A dreadful day came upon the Saint Anselm College community on Friday, October 11 bringing Anselmians together. The campus received news that one of its favorite alumni was hurt and, at first, many did not know how serious it was. Daniel J. Breen ’12 was in a tragic car accident on Friday. Family, friends and Anselmians surrounded Breen as he said his goodbyes to the world at a hospital in Boston. Dan was at peace and entered the kingdom of God on Saturday, October 12.
The outpouring of support for Dan and his classmates was inspirational, and this was evident on campus as well as on social media sites. Current students, as well as alumni from all over, drove back to the place they call home on Friday evening. They met in the lower church around 9:00 PM for a prayer service led by Father Mathias Durette, O.S.B.
Father Mathias began the service by saying, “This is heart wrenching for everyone. Thank you for coming home to talk about your friend.”
Those present that Friday evening shared fond memories of Dan that will live on forever.
As the news came to Anselmians from Campus Ministry at the beginning of fall break, the community came together for a candle light vigil when all students returned on the steps of Joseph Hall. Later in the week, another candle light vigil was held at the new green space during Alumni weekend, led by Father Anselm Smedile, O.S.B. and Dr. Steven DiSalvo, president of Saint Anselm College.
The crowd that attended both prayer services shows the impact Dan Breen had on the Saint Anselm College community. On social media such as Facebook and Twitter, posts by Anselmians near and far flooded the Internet.
One student, Hannah Furlong ’15 shared, “There is nothing stronger than Anselmian community and prayer. Nothing.”
Sam Webb ’16 wrote, “’Anselmian now, Anselmian always’ links us all. I love my school, and I love our beautifully strong community. Now and always.”
Emily Petrie ’14 posted on Facebook, “Once an Anselmian, always an Anselmian. Time and time again, this community shows me what it means to be a true friend and colleague. The amount of support and love that I saw last night is incredible and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Dan. May angels lead you in”.
It is important to remember the person Dan was and how much he impacted the lives of many. As Craig Hooper ‘12 shared, if any man could attest to it they would say that he was full of life, eager to share his happiness with the world, and was always the “life of the party.”
Dan was a Natural Science major at the college and when he graduated, he worked in an emergency room in one of Boston’s leading hospitals. Outside the classroom, Dan was the captain of the Men’s Rugby team where he mentored his teammates on and off the field. Dan was also a member of the Red Key Society where he often gave up his time to Saint Anselm College for all that it had given him.
Hooper, a member of the Red Key Society with Dan, stated, “He was the most selfless guy you would ever meet. He was a devout Catholic who never missed a Sunday night Mass and would legitimately do anything for anyone with no questions asked, no matter who it was and no matter if that person could help him in return.”
Dan was a perfect example of an Anselmian – he always put others first. He was proud of his faith, spending time in the monastery for the Holy Week retreat. Students looked up to Dan and admired his strength, his humility and his love for others. After Dan’s passing, his parents told everyone they met that Dan was the happiest during his four years on the Hilltop. The people he met changed his life and he also changed the lives of many.
It is safe to say that the world will not be the same without Daniel Breen. Dan was an organ donor and he helped saved the lives of many, just as he did when he was here with us. A memorial fund was established in Dan’s honor to help students achieve the same things that Dan did by being a member of the Anselmian family. Saint Anselm College will forever miss Daniel Joseph Breen and will remember all of the amazing times they had with him on the Hilltop.