Bonaventure Magazine | Winter 2022-23

Resiliency in the Face of Tragedy

St. Bonaventure alumni Catherine M. Roberts and Joe Spino played pivotal roles in the aftermath of the race-motivated May 14 mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that killed 10 people and injured three others.

Cover Story

A high school immersion trip planted the seeds for Jeff Gingerich’s curiosity about social injustice and set the course for an academic career rooted in service. Meet St. Bonaventure University’s 22nd president.

Reflecting on 36 Years at St. Bonaventure Whether in the classroom, a science lab or hiking a woodland trail, Fr. Peter Schneible, O.F.M., associate professor of biology, keeps his focus on the present moment and what it means to share it with others.

Greetings from the most welcoming place on earth

Just over six months on campus and I’ve already come to realize that St. Bonaventure is the most welcoming place on earth Our mission statement resonates with the words of St. Bonaventure himself: “There can be no knowledge without love ” What an extraordinary statement

It’s no wonder why Thomas Merton, in reflecting on his time at St. Bonaventure in the early 1940s, wrote: “I did not know that I had found a place where I was going to discover something about happiness.”

And here lies the real challenge how do we hold onto this great St. Bonaventure tradition while at the same time transforming into a university that accepts and prepares students for a new generation and a new world?

It is fitting that we look first to our Franciscan tradition and mission It is who we are and who we must always remain As Pope Benedict wrote of our university’s patron saint: “ … For St. Bonaventure, the whole of our life is a journey, a pilgrimage, an ascent to God.”

We must, therefore, always be moving, changing our perspectives as we encounter new things Anything else can leave us searching for relevance as the world swirls around us.

I’m reminded of Jesus’s parable of new and old wineskins in the Gospels When questioned about why his disciples were not practicing the tradition of fasting, he responded:

“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” (Mark 2:22, NIV)

Jesus’s parable was really just science. New wine must be put into fresh wineskins. If you allow new wine to be poured into old wineskins while the fermentation process is still happening, the old wineskins, already dried up, will crack and explode

At St Bonaventure, we must commit ourselves to renewal, ensuring that we can prepare ourselves to accept and serve a

St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees

Michael Hickey, ’84

Board Chair

Steven G Barry, ’88

Board Vice Chair

Carol A Schumacher, ’78

Board Vice Chair

Daniel Horan, O F M , ’05

Board Secretary

new generation of students in a new world

In reflecting on the parable of new wine in old wineskins, our wonderful Franciscan brother Fr Richard Rohr, O F M , emphasized a change in culture, a change in the way of doing things:

“It’s not enough to talk about some kind of new inebriating wine, some new ideas,” Fr. Richard said. “Without new wineskins changed institutions, systems, and structures

I would argue that transformation cannot be deep or lasting.”

What this means for us is that we must accept the challenge at this point in our journey to embrace and apply the best of our traditions and practices to serve a new generation of students, our “ new wine.” This generation is more diverse and more accepting of diversity.

This generation is motivated to be entrepreneurs, and they want to help make a more just and fair world This generation is still reeling from a youth spent locked down in the COVID pandemic and is searching for meaningful answers.

In true Franciscan spirit, this generation is deeply concerned about the environment and the future of our fragile planet. If we pour this generation into our old wineskins, they will explode it and look elsewhere for their support. It is imperative that St Bonaventure become the new vessel, the new wineskins, for a new generation and a new world

And if it’s going to happen in higher education, I’m confident that it will happen at Bona’s. As the poet Emily Dickinson once extolled: “I dwell in possibility.”

Let us all dwell in the possibilities of St Bonaventure University.

Excerpted from Dr. Gingerich’s Inauguration address, Oct 1, 2022 To listen to his entire speech, go to https://tinyurl.com/26phb3tu

Michael A Anderson, ’77

Judy Baumgartner, ’91

Norbert A Bennett, ’62

Luke H Brown, ’89

George Camacho, O F M

Pikai Chiang, ’84

Pat Doyle, ’80

Michael T Fossaceca, ’88

Mark R Gianniny

Jeff Gingerich

Gerry Helper, ’79

Linh N Hoang, O F M

Laurie R Krupa, ’82

Molly Kulesz-Martin ’71

William J Lawley Jr , ’85

Margaret Magee, O S F

Kristan K McMahon, ’97

Kevin J Mullen O F M

Mark Murphy, ’91

Richard A Penna, ’68

Susanna Stitt, ’99

James T Walsh L H D ’70

Kevin Watkins

Trustees Emeriti

Robert J Daugherty, ’77

John R “Jack” McGinley, L H D , ’65

Charles Osgood, L H D

Leslie C Quick III, L H D , 75

John D Sheehan, ’82

President Jeff Gingerich, Ph D , at his Inauguration Ceremony Oct 1 in the Reilly Center

Resiliency in the face of tragedy

Two St. Bonaventure University alumni played pivotal roles in the aftermath of the race-motivated May 14 mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that killed 10 people and injured three others.

Catherine M Roberts, who earned her MBA from St. Bonaventure in 2018, was just a year into her new job as president and CEO of the Resource Council of Western New York when the shooting occurred at Tops Friendly Markets’ Jefferson Avenue store on Buffalo’s impoverished East Side The store is just a few blocks away from the council’s home in a former YMCA building.

Her team would spring into action. Partnering with Tops and FeedMore Western New York, and utilizing donations from across the region, the Resource Council set up a free outdoor food and essentials distribution program that would run for nine weeks and serve more than 78,000 residents.

The Resource Council also became the hub for numerous law enforcement and government agencies investigating the shooting, as well as a one-stop shop for residents to get grief counseling and access the many other services once available from the Tops store, which closed for two months following the shooting.

Story by Tom Donahue | Photos by Danny Bush

Catherine M Roberts sits in the newly created East Side Resiliency Center at the Resource Council of Western New York

The Resource Council would later be named the tragedy’s official Resiliency Center a federal designation following every mass shooting in the U.S. As such, it will receive funding for three years for the establishment of a safe place for anyone impacted by the shooting to come for ongoing counseling, financial assistance and other needs.

Joe Spino, special projects coordinator in the office of Erie County District Attorney John Flynn, was one of those who called on Roberts and the Resource Council immediately after the shooting.

“We reached out to Catherine to ask if she’d be willing to open her building for a victim assistance center and she graciously agreed,” said Spino, who earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St Bonaventure in 1999 and his MBA in 2008

“The Tops store in that community wasn’t just a supermarket, it was like a community center, a place where people paid their bills and did their banking A lot of things were happening there,” Spino said.

Tops was indeed a treasured community resource and gathering spot, Roberts said “It’s the hub of the community in terms of making sure that people not only have food, but that they can take care of things like paying utility and cable bills, applying for home heating assistance, or getting a money order It was also a place where people went to run into friends or catch up with neighbors,” she said.

Roberts, whose family roots are in the area, remembers the East Side of her youth, when it was known as the Cold Spring community

“It was a walkable, thriving community of homeowners who loved their village, where homes were manicured and businesses abounded You could truly borrow a cup of sugar, ” she said.

“Unfortunately, as I got older the community got older. People moved away, people passed on and businesses closed The homes that were once so beautiful started to decline Over time this community was left behind.”

It’s one of the reasons she “stepped out on faith” and accepted the Resource Council position deep into her professional career Roberts was previously a senior vice president for the Community Action Organization of Western New York, where she worked for 15 years Prior to that, she worked for 15 years in promotions and public affairs for WBLK radio in Buffalo.

“It was a very difficult decision, leaving a job

that I so loved and a work family I’d been through the trenches with, but I knew this facility needed me more, ” Roberts said “I feel as if I’m on assignment, and my charge, working with our community partners, the city of Buffalo and all those who believe in this region, is to bring back our once very vibrant community.”

The Tops Supermarkets shooting heaped more despair on a community that has long suffered from poverty and neglect, Spino agreed “Many would say that the East Side community has been neglected. There’s been little reinvestment in the area and the people living there now have really suffered from a lack of services,” he said.

