From The President

Dear De La Salle Collegiate Family, By the time you receive this issue of The Collegiate, we will have celebrated the great feast of Easter. One theme that always has stayed with me during this special time of year in the Church’s calendar is the notion of home. Why is that? Well, I suppose that I think of Easter as the center or home of our Christian faith. Our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus is the one ultimate reality that gives us our identity as Christians. Home for me is always where the heart is, as trite as that sounds. Home is where we come from, where we know we can return to, and, ultimately, where we find our identity. For all of us at De La Salle Collegiate, home today is in Warren, Michigan. Yet our first home, the home of our birth in the metropolitan area, will always be in the City of Detroit. From 1926-1982, hundreds upon hundreds of young men were introduced to St. John Baptist de La Salle and to the myriad numbers of Brothers, laymen, and laywomen who taught, coached, and worked in various offices. So many lives were transformed during those years, young and old alike. It would not be a stretch to say that De La Salle Collegiate became a second home for countless students, faculty, staff, administrators, and Brothers. I know that since our move to Warren in 1982 our senior alumni continue to speak with great affection about “the old school” across from City Airport. Although our school today is located in Warren, we will always consider Detroit our first home. Many of our alumni have returned over the years to Detroit for work, for leisure, and to help make a difference in the lives of all who call the City of Detroit home. This issue of The Collegiate highlights a few of our alumni who are truly “differencemakers” in our metropolitan area. Chief among these special alumni is Dan Loepp, ‘75, this year’s Christian Brothers’ Dinner Honoree. Dan continues each day to live out the core values of a Lasallian secondary education in so many ways. I know you will enjoy Dan’s story and the story of those other alumni who work tirelessly each day to be sure that De La Salle Collegiate remains a presence in Detroit. From our home to your home, I send you Easter prayers and good wishes from the entire De La Salle Collegiate community. Live, Jesus, in our hearts, forever!

John M. Knight President