In Celebration of Brother

IN CELEBRATION OF

Brother Daniel Cremin, C.F.X., H’18

As you might imagine, someone who had majored in Recreation Education probably loves to party, and party Brother Dan Cremin, C.F.X., H ’18, did - at Malden Catholic’s June 14th retirement celebration in his honor as the longest serving Xaverian Brother in Malden Catholic history.

It was a great day to be a Lancer! Enjoying a cookout menu and gathering under the tent in the parking lot alongside the gym that had been his classroom for so many years, over 150 friends, family, alumni, students and colleagues, past and present, found it a memory-filled occasion to show some love for a man whose devotion to MC had earned a special place in their hearts. Brother Dan’s 46 years at Malden Catholic were equally divided between 23 years of coaching and instructing physical education and 23 years of school counseling.

A native of Lowell, the oldest of eight children of MC alum Dan Cremin ’45, young Dan attended Keith Academy for one year, then transitioned into the Xaverian Brothers Juniorate Program at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, where he earned his high school diploma. Immediately following high school, he applied for entrance to the Xaverian Brothers’ Novitiate in Newton Highlands. Then under the direction of Brother Robert Sullivan ’45, who later became Malden Catholic’s 11th Headmaster, he was admitted along with 19 other postulants that year. He professed his first religious vows as a Xaverian Novice in 1968.

After two years of college and formation courses as part of the Brothers’ Novitiate program, he enrolled in Northeastern University’s Boston-Bouvé College to earn a Bachelor-of-Science degree in Recreation Education (1975). The school’s unique fiveyear cooperative education model, placing students annually in intern positions in their field of study, allowed Brother Dan to develop valuable real-world skills to complement classroom theory when he began teaching physical education at MC in 1975. His educational pathway later continued during his ministry at Malden Catholic with an M.Ed. degree in Human Movement from Boston University (1978), and an M.Ed. in School Counseling from Suffolk University (2001).

A member of the Malden Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame, Brother Dan had an illustrious MC coaching career. He was head varsity soccer coach from 1975 to 1983. During those years, former longtime Trustee Steve O’Neill ’78 was one of his captains. Steve later coached the team, as always, assisted by the Grandfather of MC Soccer, Mr. Manny Costa, (on staff since Brother Jim Malone founded the program in 1973!). In its first season of League play in 1978, the team posted a record of 5-4-1 in the Commonwealth Conference. The following season, the team earned its first berth in the State soccer tournament with an overall record of 7-4-3, led by our Senior All-Stars and Co-Captains Frank Ciampa and Mike Killion.

In 1976, Brother Dan started our Swimming and Diving Program. He continued in that role through 1998, establishing the Catholic Conference in Swimming and Diving in 1979 and earning recognition as the 1988-89 Boston Globe Swim Coach of the Year, North Division. Joe Sheehan ’89, one of his prodigies, won numerous gold medals that year and established a state breast-stroke record that stood for 20 years! Joe, who earned Boston Globe North Division Swimmer of the Year in 1989 while qualifying as an All American and setting two state records, led our Lancers to an eighth-place finish at the State Championship Meet. He still holds school records in the 100-yard Breaststroke and the 200-yard Individual Medley!

Brother Dan also served eight years as President of the Eastern Mass Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2003. For many years, confrere from the Melrose Xaverian Community, Brother Fred Eid, C.F.X., assisted with the program, which eventually outgrew its early “home”