Joe Spino sits in Friedsam Library on a recent visit to campus

That need was glaringly evident in the aftermath of the shooting and the Tops closing, when the Resource Council saw a steady stream of people seeking food or services that they could not get elsewhere

“While the center was initially for victims those in the store or parking lot at the time of the tragedy it became clear early on that it needed to serve the whole community, since Tops had provided so many services. We pivoted so that the center was playing more of a community center role, offering help with utilities, food, banking and other services,” Spino said.

“One of my roles was to coordinate staffing from victim assistance programs throughout the state who wanted to assist here in Buffalo. Any victim of this tragedy could come in and receive services, whether it be counseling or just being able to talk to somebody We had more than 1,000 people come in during those first few months. The tragedy brought to the forefront the needs that this community has had for a long time ”

New York Gov Kathy Hochul has committed $50 million for the revitalization of Buffalo’s East Side, which holds a disproportionate number of the city’s dilapidated, vacant and abandoned homes

Roberts exudes an unshakeable confidence that efforts to help restore the community’s charm and economic vitality will succeed.

“It’s going to happen,” she said. “We’ve always been resilient, but because of this tragedy we ’ re now laser-focused on a strategy to finally say we deserve better than this We want to look like other communities that are thriving, with businesses that have jobs for teenagers, a community that people want to believe in again.”

Roberts is grateful for the outpouring of support that has come to the council and the neighborhood

“I can’t thank this community and our partners in government and law enforcement enough. It’s just been amazing to see our community come together this way, ” she said. “It’s unfortunate that it had to come together for this particular reason, but this community is no longer one that’s on the back burner

“The promise of what’s to come is very encouraging. Now is the time when we can really make a difference, that we can do some things that are impactful for this community, not only today, but for future generations ”

The council’s designation as the official tragedy Resiliency Center has provided funding for the hiring of additional staff and for the opening of a satellite location on Jefferson Avenue, near the recently reopened Tops store, where those affected by the shooting can access counseling in a more private and confidential setting

“We’re going to be here, our doors are going to be open, and

tigating the shooting

we ’ re going to continue to serve this community as best we can, ” Roberts said. “When people walk through our doors for whatever they may need, we try to make sure that when they leave they are in a better place ”

She trusts that history will not repeat itself.

“I always tell individuals I encounter, who know our story and are familiar with what we ’ ve been through as a community, just don’t forget about us, ” she said “Think about this community and what we had to go through, what we survived.

“Now that the cameras have gone away, now that people are starting to shop at Tops again, now that we ’ re getting back to normal if that’s what you want to call it don’t forget that the pain is still very real. There is still great need.”

(Tom Donahue, ’76, is the content webmaster in the Office of Marketing & Communications at St. Bonaventure.)

Editor’s note: Payton Gendron, 19, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28 to 10 counts of first-degree murder and other charges in the May 14 racist attack at a Tops Friendly Markets store The charges come with a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the chance for parole

The Resource Council of Western New York, just a few blocks from Tops’ Jefferson Avenue store, became a hub for East Side residents seeking resources as well as police and government agencies inves-

Alumni group transitions from board to council structure

St. Bonaventure’s National Alumni Association Board is streamlining its operation to become more efficient and make more of an impact.

The transition to the new model became official at the NAAB’s fall meeting.

“The new structure of the Alumni Council will allow for greater flexibility and efficiency in its partnership with the Office of University Advancement and other university representatives,” said Dr Jeff Gingerich, university president

“More importantly,” Gingerich said, “the development of guiding principles will also create more structure and intentionality to the council’s efforts to bolster alumni engagement. I think this is such a positive step forward to take advantage of an alumni base that continues to amaze me with its passion and desire to support the university ”

Those guiding principles include: supporting the mission and pro- • moting the interests of the university continuing to strengthen the Bona • Network for all alumni and students fostering a diverse and inclusive • alumni community, one where all identities, experiences, and backgrounds come together to contribute to a strong and welcoming Bona family.

working to increase alumni en- • gagement with and in support of St. Bonaventure via a wide range of opportunities including professional and social networking, volunteerism, and continuous learning. promoting St Bonaventure as a • preferred school of choice encouraging philanthropic invest- • ment in the university.

In the transition from a board to a council, some changes will be made to the roles on the leadership team. The president and vice president roles will become chair and vice chair, respectively During the transition period, the two current vice presidents will share the role of vice chair.

Pat Doyle, ’81, will remain chair, and

Prior to the October Alumni Council meeting,

gathering for the council

Stephanie Karnas, ’06, and Mary Beth Wells, ’76, will share the role of vice chair until 2024. The role of secretary, held currently by Laurie Forino Colagiovanni, ’88, will remain part of the leadership team Additionally, a new role has been added to the leadership team; Emily Ciraolo, ’08, ’09, has been appointed by the university as alumni chapter representative All five of their terms expire in two years

Beginning in 2024, Alumni Council officers will be appointed by staff from University Advancement, subject to the approval of the university president Formal officer elections by the Alumni Council members are no longer necessary.

The chair of the Alumni Council will continue to serve as an ex-officio member of the St. Bonaventure Board of Trustees during the time of their term as chair

Council membership will eventually be right-sized from 29 to 20 members, but gradually over the course of the next few years as the terms of current board members expire

“This leaner structure aligns with national best practices to maximize alumni engagement,” said Bob Van Wicklin, vice president for University Advancement. “The new model focuses the priorities of the Alumni Council on needs that are more defined and aligned directly with university goals.”

Twenty Alumni Council members are optimal to carry through this work in a more engaging manner for “ everyone involved with enhancing the impact of our remarkable alumni network,” Van Wicklin added

“What’s important to understand,” Doyle said, “is that the new structure makes room for non-elected members to serve on committees as needed, which fosters inclusivity while also building a pipeline of potential new Alumni Council members.”

The decision to move to a more streamlined council structure was made collaboratively with NAAB members, Gingerich and Advancement Office staff members after initial discussions about the mission of the group were held at the NAAB meeting in April

President Jeff Gingerich and Betsy Gingerich hosted a

The campaign for A BOLDER BONAVENTURE

ignite. inspire. invest.

Be a founder of our future

We’re setting out to build A Bolder Bonaventure for generations to come. This past fall, St. Bonaventure launched the largest campaign in its history. Comprehensive in scope, the campaign named A Bolder Bonaventure: Ignite Inspire Invest seeks to raise $125 million by May 31, 2025. As of Dec. 1, 2022, more than $87.3 million has been raised. Our goal? Make sure the university is equipped to navigate a lifetime of change and uncertainty, manifesting its true potential. It’s a future we can’t begin to create without YOU!

Plans include the creation of a state-ofthe-art broadcast production suite (above) and a newsroom of the future for the Jandoli School of Communication.

Learn how you can help ignite and inspire students through your investment.

Scan this code or visit sbu edu/ABolderBonaventure

Athletics is at the forefront of the campaign, with a nearly 10,000-square-foot Ath letics Performance Cen te r planned. It will include space that is five times the size of the current weight room facility, allowing space for several teams to train at the same time using state-of-the-art equipment Also planned is a turf field with air-supported structure, more commonly known as a “bubble ” With a field large enough to accommodate Bona’s Division I sports, as well as rugby, the planned facility will bring Bonnies teams out of the harsh Western New York winter elements and allow for year-round training.

Your campaign gift will help build A Bolder Bonaventure by:

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Broadening the health care learning environment within the popular Dennis R DePerro School of Health Professions

Transforming St Bonaventure’s athletics facilities and ensuring a strongly competitive Division I experience for every student-athlete

Modernizing facilities and enhancing technology within the Jandoli School of Communication

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Ensuring an intellectual journey that explores a larger context for our students’ personal, professional and civic lives through academic mission and student experience

Delivering a transformational Franciscan experience for every member of the community through Franciscan mission and ministries

Boosting The Bonaventure Fund, which provides financial aid and makes possible St Bonaventure’s unique brand of Franciscan higher education

‘The right place for me ’

Humility and humor blend with ‘substance and steel’ in St Bonaventure University’s 22nd president

By TOM MISSEL

The image may seem incongruous: a white college grad with a social work degree laughing with kids at a middle school in New Orleans while teaching conflict resolution.

