Santo acts as the CMSA “mascot,” drawing in visitors from across campus.
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Reyna Orlova, Contributor
Santo the dog has been with Manhattan University’s (MU) campus for just under a year now, but his impact on MU’s student body and faculty is clear.
Santo is a black labrador retriever who lives with MU’s chaplains and can usually be found napping in Cornerstone, home of Campus Ministry and Social Action (CMSA). In honor of Santo’s nearby birthday on Nov. 15th, The Quadrangle explored just how Santo has become the heart of campus.
Rev. Robert Joerger, co-director of CMSA and university chaplain at MU, is one of the priests that lives with Santo. The Quadrangle spoke to him about Santo’s eventual journey onto MU’s campus.
“We went to Sussex, New Jersey…and there was a breeder of labrador retrievers,” Joerger said. “We just went to visit, and we kind of fell in love [with Santo].”
Joerger informed The Quadrangle that the breeder’s daughter attended the university and gave the priests a very big discount for, at the time, eight-week-old Santo. Santo’s arrival at the school was an act of on-the-spot love, as many pets tend to induce in their owners. The Quadrangle then asked about the origin of Santo’s name and how it was decided.
“Santo means ‘saint’ in Spanish, and we have a lot of Hispanic students here,” Joerger said. “But we should have named him Diablito, a little devil!”
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The Quadrangle was informed that Santo is a trained service dog for Rev. Edward Beck, co-director and university chaplain at MU, and that helped the CMSA get permission for Santo to be on school grounds.
“Santo is trained, or being trained…so sometimes he barks at things and people get afraid,” Joerger said. “But he’s barking at a sound, and not at them. If there’s anything Father Edward doesn’t hear that he needs to hear, Santo will start barking.”
Joerger then shared a story of Santo’s heroism with The Quadrangle.
“The fire alarm went off [in the house], and Father Edward was in the attic, and he didn’t hear it,” Joerger said. “…Sure enough, [Santo] went crazy. When the fire engines came, he was still looking for Father Edward to make sure that he got out of the house.”
Even though Santo may be a “diablito” at times, tearing up pillows or his toys, he lovingly serves MU’s campus community. Rev. Andie Raynor, campus minister at MU, shared how Santo first began his service in the CMSA. The labrador was a soothing presence for students, even on his first arrival.
“Santo was really like this cute little, cuddly, living stuffed animal that was a magnet for students who were missing their animals, or who needed a little cuddle,” Raynor said. “I think right away he became a good de-stressor for students and staff as well.”
Kashvi Khanna, sophomore psychology major and CMSA worker, shared a retelling of Santo’s first day at MU. Khanna was a freshman that had come from Florida and was missing her puppy back home when she heard about Santo.
“I heard somebody in one of my classes was like ‘Yeah, there’s a dog downstairs,’” Khanna said. “So that’s what really drew me in…and then I started working here with campus ministry.”
Santo does not simply bring joy to students – his presence acts as a recruiter for CMSA and draws visitors to the space. Raynor told The Quadrangle that the puppy still brings in new students, even almost a year after his arrival.
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“Santo is a big draw to campus ministry…watching people’s smiles when they come through the door, and they always ask: ‘Is Santo here?,’” Raynor said. “…And the massive disappointment [following] when it’s only me sitting here.”
Raynor shared that she believes that Santo has been a wonderful ambassador for the CMSA, even if it means people, admittedly, show disappointment when he’s not around. The Quadrangle asked Raynor what she thought made Santo’s presence so special.
“Animals in general are such beautiful parts of God’s creation, and you know, ‘dog’ is ‘God’ spelled backwards,” Raynor said. “So we have this little spark of the divine here in a dog’s body, who is walking around, who is really all love and all joy. He reminds us to take a breath and have some fun, and to know that there’s at least one creature on campus who will love you unconditionally.”
Santo, full of love – and probably treats too – seems to bring joy by doing even the smallest things. Joerger shared that the pet has become something of a conversation starter and has brought students completely uninvolved with CMSA together.
“When I’m walking outside [with Santo], people see him and they stop and say ‘Can I pet the dog?,’” Joerger said. “…And then they all get around the dog, and they start talking to each other.”
Santo helps MU’s campus become more connected by drawing students away from typical college stressors, and back into the community that serves one another through support. Joerger noticed that despite the many chairs within the Cornerstone, people prefer to sit on the floor with Santo. He shared what he hopes Santo’s presence continues to bring to MU’s campus.
“[There is] a sense that this is a safe place,” Joerger said. “And you can be whoever you are, because Santo…he doesn’t ask any questions. He just accepts you as you are and hopefully that’s what we can do for one another.”
Santo’s presence at MU has touched the lives of many who walk its halls, whether it is just one interaction with him that keeps someone from tears, or they decide to devote days on end to working with CMSA. It’s a “wonder” that a dog manages to bring humans together just through existing, and it reminds us that community is easier to achieve than we think.
Visit the CMSA Cornerstone located in Miguel 209 on Nov. 15 right after Sunday Mass at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate Santo’s one year birthday party. The CMSA invites all students and faculty to celebrate MU’s god-squad dog’s ascent into young-adulthood, with cake and cuddles from Santo.