at the Melrose YMCA and moved to the Malden High School facility in 1986. Practices at both pools began at a cheerful 6:00AM! Current MC Social Studies teacher and Cross-Country coach Jared Belliveau ’97 recalls, “I first met Brother Dan as my freshman Phys-ed teacher in the fall of 1993. Although I had no experience, he encouraged me to join the Swim Team that winter. The early mornings were tough, but it was a great experience for a novice athlete. I then joined his Cross-Country Team that fall. I thought running might be a good fit for me, but the fact that Brother Dan was the coach was the real motivation for me. He was my XC coach until I graduated. I went on to run at Holy Cross. We’ve organized the annual Alumni Fun Run together since the mid 2000’s.” Belliveau, who earned Catholic Conference All-Star status his senior season, captained the 1996 team and led them to a Catholic Conference Tri-Champions title! Brother Dan was also an avid runner and endurance athlete, who competed in 16 marathons and 16 triathlons! He coached Cross-Country from 1984 - 98, starting as assistant to Brother Myles McManus, C.F.X., through 1987. Then continuing as head coach, he assisted with outdoor track for five seasons, led by Head Coach Brother Tim Hoey, C.F.X., who assisted Brother Dan in Cross Country during that time. Jerry Bailey, ‘89, later served in both of those assistant roles before succeeding Bro. Dan as Head Cross-Country Coach. In the 1990 season, the Lancer Harriers shattered Xaverian’s unbeaten streak of 45 dual meets on our team’s way to capturing first-place at the State Catholic High School Championship Meet, and then fourth place in the Division I All-State Championship Meet, led by Kevin Carnabucci, ‘92. Belliveau said, “Brother Dan was an exceptional coach and motivator, and his interest in each individual athlete was very clear. He quite simply wanted each of us to give our best in whatever we did. Whether in practice or at a meet, his words of encouragement and praise for hard-working runners were like fuel on a fire. For many young men, that made all the difference. If Brother thought we could do it, then we could do it!”

Brother Dan was a “one-man show” in the gym when he began in 1975. He was soon joined by a student teacher from Boston State College, Mr. Barry Haley. Together they developed an engaging program. Haley also served as MC’s athletic trainer, filled several coaching roles and later became Malden Catholic’s Athletic Director. They had busy days! With enrollment in the ‘80s at times near 800 students, and all freshmen and sophomores taking a semester of Phys. Ed., (and some juniors and seniors electing it) the gym saw no lull throughout the day. For the physical education “classroom,” Bro. Dan and Haley used the gym, the track, a cherished Broadway Park street-hockey court, and all our fields, but with the gym as their primary space. Later Mr. Guy Prescott served as Bro. Dan’s associate teacher in their “Physical Cultures” classes!

Brother Dan was not a “roll-the-ball-out-and-let-them-play” phys. ed. teacher: he was intent on combining individual skills development, with team building, with as wide-as-possible a variety of activities – that ranged from multiple sports’ instruction to Presidential Physical Fitness activities and weight training, to working on gymnastics apparatus. Students climbed ropes, bounced on a trampoline, worked a pommel horse, vaulted, traveled on parallel bars, created tumbling floor exercise routines and flew on the rings and the horizontal bar. His training as a religious Brother comfortably complemented the humanistic educational theories that informed his professional sport-and-movement training. These combined, allowed him to promote a student-centered approach to learning in his physical education classes. This formula for successful relationship building also worked just as effectively with students when Brother Dan transitioned into Guidance in 1998. There he drew on Carl Rogers’ client-centered approach to counseling, an approach emphasizing authenticity, complete empathy and unconditional acceptance.

At that time, counselors each typically matched with a group of about fifty 9th-grade advisees and “followed” them through their high school careers. After several years with this model, and sensing a need that freshmen get more specialized attention, he proposed in 2007 to Headmaster Tom Arria that he be designated the sole Grade-9 counselor, following in the footsteps of Brothers Kevin Kenney and Myles McManus, C.F.X. He ministered with care and devotion in that role until retirement.

Although our COVID-19 environment over the past 2 years had partially limited some of his routines as an MC sports fan, his presence at athletics competitions of all sorts – especially at the freshman level – has been and will continue to be unmatched. Generations of Malden Catholic men under his watchful eye at the cafeteria doorway have been scrupulous about 360-degree “tuckage” – the phrase he has humorously used for many years to remind boys to tuck in their shirt, as proper dress code would require! Much more than that, though, his dedication and faith have helped thousands of young adults move toward great lives, rooted in care and friendship. We are thankful for his life-long presence to our Malden Catholic community, for the service he has rendered and the love he has shared.