In a cardigan, pleated khakis and a turtleneck.

This isn’t a photo from a critically panned prequel to “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” that never made it to television This is 24-yearold Jeff Gingerich, St. Bonaventure’s 22nd president, who stepped far outside his comfort zone to better understand the world beyond the Iowa pig farm he grew up on, a world far more complex than he imagined.

Gingerich didn’t go to New Orleans to add an impressive bullet point to his resume. He signed up for two years but stayed for four more to manage the conflict resolution programming of the Twomey Center for Peace through Justice at Loyola University for room, board and a $100 monthly stipend.

He stayed, he said, because he didn’t want to be part of the “revolving door of volunteers” who often left those they came to help feeling a bit jaded. Those words compelled Gingerich to stay.

“I wanted to make more of a commitment,” he said “I actually became the program manager for all the other volunteers my last four years, which allowed me to work more directly with the community. It was during this time that I decided I wanted to be a sociologist This ongoing conversation with the community made me realize there are bigger systemic issues and cultures that I wanted to understand.

“I learned so much more from the students and community members than I ever taught them The experience of living in a diverse, urban community allowed me to reflect and challenge my place in the world. Those six years informed so much of what I did at Cabrini and Scranton, and what I want to continue to do at St Bonaventure ”

The seeds of Gingerich’s curiosity about social injustice were sown years before when his high school basketball coach took a small group of students to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1985, for a weeklong immersion to hear from civil rights leaders less than 20 years removed from the tumult of the 1960s

In advance of the trip, the students were asked to read “Let Justice Roll Down” by Dr. John Perkins, a civil rights activist and founder of Voice of Calvary Ministries, which hosted the student group.

“We were able to hear directly from some of the people that we read about and you could see Jeff just got it He was so engaged, as all the kids were, in really wrestling with these issues of racism and social justice,” said Dwight Gingerich (no relation), still the boys basketball coach and now the principal at Hillcrest Academy (formerly Iowa Mennonite School) in Kalona, Iowa

The experience in Mississippi broadened Gingerich’s worldview and set the course for an academic career rooted in service.

He studied abroad during his sophomore year at Hesston Community College in Kansas, working with peanut farmers and a school for the deaf in Jamaica, and he interned at a mediation center his senior year at Eastern Mennonite while working on his bachelor’s degree in social work.

“I didn’t know yet if I wanted to be a social worker, but I knew I wanted to help people,” Gingerich said

The foundation for that desire was rooted in the tiny farming community of Holbrook, Iowa, which lost its post office in 1953 and the Catholic church at the heart of town in 1996

“My dad was working for other farmers but wanted to start his own farm so he bought this abandoned farmhouse the year I was born (1968),” said Gingerich, the middle child of three. “The farm he grew up on we could see across the field.”

At the time, 6 miles removed from the relative civilization of

He has this easy way of helping folks to see the wisdom of something, and to move toward that goal without being pushed or dragged. He really leads in a way that others want to follow.

“

– Gerry Zaboski

Gingerich (12) led the league in assists as a senior at Eastern Mennonite College

Parnell, Iowa pop. 234 in 1980 Gingerich wondered what having more kids to play with would be like. Now?

“I realize it was an ideal childhood in so many ways. My (older) sister and I were closest in age and we had so much fun playing down by the creek,” Gingerich said. “And the amount of time I got to spend with my dad was amazing. There was a lot of work to do on the farm, but when there wasn’t, my little brother and I would always be playing catch or shooting hoops with him, depending on the season: baseball, football or basketball ”

What Gingerich inherited from his dad, Warren, who was educated in a one-room schoolhouse in Holbrook, was a leadership style grounded in quiet confidence and collaboration

“My father is a remarkable guy, the guy who people looked to in the church community for leadership, but he did it in a very quiet way, ” Gingerich said.

Gingerich also learned the value of hard work growing up on a farm, raising pigs that he still brags about 43 years later

“You are looking at the grand champion swine winner of the 1979 Iowa County Fair. We cleaned up that year, ” Gingerich said with a big smile. “That’s how I would make my money, raising and selling pigs that and bailing a lot of hay for my grandfather and neighbors ”

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That work ethic carried over to the basketball court “Jeff was a good shooter, very fundamentally sound and worked so hard to develop his skills,” said Coach Gingerich, who is sixth all-time in victories for Iowa boys basketball. “And he was very unselfish He was great with his teammates and loved by his classmates Even then, he had that twinkle in his eye that wins people over so easily.”

Gingerich’s time abroad in Jamaica derailed his playing career at Hesston CC, but he decided to get back in shape and give it another shot at Eastern Mennonite College

“Leadership wise, that experience was pivotal for me, ” said Gingerich, who led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in as-

sists his senior year. “I was still a pretty shy kid and not very confident, but playing basketball at Eastern Mennonite forced me to take on a leadership role. Otherwise, as a transfer student, I could have probably just kept to myself if I hadn’t played ”

After completing his doctoral dissertation in sociology from Penn while teaching at Bluffton University, Gingerich spent 14 years at Cabrini University in suburban Philadelphia (20052018), teaching in the Department of Sociology and Criminology his first four years

Just a couple weeks into his tenure at Cabrini, Gingerich traveled with a group of faculty colleagues to visit the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, founded by Mother Cabrini in 1880 Dr Mary Van Brunt, an economics professor at the time and eventually the dean of the business school, helped to organize the trip.

“Jeff was kind of quiet at first but then we started talking about how impressed we were with the mission and the service of the sisters, and he just starts talking about the mission, and how we can take this to what we were doing at Cabrini,” said Van Brunt, who in October was named president of Spring Hill College in Alabama

“I just looked at him and thought, ‘Wow, this guy is brand new, and he already gets it. He already understands the charism of the sisters and the mission of the college.’ I didn’t even realize at the time he wasn’t Catholic ”

A few months later, the two were on a small team that went to a workshop at Catholic University to create the Justice Matters curriculum that became the cornerstone of the mission for the college

“Jeff transitioned into Cabrini so seamlessly that it was hard to believe it was his first semester,” Van Brunt said. “I realized pretty quickly that he really knows this stuff I mean, really knows it and believes it and lives it. His commitment to social justice is genuine and obvious in all that he does We used to joke that he was a better Catholic than we were ”

After nine years in the classroom at Bluffton and Cabrini, Gingerich ventured to the “dark side,” as Van Brunt called it, taking

t Gingerich raised champion pigs as a boy in Iowa p Gingerich has lunch with a family in St Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, while studying abroad as a junior college student (1987) u Gingerich helps to install a basketball hoop “made from anything we could find” in Jamaica (1987)

ABOVE:

“

TOP: Gingerich receives blessings and well wishes from the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and Buffalo Bishop Michael W Fisher at his Inaugural Mass

The president greets students and shares doughnuts on the first day of fall classes

It just felt right. Each step of the way, that’s the way it felt. I’m not one to use the word ‘calling ’ very often, but this felt like the right place for me.

Gingerich has enjoyed meeting as many members of the campus community as he can, which even meant helping first-year students lug dorm essentials to their rooms on move-in day

over as dean for Academic Affairs in 2009 before being named provost and vice president for Academic Affairs in 2014

“His students really loved and respected him, and were very disappointed when he became an administrator, but that’s when his contributions really flourished,” said Van Brunt, who introduced Gingerich at his SBU Inauguration Oct 1 “As president (at Bonaventure), I think he can reach even more students and have a greater impact on them.”

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Gingerich said he “loved being in the classroom” and asking his students the “hard questions his college professors asked of him.” He stepped in as interim dean in 2008 because, “I thought I might be able to look at higher ed from a bigger picture,” he said “I discovered that I liked administration, that I liked meetings I know, what’s wrong with me, right? and that I liked fundraising.

