Walking through the open door
Gardner, for his part, found the Catholic Church through an open door — literally.
Raised in a non-denominational church, Gardner attended Bible school as a youngster, but as he grew older, he found himself increasingly disengaged, longing for a deeper spirituality.
“For years, I was kind of disconnected from that particular church style,” Gardner said. “My family would go, but I just wasn’t being fed or getting much out of it.”
Gardner wasn't done with God, but he knew he was searching for something more — even if he wasn't quite sure what it was or where to find it.
David Gardner, second from right, is pictured with his wife Juliet, son Tyler and daughter Gabrielle during the Rite of Sending this year at St. Andrew Parish in Rochester, where Tyler is currently a catechumen. David Gardner was baptized last year during the Easter vigil at St. Andrew. (Photos courtesy of David Gardner)
David Gardner, second from right, is pictured with his wife Juliet, son Tyler and daughter Gabrielle during the Rite of Sending this year at St. Andrew Parish in Rochester, where Tyler is currently a catechumen. David Gardner was baptized last year during the Easter vigil at St. Andrew. (Photos courtesy of David Gardner)
Years earlier, he attended a Christmas Eve midnight Mass at a Catholic church, and remembered being moved by the beauty and majesty of the experience.
“That was my first foray into the Catholic Church. I really didn’t know anything about it,” Gardner said. “I had no idea about the sacredness (of the Eucharist). I was just starting from scratch, but it led me on a path where I wanted God in my life again.”
Yearning to recapture that feeling, Gardner started looking for Catholic churches to visit — not necessarily to talk to anyone, but just to casually drop in — and he found one whose door was literally wide open.
“I travel around a lot, so I would go over to the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak and just start praying and lighting candles, saying prayers,” Gardner said. “The nice thing about Shrine is it’s open all day, so I would sometimes go and just pray for a bit and enjoy the church by myself.”
After a while, Gardner found himself returning to the Shrine “maybe once a month” to pray, and before long, he began attending Mass. Despite the Royal Oak parish being 40 minutes from his home, Gardner found himself returning over and over again, convinced he’d found something rare.
“I had no idea that all Masses around the world are the same,” Gardner laughed. “I just thought, ‘Wow, the Mass is incredible.’ It would draw me in, and I just kept going back (to Shrine), not knowing that my local parish was having the same Mass.”
Gardner began sharing his experience with his wife, Juliet, who was baptized in the Maronite faith but had also been attending the non-denominational church where the couple met. After discerning together, David decided to join RCIA at Shrine, while Juliet slowly began rediscovering the Catholic faith of her youth.
After a few weeks, Gardner’s RCIA leader at Shrine suggested he check out St. Andrew in Rochester, which was closer to home. He did, and was baptized, confirmed and received his first Communion at the Easter vigil in April 2022.
A year later, Gardner says he’s still a “work in progress” but is thrilled God led him to seek out the Catholic faith, which he says provides structure and keeps him accountable.
Fr. Grayson Heenan, center, presides over David and Juliet Gardner's vows during a convalidation of their marriage at St. Andrew Parish in Rochester.
Fr. Grayson Heenan, center, presides over David and Juliet Gardner's vows during a convalidation of their marriage at St. Andrew Parish in Rochester.
David Gardner and his son, Tyler, sport ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. The younger Gardner is currently in OCIA, preparing to be baptized during this year's Easter vigil.
David Gardner and his son, Tyler, sport ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. The younger Gardner is currently in OCIA, preparing to be baptized during this year's Easter vigil.
“The more I learn about the Catholic faith and how it applies and the sacraments and the Eucharist, it just all made sense to me,” Gardner said. “What I like is that there’s levels of accountability on your daily walk with God. As someone with a computer-based background, dealing with binary ones and zeroes, that made sense to me.”
Although he’s been Catholic for a year, Gardner isn’t finished with RCIA (now OCIA) just yet. This year, his son, Tyler, and one of his cousins are catechumens at St. Andrew, preparing for their own baptisms at this year’s Easter vigil.
With the perspective of a man who's found a treasure, he advises his son and others walking the same path to trust God’s nudging — even when the destination seems unclear.
“For me, it was about letting go of my preconceived ideas and walking through this experience by letting God touch me how He wants to touch me,” Gardner said. “Being able to partake in the Eucharist and in Mass is something I look forward to each week. It continually brings me peace.
“One of the beautiful things about the Catholic Church is that there’s already a framework there,” Gardner added. “And God can guide you every day, even after your baptism and confirmation.”