Laboure Society
“In the Order of Friars Minor, I can dedicate myself totally to the service of Christ through the poor.”
Meet the rest of my class
My name is Daniel Adamson. I am called to care for the poor as a friar with the Franciscan Friars (Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe). This is my story.
I was born into a stable and loving family in Ohio, and developed an early interest in history, politics, music and film. My mother and grandparents were wonderful examples of living out the Catholic faith, and my father was supportive, if not personally interested, in Catholicism. Though I was confirmed Catholic, that sacrament sadly marked a long nine-year period of my falling away from the Church. Leading up to Confirmation, I struggled with questions of faith, but found no one willing to answer. I felt excluded, and by the end of my freshman year of high school, despite receiving Confirmation, I fashioned myself into an atheist. I became outspokenly anti-religious, as a way of subconsciously trying to distance myself from the pain caused by my rejection of God.
Yet God wasn’t going to give up on me. As I progressed through college and beyond, I began reading about historical figures like Dorothy Day and Pope Leo XIII, in whose lives politics and Christianity overlapped. My attitude towards the Faith softened, and I gradually began reading more from the Church Fathers, theologians like St. Augustine, and the Gospels themselves.
Following graduation, I faced several setbacks. Ruined plans, struggles to find work, social isolation, and loneliness all took their toll. I turned to the Gospels as a possible research focus for graduate school, and, like Jonah in the Old Testament, found myself drawn out from the pit. I realized my need for God, and returned to Confession and Mass. I began to pray the Rosary and attend Adoration as often as I could, and I developed a deep attachment to St. Francis of Assisi. He reminded me that Catholicism requires total generosity – in prayer, the liturgy, the life of the Church, and towards all creation. St. Francis taught me to believe in miracles again, and to radically trust in the Lord.
Within months of my return to the Catholic Faith, I was drawn towards religious life. I was ashamed, though, of my time of atheism, and afraid that I would be rejected from the religious orders with which I was so fascinated. In the summer of 2025, I traveled to Chicago and stumbled upon a Franciscan friary and church. In that first encounter with the Franciscans, and in every encounter I’ve had with them since, I’ve felt so welcomed and at home.
The Franciscan friars’ prayerfulness, welcoming spirit, and generosity inspire me. Their service of the poor and marginalized through shelters, food pantries and missions all across North America beautifully proclaims the Gospel and witnesses to Christ’s victory over sin and death.
In the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), I can dedicate myself totally to the service of Christ through the poor. I feel especially drawn to serving the homeless. Even if I evangelize them by simply greeting and spending time with them, I know I’ll have made a difference and loved those the Lord loves. My story is only beginning, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for me.
Please pray for me and for my fellow Labouré classmates on our vocation journeys. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have at: danieladamson@rescuevocations.org
Download a PDF of my story
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