“What I really liked was that I could get outside of just sociology and criminology and talk with faculty and students in all of the other disciplines.”

Aspiring to the top rung on the higher ed ladder was not on his to-do list. He left Cabrini in 2018 to be the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Scranton

“Being a chief academic officer was kind of the ideal for me, ” Gingerich said. “Because of all the pressure involved the crisis management, the fundraising, managing a budget I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to be a president ”

Gerry Zaboski, one of his closest colleagues during his four years at Scranton, knew better; knew that his good friend was presidential material. Now the senior vice president for the Of-

fice of the President, Zaboski was vice provost when he worked closely with Gingerich to launch a strategic enrollment plan at Scranton

“Jeff was able to move the levers in a meaningful way, enabling us to move quickly when previously we would have moved slowly,” Zaboski said. “The ability to move where the market is going in a snappy way is essential, and Jeff was able to accomplish that without consternation He has this easy way of helping folks to see the wisdom of something, and to move toward that goal without being pushed or dragged. He really leads in a way that others want to follow ”

Gingerich helped develop programs in mechanical engineering, speech language pathology, and communication sciences and disorders at Scranton, but he also paid attention to the mundane.

“We made wonderful progress on stuff like policy, things that people don’t pay attention to but make a real difference,” Zaboski said. “Jeff had a knack of knowing where the energy needed to go and was able to get people on board in a way that was welcoming and empowering ”

Blending a sense of purpose with a self-deprecating sense of humor has served Gingerich well, Zaboski said.

“Jeff has a wonderful sense of humor that can’t be understated and that allows people to have an instant rapport with him That sort of authenticity was really valued at Scranton and I’m sure it will be at Bonaventure, too,” Zaboski said.

“But he matches that humor with substance and steel. He has the grit to put his shoulder to something to get it done. He’s not one to tell you what to do, but someone who will work with you to get things done.”

Eventually, buoyed by the encouragement of colleagues at

Gingerich addresses alumni and donors at Highmark Stadium the day after the public launch of the Bolder Bonaventure campaign He has spent a busy fall on the road meeting alumni and friends of the university

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After his first Zoom interview with St. Bonaventure’s Presidential Search Committee, Gingerich admitted, “It just felt right. Each step of the way, that’s the way it felt I’m not one to use the word ‘calling’ very often, but this felt like the right place for me

“I always felt like the Franciscan charism would be a draw and the search committee was very clear: We want someone who will fulfill our Franciscan mission That’s all that mattered to them and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do that ”

Van Brunt, his longtime Cabrini colleague, has witnessed more than once Gingerich’s compassion and integrity, values that are at the core of St. Bonaventure’s Franciscan mission.

“I’ve been with him when he’s reached out to people experiencing homelessness to interact in a way that many people are nervous to,” she said. “He’s such a humble role model in that regard so I think the Franciscans are a perfect order for him.”

Though Jeff Gingerich graduated more than 35 years ago, Dwight Gingerich has followed Jeff’s career closely and thinks so highly of him that he invited him back to speak at Hillcrest’s graduation in the spring.

“I’m so proud of him,” Dwight said “Jeff has the disposition and personality to engage so many different kinds of people He’s unflappable and not easily given to anger. Jeff is such a positive person so what he’s achieved doesn’t surprise me at all.”

(Tom Missel is chief communications officer at St Bonaventure )

Betsy and Jeff Gingerich

Cabrini and Scranton, Gingerich decided he was ready to pursue a presidency.

Looking back on more than 35 years at St.

Bonaventure Fr. Peter Schneible, O.F.M.

By Susan Anderson

As a friar, teacher, and biological researcher, Fr. Peter Schneible, O.F.M., sees relationship between geography and spirituality He often hikes mountain trails or bikes to the point the pavement ends on the West Branch Road near St. Bonaventure University’s campus, where he has taught biology for nearly 37 years.

“To be out in nature is something I love,” Fr Peter said “The beauty of it inspires me ”

From the hushed whiteness of the winter woods to the summer months when wildlife is on the move, he says that the valley cradling campus and the mountains that surround it have shaped his life

He first visited campus back in 1958, when he was just 7 years old. It was Parents Weekend and his only sibling, Richard, 10 years older, had just begun his freshman year as a physics major.

Fr Peter remembers the peaceful feeling he found here, which he now realizes was the Franciscan spirit that permeates campus.

“St Bonaventure sets up an environment for people to interact with each other,” he said. “The Franciscan spirit is definitely carried by a lot of people on this campus. Whether they’re people of faith or not, they sense something here ”

Professed as a friar in 1984, Fr. Peter holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Vermont and a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from St Bonaventure He is proud to share that six members of his family have graduated from Bona’s with degrees in physics, making Schneible the most often seen name on the list of physics graduates.

Once a student here, Fr. Peter quickly learned to appreciate the goodwill and understanding of more than a few of the friars.

“Fr. Conrad Harkins was a great homilist and Fr. Hugh Eller was so very kind,” he said. These friars and others helped him feel at home, paving the way to the deeper dialogue he needed as a young man

Photo by DANNY BUSH

THE PATH TO THE FRIARS AND TEACHING

It wasn’t until he attended graduate school years later that he felt a calling to become a friar. The death of an ex-girlfriend who died as the result of an automobile accident at the age of 26 forced him to realize the fragility of life

Around the same time, he attended the 25th ordination celebration of the pastor of his home parish in Rome, New York

“All of that got me thinking about the friars,” he said, “and about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”

Digging out an old pamphlet he’d found as a senior at St Bonaventure, Fr Peter began the multi-step process of becoming a friar Following postdoctoral work and his profession of final vows, he was assigned by Holy Name Province to St. Bonaventure.

From his earliest days here, in addition to carrying a full teaching load, he served as a minister-in-residence, fostering spiritual growth and offering guidance to students as well as partnering with student RAs. Today he lives in Shay Hall, always available to talk, listen or lend a helping hand.

Teaching has been one of Fr Peter’s great joys He figures he has instructed roughly 2,200 Bona students through the years and has influenced the lives of countless others through his work as an academic adviser and minister-inresidence

It has been in the lab where a lot of discussion takes place “You get to know the students very well because with scientific methodologies, you’ll be busy, busy, busy, but then you’ll have to wait for some process to occur. You get a chance to talk with students,” he said

ALWAYS READY TO SERVE

It is those types of conversations that have formed strong bonds through the decades. He’s been the officiant at numerous Bonnie weddings, baptisms and burials. And every Reunion Weekend, former students seek him out, eager to share their news and catch up with the friar who was once their mentor and has since become a good friend.

“He’s been such an important part of our lives,” said Kathy (McGuinness) Deyell, ’90 (MA, ’94), of Tonawanda, New York

She and her husband, Dan Deyell, ’92, met Fr. Peter during his first years on campus when he was known as Br. Peter. He played guitar, was a member of music ministry and oversaw Alpha Phi Omega, a coed service fraternity Saturday evenings spent with a group eating ice cream at Friendly’s after music rehearsal eventually became regular meals together at the Hickey and a lifetime of staying in touch

“He is always there, ready to serve, ” said Dan Deyell Kathy and Dan were married by Fr. Peter, who christened all five of their sons and officiated at the funeral for their stillborn daughter

“He was a wonderful friend to come help us grieve,” said Kathy Deyell. “He is so giving of his time and is willing to do anything for you. Even as a student, you always knew he was genuinely interested in you as a person, an individual.”

COMMITTED TO FRIENDS & FAITH

For Br Joe Kotula, O F M , a friar living at Mt Irenaeus, Fr Peter has been a 40-year friend The two entered the pe-

TOP PHOTO: Fr Peter christens Aidan Peter Deyell, his namesake and son of alums Kathy and Dan Deyell Aidan's older brothers Tim and Kieran, who were also baptized by Fr Peter, watch attentively ABOVE: Fr Peter and Br Joe are pictured during their pre-novitiate year (1982-1983) at Holy Cross in the Bronx, along with their formation directors, Br Alan Thomas, O F M , and Fr Brennan Connelly, O F M , and others who began the process of joining the Franciscans that year

riod of formation together and have been spiritual brothers ever since.

