencing new visions of Church, community living and religious life,” St. Jacques said. “I found that attempting to take on the mind and heart of Christ takes you to very exciting and challenging places.”

He soon found his way to exciting and challenging places while on his journey of faith, a tradition in Br. Dan’s life that would continue for decades to come. 

God’s Will Around the World

There is certainly no shortage of travel in Br. Dan’s history of work. Over the course of several decades, he has worked in many different cities, states, and countries. While specific responsibilities have varied from location to location, there is an underlying theme of service to young people in the Church. 

“I am a counselor by profession,” St. Jacques said. “It is what I really enjoy most about my work as a Brother.”

Br.  Dan served as a student counselor in many high schools around the United States, such as Saint Dominic Regional High School in Maine, and even returning to his alma mater, Bishop Guertin. Throughout his time, he has also used his talents in language to teach French at various grade levels. 

Travel took him across the ocean to the United Kingdom, where he worked for Saint Columba’s College in St. Albans as counseling coordinator. He even spent time in Lusaka, Zambia with other Brothers of the Sacred Heart. 

In 2020 he returned to the United States to work part-time as a counselor at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, Louisiana. When his ministry there ended in 2022, it was time for a new change of scenery. 

Arrival in Metuchen

Br. Dan began his newest assignment at Saint Joe’s over the summer, ready to work with the students and instill in them the charism of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart alongside Br. Richard Leven and Br. Gary Humes. Upon his arrival, the total number of Brothers on campus increased and their presence has been well-felt around the campus. 

“Having another Brother of the Sacred Heart on campus gives an additional opportunity to give witness of our dedicated service to our students at Saint Joe’s by words, deeds, and personal presence,” Leven said. “This has been the mission of every Brother of the Sacred Heart who has served the Saint Joseph community.”

As a member of the community and as a Partner in Mission, Br. Dan works as a part-time counselor engaging with the freshman class. He meets with them one-on-one to see how they are adjusting to high school and to aid in their transition to new surroundings. Community is the strongest and most important feeling he stresses with his students, a feeling that dates back all the way to the first Brothers.  

“The spirit of Coindre and Polycarp is alive and well at Saint Joe’s,” St. Jacques said. “It is the same sense of community, warmth, and compassion that I have felt in every Brothers school that I have worked in.”

Brother Dan lives up to the long-standing tradition of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Not only is his goal to make students feel welcomed and acclimated to their new environment at Saint Joe’s, but he also strives to instill the values of Father André Coindre. His message to incoming students is simple:

“The world needs more compassion. This was the message and challenge of André Coindre.”

The students, Partners in Mission, and families of Saint Joe’s are thrilled to have Br. Dan as a new member of the community. The addition of a new Brother is a testament to the mission and dedication of Father Coindre, and the long lasting tradition of what it means to be a Brother of the Sacred Heart school.