WARWICK—For Daniel Dussault, 17, his Catholic faith is not just a subject of study; it is a call to action. As a lead sacristan both at Chesterton Academy and St. Mary Church in Pawtucket, Dussault has spent his high school years ensuring the beauty and reverence of the Mass. This winter, that same dedication to his community took a different form as he renovated the school’s chemistry lab as part of his Eagle Scout service project. Combining the logic of an aspiring engineer with the devotion of a servant-leader, Dussault’s journey reflects the heart of his family’s commitment to the school and their faith.
Dussault describes what his “behind-the-scenes” role as a sacristan taught him about the importance of Mass and the meaning of true service.
“Being a sacristan differs from my home parish and school, including my responsibilities. At school, I’m one of the two students in charge of the whole chapel. I make the schedules for the other sacristans, and I make sure the color of the day is correct and a bunch of other things. At my home parish, with Father Brendan Rowley, I take more of a back seat. He does most of the work and I’m here to help with various things, such as unlocking the church doors. However, this has given me a bigger appreciation for the role. There are hundreds of mini details that go into making a Mass feel reverent. But overall, it has granted me a new experience that I’ll never forget and will be with me always.”
As a member of Chesterton Academy’s inaugural graduating class, Dussault and his classmates are pioneers of sorts, helping to set the foundation for all the students who will follow.
“The work I’ve done for the school I’m proud of,” he shared. “I want to grant younger people the opportunity to grow in faith and in wisdom, and a better environment is just one step towards that.”
His recent Eagle Scout project involved the physical labor of laying flooring in a science lab, using both his hands and leadership skills to improve the school that has been his home for the last three years.
“I am happy with how it’s come out, however I wish I was able to do more, and to do it better. Regardless though, I am pleased and am glad to help the school.”
Dussault is applying to top engineering programs including MIT and URI and explains how his Catholic faith—and his experience as a sacristan—will influence the way he approaches his future career in science and technology.
“I think my roles at school prepare me for all the responsibilities that I’ll face in college. I’m going to have to work very hard to overcome the challenges I’ll face but I’m already doing and working on difficult tasks and reasoning my way through complex philosophical and theological problems or principles, which, though different then complex equations, have developed me in a way that I can use reason and logic the understand most things.”
For this young man, his Catholic faith is the most important part of his life, and he credits Chesterton Academy for encouraging that faith to flourish.
“Chesterton has taught me more and more about faith and has given me a deeper understanding of it. We may all stumble and fall here and there, but as long as we want to, we can get up, with help, from God, and from friends.”