Br. Joe likes to joke that Fr. Peter is the reason for his gray hair But the truth is, he greatly admires Fr Peter’s strong commitment to his faith and to life

“He is truly a holy man, ” Br. Joe said, emotion tightening his voice.

The two share a love of hiking and have faced some challenging routes together They trekked for eight days through the vastness of Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve, sharing the trails with caribou, mountain sheep and a few grizzly bears. In the Colorado Rockies, they took on six miles of steep terrain to reach the solitude and beauty of Lawn Lake It wasn’t until they hiked Wildcat Mountain, a demanding part of the Appalachian Trail, that they didn’t finish a hike together.

Building A Bolder Bonaventure Presidential Tour

University President Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., is sharing his vision of building A Bolder Bonaventure in partnership with alumni and friends across the country Days before his official inauguration, Gingerich and his wife, Betsy, took to the road to deliver details of the exciting $125 million comprehensive campaign launched in September.

Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, home of the Buffalo Bills, served as the kickoff venue with 160 faithful Bonnies on hand to learn about the campaign, tour the Bills’ locker room, and enjoy a photo opportunity on the field.

Other settings visited this past fall include Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and various locales in Rochester, New York, Essex Falls, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, and New York City

“Wildcat is a ski mountain. Up or down, it’s tough,” Br Joe said “That day, Peter opted for the ski lift because of the difficulty. He offered to take on the burden of my pack so that I could hike the full trail, which meant a lot to me. That’s just the kind of guy he is ”

Whether in the classroom, the lab or hiking a woodland trail, Fr. Peter keeps his focus on the present moment and what it means to share it with others

He begins each class and lab with a moment of silence. He takes that time to pray for his students and for their interaction together, and he invites them to do the same or to just enjoy the quiet

“It’s important to me that there is a deeper level to our interactions,” Fr. Peter said. “Community is a very important aspect of Franciscan life and it’s very important for the ethos of our campus I want to honor that with the silence and with my presence. ”

Given the number of alumni Fr. Peter has positively influenced through the decades, the power of his presence and his prayers clearly matter.

Susan Anderson is director of fundraising communications at St. Bonaventure.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Jeff and Betsy Gingerich on a visit to Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills More tour stops are planned by Jeff and Betsy for this winter and spring. Be sure to bookmark the Alumni events page online at sbu edu/alumnievents for future dates and locations

One man’s plan to give back to Bona

By Fran Machina, ’82

When Bonnie alumni retire, they consider what to do with their time. They often volunteer to give back to their community. Many of us want to give back to our alma mater as part of this introspection, but materially contributing to St Bonaventure via volunteering is much more difficult unless you live near the school.

Without volunteering as an option, but wanting to support SBU, focus turns to financial contributions. Financial support is a key ingredient to university strength Funds are used to provide facilities, programs and professors that attract the students that pay tuition, room and board. The circle of life!

The stronger a university’s financial foundation, the better it can survive in the very competitive higher education market However, if you are like me, you don’t have much money to spare after raising four kids on one income

Fran Machina was a member of the men ’ s varsity tennis team from 1978-1982

Faced with the conundrum of not being local and not having deep pockets, I developed a hybrid solution to support my beloved university. I call it Bonateering – volunteering with a financial twist. Rather than standard volunteering where there is no monetary reward, I plan to “volunteer” my time in my current job just prior to retirement. In other words, work a little longer than planned and donate the salary to my beloved Bonaventure.

Bonateering can help preserve the caring community that helped shape our lives Working an extra month or two, prior to retiring, with the specific goal of donating the earnings provides for the future of SBU and is a rewarding way to contribute to Bona

Here are the steps:

1.) Decide on a retirement date from your job that works for you financially, but tell no one yet.

2.) Choose an official retirement date that is 1-3 months later than the date you identified in step 1

3.) The extra time you work are your Bonaventure “volunteer” hours. You work those hours and donate earnings to the university in recognition of the SBU community connection we cherish It is a labor of love, maybe the most joy-filled days you ever worked!

This twist on standard volunteering might not work for everyone, but is a great method for me and I wanted to share it I absolutely need St Bonaventure to compete well and thrive because it holds a very special place in my heart It will also be a special treat for me as I send money from my Syracuse University salary to St Bonaventure.

Go Bonnies!

Fran Machina and Rene Poochigian Pochop, ’86, reminisced at the June 2022 reunion about their days as Bonnie cheerleaders in the 1980s.

WAYS

CLASS NOTES

44 SHARE YOUR CAREER NEWS WITH THE BONA NATION!

To submit professional news for the next issue of Bonaventure magazine, drop us a note in the enclosed envelope, fill out an online form at www.SBUmagazine.com or email magazine@sbu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity or length.

1960

1968

Kathleen Brady’s book “Francis and Clare: The Struggles of the Saints of Assisi” won a 2022 award in biography from the Catholic Media Association. Here is what CMA said: “Francis and Clare is a wonderful book that shows the humanness and struggles of two of our greatest saints For all those interested in the Franciscan charism and for those who have not yet been introduced to it, this book will not disappoint ” “Francis and Clare” was published in August 2021.

1970

After writing a dozen major nonfiction books, Greg Mitchell has turned to writing and directing documentary films. His first film, “Atomic Cover-up” (2021), was screened at nearly 20 film festivals around the world and won four awards His most recent release, “The First Attack Ads: Hollywood vs Upton Sinclair,” was picked to air over PBS stations around the country and stream nationwide. (It was inspired by his award-winning book “The Campaign of the Century,” which has been named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the five greatest books ever about an American election ) His next film, “The Memorial Day Massacre,” about the 1937 incident in Chicago when police shot and killed 10 steel strikers, and the film cover-up that followed, will be released in February 2023

1973

Carlos Arce has retired after 40 years of executive government and private industry service to write (22 self-published books on socio-political issues), pursue

his passion for eclectic art using many miles of thin copper wire, and start a podcast on current events His podcast, titled “15MinuteswithCarlos,” features episodes on major sociopolitical issues including “Undocumented Immigration,” “Energy and the Environment,” “Our Failing Public Education System,” “Drugs in America,” “Our National Debt,” “Criminal Justice System (CJS), Police,” “CJS, Courts,” “CJS Corrections, The Crime of Punishment,” “The Space Race,” and “Globalization.” When he’s not writing, podcasting, sculpting, practicing real estate, public speaking, or participating in church ministries in his parish, Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Coral Springs, Florida, he enjoys the company of his wife, their five children, and their six adorable grandchildren

1975

Jim “Duffy” Hickey retired in April 2018 after 35 years in the health care industry, the past 19 years with Compass Group, NA Now an active community volunteer, he has revitalized his love of competitive swimming by being active in masters swimming events and starting his fifth year as coach of his local high school team. Hickey and his wife, Robin, have lived in Atlanta for 36 years.

1977

Richard Adamonis, after a 44-year career in media relations and marketing communications, has retired from his professional journey. A Philadelphia native, Adamonis earned a B A in journalism from St Bona’s and played baseball for the Bonnies. He lives with his wife, Linda, in West Milford, New Jersey, where they raised three children In addition to his 18 years at the New York Stock Exchange that included service as an officer and senior vice president of communications, Adamonis held various staff and senior management roles at

during an annual Fr Mychal Judge, OFM, 9/11 walk with Fr Chris Keenan, O F M

Panasonic, Sony, Rapicom/Ricoh, and DXC Technology. In retirement, he serves as president of the Mountain Springs Association, engages technology startups, volunteers at the West Milford Animal Shelter, enjoys photography and nature, and is involved in various 9/11 support organizations

1982

Mike Czaja, Ph.D., conducted a 32day public administration project in Portugal as a U S Department of State Fulbright Specialist in March and April of 2022. His host was the country’s national-level Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management During the project, he conducted interviews of public and private stakeholders in Portugal’s new Integrated Rural Fire Management System The interview topics included wildland fire management, governance, rural socio-economic development, and collaborative planning The agency will use the results to develop a communication strategy and engagement initiatives promoting system implementation. Czaja and his wife, Jeanne Schorsch, live in Kindsbach, Germany

Sam Cadden retired after more than 20 years as a supervisor of student teachers at SUNY Oneonta

Adamonis

1983

Gerry Dunn represented the USA in the 2022 Pan-Am Masters Diving Championships held in Medellin, Colombia, in late July 2022 Dunn was awarded four gold and two silver medals in diving and synchronized diving as part of the 15-member USA team. Dunn and his partner, Kelly Winterbottom, of DiveLab in Novato, California, won the 3-meter springboard and tower events for the USA. Dunn and Winterbottom are FINA world champions in the 3meter event, having held the title since winning it in 2019 In men ’ s synchronized diving, Dunn and his partner, Kim Alderman, won gold, beating out a very strong Colombian team Dunn also won the individual tower event and placed second in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events for the USA. Dunn dove for St Bonaventure and previously held school records in both boards He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and is the head diving coach at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

1984

Donna (Smith) Burden, managing partner and a founding member of Burden, Hafner & Hansen, LLC in Buffalo, was elected as a new member of the International Association of Defense Counsel Board of Directors for 2022-23 The IADC is the preeminent, invitationonly global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests A member of the IADC since 2011, Burden also serves as vice president of the IADC Foundation. Wendell Vaisey was promoted to assistant director of public safety for SUNY Adirondack Community College in Queensbury, New York. Vaisey has spent the last nine years as a campus public safety officer for SUNY Adirondack Prior to that, Vaisey spent 20 years as a corrections officer for the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, retiring

as a corrections sergeant in 2012. His new position will concentrate on department training and policy and procedure updates as well as emergency management training for the campus staff, students, and the associated community.

1990

Bob Siracuse started a new position July 1, 2022, as executive director of Personnel & Human Resources at the Oswego City School District in Oswego, New York The cabinet-level position is responsible for planning, implementing, directing and maintaining the district’s personnel services and human resource management, serving as a resource, and maintaining staffing to ensure that personnel functions conform to district, state and federal requirements. He is a certified New York state school district administrator

1993

John Gaughan, an attorney at Barclay Damon’s Buffalo office, was listed in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the Product Liability Litigation – Defendants category Gaughan was also one of 36 Barclay Damon attorneys selected for the 2022 Upstate New York Super Lawyers list.

1995

Amy Moritz was named a public relations manager at The Martin Group in Buffalo, New York.

1999

Jim Kelly is an aerospace control operator for Canada’s Department of National Defence 2001 Kate (Lewis) Torok had the honor and privilege of serving as the St. John Fisher University delegate at Dr. Gingerich’s

Presidential Inauguration. “What a day!” said Torok, who is director of marketing and communications at St John Fisher

2002

Cristin (Chase) Bratt was named communications director for Fairfax County Neighborhood & Community Services, an agency that aims to connect 1 1 million residents with a continuum of resources that promote equity and create positive outcomes for people of all ages and abilities. In December 2022, Bratt graduated from George Mason University with a master’s in public administration, concentrating on local government. The degree marked her completion of the Northern Virginia Public Service Fellows Program, a highly selective cohort program where local jurisdictions sponsor rising government leaders for participation. In March 2022, she earned her designation as a certified parks & recreation professional (CPRP) Bratt and her husband, John, live in Burke, Virginia, with their daughters Caroline and Elizabeth, and two crazy Boston terriers

2005

Stephon Johnson joined THE CITY, a New York City-based nonprofit, nonpartisan, digital news outlet, as its Manhattan reporter The award-winning writer joins the staff after spending more than a decade at the New York Amsterdam News His work has appeared in The Athletic, Polygon, and City & State He was a reporting fellow at the National Press Foundation and the Craig Newark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York (CUNY)

Nicholas Moeller has earned a master’s degree in elementary education through Grand Canyon University. Moeller, who became a 4th degree knight for the Knights of Columbus in 2020, is also an assistant scoutmaster for his parish’s Boy Scout troop. He has lived in Pittsburgh since 2018

2008

Rachelle (Hoeflschweiger) Nuhfer, a lawyer with Barclay Damon’s Rochester Office, was listed in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America

Annual Peraza golf outing raises $21,000 for rugby scholarships

On June 25, 2022, about 70 alumni and friends gathered in Yonkers, New York, for the 21st Robert Peraza Memorial Golf Outing This outing began as a tribute to Rob Peraza, ’94, ’96, to remember an amazing person and to raise money for a scholarship in his name Approximately $21,000 was raised to help rugby players come to SBU Stay tuned for details for the 2023 golf outing Donations can be made at www sbu edu/perazascho la rship

in the Trusts and Estates category. She was also among 22 Barclay Damon lawyers selected to the 2022 Upstate New York Rising Stars list.

2010

Carl Pfadt (2009 BBA, 2010 MBA) was promoted to professional resource director at The Siegfried Group, LLP. Supporting approximately 50 professional resources in the New York market, Pfadt is responsible for delivering on the firm’s five promises: interesting and challenging work, distinctive culture, attractive compensation, compelling business strategy, and “MY Journey ” The Siegfried Group is an entrepreneurial leadership organization that provides financial executives with a powerful combination of leadership advisory, talent delivery, and financial advisory services.

2012

In March 2022, Dr. Francisco Nieves opened his first endodontics office, Granbury Endodontics, southwest of Fort Worth, Texas. As the owner/dentist, he performs dental pain diagnosis, root canal therapies, and dental surgeries He is the first fulltime endodontist in the city of Granbury. His wife, April (Mason) Nieves, ’12, ’14, works at Granbury Endodontics in marketing and day-today operations.

2015

Trekking the Camino

Donna Swartwout, ’83, and Terry (Mullman) Pearlman, ’83, walked 205 miles of the Camino Portuguese, arriving in Santiago on Sept 13, 2022 What a wonderful journey!

Reid Okoniewski was promoted to marketing and communications specialist for the Town of Herndon (Virginia) Parks & Recreation Department Okoniewski joined the department in February 2022. Prior to moving to local government, he worked as a nonprofit fundraiser for seven years with several organizations. Okoniewski continues to provide fundraising consulting to small nonprofits around the country

2016

Emily Jo Manchester was appointed executive director of The Renesting Project Inc , which serves the communities of Northwest Louisiana by providing gently used furniture and household items to those in need. Manchester has served the mission at Renesting Project for more than five years; she started as an unpaid intern while she completed her Master of Science in nonprofit administration from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. She was hired as the assistant executive director in 2020 and has most recently been leading the charge as interim executive director

2017

Victoria Wangler began her new position as advancement coordinator in Chautauqua Institution’s Office of Advancement in August 2022. She joins a proud group of Bonnies working at Chautauqua, including Shannon Rozner (general counsel and senior vice president of community relations), Dr Michael Hill (president of Chautauqua), Alison Barry (director of patron experience, ticketing & group sales), Jordan Steves (director of strategic communications), and others Prior to her position at Chautauqua Institution, Wangler volunteered for Franciscan Mission Service through its DC Service Corps, spending one year as a full-time volunteer in Washington, D.C.

2021

Sean Mickey and his colleague Ed Drantch won a New York State Broadcasters Association 2022 Excellence in Broadcasting Award for Outstanding Series

Mickey is an investigative producer for WKBW-TV of Buffalo.

2022

Jack Steger joined the University Advancement team at St. Bonaventure in July as the assistant director of Alumni Engagement

Dev hallmates get together in New Jersey

Class of 1987 mini-reunion

Friends from the Class of 1987 who weren’t able to attend last summer ’ s reunion created their own mini-reunion in September 2022 in North Carolina. They had a great time reminiscing, going through old yearbooks, and playing a very competitive game of cornhole with an SBU-branded cornhole set They arranged the teams based on their off-campus houses their senior year – so it was “100 Steps” vs “The Porch House” in the best out of three Porch House won! Pictured in the left photo is the Porch House team of Melanie (Murnane) Schilling, Sue Ragu and Diane (Igoe) Papas Pictured in the right photo are Joan (Noyes) Gay, Erin (Mulvey) Stoeber, and MaryKaren (Lotorto) Barac

A close group of 1980 Devereux Hall alumnae recently gathered at the home of Patty Smith Voelkel in Spring Lake, New Jersey Pictured are (from left) Molly Zimmermann Callery, Patty Smith Voelkel, Liz Kieffer Sullivan, Jane Savio Sutton, Maureen Grune Horgan, Patty McKenna Frac, Felicia Berardi Watson, Joanne Condon, and Mary Ann Lynch McDonald

Fun in the Finger Lakes! Alumni from the classes of 1979 and 1980 gathered in September 2022 at a house on Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes of New York state hosted by Joe Wolf, Class of 1979

Alumni Deaths

A directory of deceased alumni is available on Bona’s Online. Register at www.sbu.edu/alumni.

Joseph W. Hull*, ’39, Wilmington, North Carolina

Philip Menna, D.D.S., ’42, San Diego, California

John V. Cauduro, ’51, Plano, Texas

The Hon Leo J Fallon, ’50, Williamsville, New York

Robert P Thurner, ’50, Tenafly, New Jersey

Thomas J. Dunn, ’51, Bolivar, New York

Rev. Rocco A. Tito*, ’51, Meadville, Pennsylvania

Edmund L MacDonald*, ’52, Naples, Florida

Dr William T Moynihan, ’52, Storrs, Connecticut

Rev. Cyril J. Rable, ’52, Moscow, Pennsylvania

Fr. Gerald J. Buckley, ’53, Binghamton, New York

John A Lella Jr , ’53, Colleyville, Texas

John J Pelc, ’53, Auburn, New York

Allen J. Hasselman*, ’55, Washington, D.C.

Herbert F. Kenny, ’55, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

William J. Kosco, ’55, Brockport, Pennsylvania

Donald R Kronenwetter, ’55, Spring Hill, Florida

Rev Hugh C Shaw, ’55, Parkersburg, West Virginia

Thomas E. Sparrow, ’55, Newport Beach, California

Gerard A. Dill, ’56, Henrietta, New York

William G Franks, ’56, Amenia, New York

Fred J Leary, ’56, Hampton, Virginia

Dr. Richard A. Mascucci, ’56, San Diego, California

Gerald E. Carroll, ’57, Fredonia, New York

James R Crough, ’57, Waltham, Massachusetts

Thomas J Doyle, ’57, Depew, New York

James G. Durso, ’57, Flourtown, Pennsylvania

Joseph N. Gormley, ’57, Grosse Pointe, Michigan

George H. Hillman, ’57, East Aurora, New York

Thomas S Lennon, ’57, Charlottesville, Virginia

Herbert J Le Page, Esq , ’57, Webster, New York

William J. McManus, ’57, Alexandria, Virginia

Thomas W. Minnock, ’57, New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Robert A Padovano, ’57, Belle Mead, New Jersey

William F Schmitz, ’57, Rochester, New York

Francis J. Smyth, ’57, Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Rev. Robert P. Susa, ’57, Erie, Pennsylvania

John E Young, ’57, Carthage, New York

John A Ballman, ’58, Canandaigua, New York

John C. Burkimsher, ’58, Pompano Beach, Florida

Joseph V. Carr, ’58, Churchville, New York

Arthur R. Cumings, ’58, New Port Richey, Florida

John P Gaffney, ’58, Longwood, Florida

Peter A. Gueli, ’58, Fairport, New York

Thomas F. O’Donnell, ’58, Clifton Park, New York

Dr. Gale E. Stranigan, ’58, Jupiter, Florida

Dr Robert P Weis, ’58, Franklin, Tennessee

Arthur G Williams, ’58, Mount Arlington, New Jersey

Richard A. Ymiolek, ’58, Tampa, Florida

Lynn R. Brown, ’59, Waterbury, Connecticut

Frank P Iacobell, ’59, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan

Rev Bernard A Keefe, ’59, Hudson, New York

Rudolph J. Recla, ’59, Valley Cottage, New York

Vincent S. Scognamiglio, ’59, O’Fallon, Missouri

Dr. Robert K. Alico*, ’60, Naples, Florida

Ralph G Burke, ’60, Buffalo, New York

Paul F. Barone, ’61, Dunkirk, New York

Theodore J. Czerw, ’61, Delmar, New York

Col. Anthony J. McKee, ’61, Florissant, Colorado

Roy T. Mulcahy, ’61, Vestal, New York

John K. Tomaseski, ’61, Saugerties, New York

Thomas B Gaffney, ’62, Vancouver, Washington

James T Aspbury Jr , ’63, New York, New York

Anthony J. Bardari, ’63, Newburgh, New York

John J. Eberhard, ’63, Sparta, New Jersey

Dr Brennan R Hill, ’63, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Robert F Hughes, ’63, Geneseo, New York

Dr. John J. Lipari, ’63, Suffern, New York

Paul F. Morgan, ’63, St. Petersburg, Florida Ronald J Pacilo, ’63, Wayne, New Jersey

John Schepis, ’63, Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey Rev. Thomas E. Smith, ’63, Erie, Pennsylvania

Dr. John M. Hanchette, Litt.D., ’64, Raleigh, North Carolina Msgr. Gerald T. Ritchie, ’64, Harborcreek, Pennsylvania Paul J Stubenbort, ’64, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

Ronald E Wood, ’64, Mooresville, North Carolina Sr. Eileen Lindsay, ’65, Hartsdale, New York

Paul A. Harasimowicz, ’66, Schenectady, New York David B Winn, ’66, Fairport, New York

James F Cahill, ’67, Tahoe City, California James V. McGowan, ’67, Hamburg, New York

John M. Rhodes, ’67, Huntington Beach, California Mary Ellen (Kowsky) Shirai, ’67, Arlington, Virginia, Daniel J Grabowski, ’68, Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Thomas G. Pitts, ’68, Quechee, Vermont

John T. Scheid, ’68, Bethesda, Maryland

David M. Williams, ’68, Brookfield, Connecticut

Dr David P Van Buren, ’69, Platteville, Wisconsin

Frederick T Burrell, ’70, Rotonda West, Florida

John W. Large, ’70, Flower Mound, Texas

Aldo Pasquinelli, ’70, Bradford, Pennsylvania

Margaret C (Grys) Hassett, ’71, Buffalo, New York

Vincent R Mahoney, ’71, West Hartford, Connecticut

Paul V. McQuade, ’72, Clayton, California

Donald L. Colby, ’73, Cary, North Carolina Kathleen Joy-Kirkendall, ’73, Olean, New York

James W Walsh, ’73, Canandaigua, New York

Kevin T. Foley, ’74, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Denise M. (Latte) Timpano, ’75, New Hartford, New York

Eugene F. Allegretto, ’76, Bradford, Pennsylvania Sue (Agos) Quinn, ’76, Angola, New York

Peter A. DiLeo, ’78, Milford, Connecticut

Julie (Christiansen) Sirois, ’78, Southington, Connecticut

Terrence J. Provost, ’80, Lakewood, Ohio

Mary A Tanneberger, ’80, Brooklyn, New York

B Marlene Johnson, ’83, Steamburg, New York

Gregory S. Nagurney, ’84, North Warren, Pennsylvania

Nicholas F. Blyshak, ’85, Brady, Texas

Karen L (VanAllen) Ingham, ’86, Okatie, South Carolina

Edward M Flynn, ’90, Holmdel, New Jersey

Judith A. (Shields) Stitt, ’91, Venice, Florida

Paula J. (Roberts) Lundgren, ’93, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Marc Schoone, ’97, Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Brian M Sidney-Smith, ’06, Webster, New York

*Seraphim Legacy Society member

Parents & Friends

Salvatore H. Alfiero, Buffalo, New York

Suzenne E Barry, Olean, New York

Robert D. Benson, Shinglehouse, Pennsylvania

Anthony A Gallo, Olean, New York

Janett (Tucker) Gibbons, Stanhope, New Jersey

Chris Gibson, Dallas, North Carolina

Sandra L. Goodliff, Wingate, North Carolina

Margaret “Margy” Gracyalny, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania

James B. Johnson, Coudersport, Pennsylvania

Louis B Lucco, Limestone, New York

Ann M. (Crowley) Shipman, Eldred, Pennsylvania

In Memoriam

Maureen Brennan, who worked in the housekeeping department at the university from September 1967 until February 2002, passed away Nov. 13, 2022.

John Hanchette, a member of the Class of 1964, a former faculty member in the Jandoli School of Communication, passed away Sept. 14, 2022. After a distinguished career in journalism, highlighted by a 1980 Pulitzer Prize, Hanchette returned to teach at his alma mater from 2002 to 2012.

Joseph W. Hull*, a member of the Class of 1939 and the university’s oldest alumnus, passed away Sep. 14, 2022. He was 106 years young. A longtime supporter of St Bonaventure, he was retired from Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York. His son John Hull serves on the university’s Board of Trustees Investment Committee as a non-trustee member in honor of his dad.

Flavia Pietrobattista, ’19, and Garrett Lau ber, ’19

Gabby Rizzo and Dan Milgate, ’15

Elizab eth Ervolin a, ’06, and Brad Naughton, ’04

Bonaventure Magazine Submission Guidelines

To submit your announcement for an upcoming edition:

• use the enclosed envelope

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The university is prohibited from publishing copyrighted photographs, unless accompanied by written permission from the photographer.

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Don’t forget to notify us of your new name or address! Update your contact information at www.sbu.edu/alumniupdate or send an email to alumni@sbu edu

St Bonaventure University takes pride in its alumni and joyfully shares the news of their lives and achievements

St Bonaventure is supportive of our Catholic Church’s teachings Publication of announcements provided to us by our alumni does not necessarily imply an endorsement by the university

Ellen Piper, ’17, and Conor Wood, ’16, ’17

Meghan Kinn ey, ’15, and Ryan McArdle, ’05

Carley Ferington and Reid Okoniewski, ’15

Jodi Wichensky, ’16, and Kyle Swanson

Lisa Skedzielewski and Rob Drummon d, Esq ., ’11

Andrea Elser and Elizabeth Demara, ’12

Sarah Gascoine and Craig Vicini, ’07, ’08

Jamie Zoer b, ’14, ’15, and Mike Pin gelski, ’16, ’17

Hanna Zimbr ich, ’16, ’18, and Brandon Cook

Kristina Dinardo and Nicholas Perillo, ’14

Brittany Majczyk and Christophe r Hietanen, ’16

Le anna Cameron, ’18, and Joshua Franchina

Blair Freeman, ’09, ’10, and Timothy Pearce

Three decades of friendship

This group of alumni and friends for more than 37 years got together in Wilmington, North Carolina, in August of 2022 for a mini-reunion and re-created a picture taken during the summer of 1985 at Club 17 in Allegany Pictured are (front row, from left) Bill Briggs, ’85, Helen (Norton) Hasselbeck, ’85, Nancy (Hoffmann) Gibson, ’85, Marianne (Bartone) Shaw, ’85, Maureen Cahill, ’85, and (back row, from left) Marykay (Choma) Trainum, ’85, and Greg Faherty, ’84 Missing from the second photo was the late Al Neu, ’85.

JG “Greg” Faherty’s latest novel is “Ragman,” a supernatural thriller that will be published by Flame Tree Press

In 1882, a group of British soldiers plunder an Egyptian temple and kill the high priest. The priest vows revenge, and is finally revived in present day Manhattan, where he targets the descendants of the men who murdered him Two police officers must put aside their differences as they go from trying to solve a series of gruesome, unexplained murders to risking their eternal souls in order to stop the undead mummy the priest has called forth as his servant Faherty, Class of ’84, is the multi-award nominated author of 19 books and two short story collections. His previous novel, “The Wakening,” takes place in a fictionalized version of Olean and St Bonaventure He lives in the haunted Hudson Valley of New York and is hard at work on his next book

Ann Hultberg, ’87, has published a book of personal essays, “Something To Hold On To, Stories of Courage, Perseverance, and Love.” She has included more than 40 stories that recount her experiences as a late Baby Boomer raised in rural Pennsylvania by a Hungarian father who escaped the Soviet invasion in 1956 and made his way to America

In the book, Hultberg addresses a wide range of personal, poignant, and lighthearted topics. The book is available on Amazon, B&N, and Bookbaby.com.

Dan Riley, ofm, ’64, is the author of “Franciscan Lectio: Reading the World Through the Living Word,” published by Paraclete Press

“Franciscan Lectio” is for all those who are on a spiritual journey who long to see the world more beautifully and deeply and become more attentive and present. In “Franciscan Lectio,” Fr. Dan comes alongside the reader in their own encounters with lectio and inspires their spiritual imagination through story, art, poetry, nature, Franciscan mysticism and Scripture helping them to see that all of life is unitive and sacred.

Harrison Ryan to Melissa and Ryan Hoffnagle, ’00, ’04

Brink John to Lauren Barbati, ’01, ’05, and Nick Favata

Robert Cormac to Karen (Schoen), ’03, and Mark Kubiak, ’01

Jacob Isaac adopted by Jeremie (Giacoia), ’06, and James Bateman

Annalivia Quinn to Mary Jamieson and Logan Abplanalp, ’07, ’20

Cameron Patrick to Kristy

Amato and Patrick T. O’Hearn, ’07

Hailey Marie to Kristen (Schober), ’09, and Andrew Gonzalez

Theodore Ronald to Blair (Freeman), ’09, ’10, and Timothy Pearce

Leo Van to Anna VanToai and Carl Pfadt, ’09, ’10

John “Jack” Mark to Tricia (Locke), ’13, and Charles Mitschow, ’13

Quinn Diane to Kelly (O’Dell), ’13, ’14, and Ryan Cooke, ’13, ’14

In the book, Fr. Dan recounts his time from a public school boy to St Bonaventure University and now to a cabin on a hillside at Mt Irenaeus Sharing his own experiences and the Franciscan heritage, he opens for the reader a journey influenced by, among others, Thomas Merton, St. Francis of Assisi and St Clare of Assisi who offer us a practice of “gazing, considering, contemplating and acting” – living the Good News today filled with a sense of beauty and hope.

Learn more about “Franciscan Lectio” and upcoming events where Fr. Dan will be sharing a presentation and reflection by visiting www mountainonline org/book

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We are happy to print brief summaries of new books, CDs and other multimedia works published by SBU alumni, faculty and staff.

Send a copy of the book or CD and summary press release to

magazine@sbu.edu or via snail mail to:

Bonaventure magazine 3261 W State Road P.O. Box 2509

St Bonaventure University St. Bonaventure, NY 14778

All books mailed to the magazine are shared with Friedsam Memorial Library for its collection.

Bonaventure

ALUMNI VOICES

That’s what we asked alums in the last issue of Bonaventure magazine.

These are some of the people and places they’d like to revisit.

One thing? One day? There are so many things! OK Any Tuesday After classes I wend my way to the Student Activities Office and hang out with Fr Brennan Fitzgerald We go through press kits for possible concerts and theater performances to book for the university.

Off to eat chickpeas (in everything it seems) at the dining hall before rehearsal at Garret Theatre with Dr Gray-Lewis The rehearsals last several hours and are filled with hard work, laughter and singing

Final stop – the Skeller with friends Drinking age was 18 back in the day We toast to another good day!

PATRICIA (RYAN) LAMPL, ’77

If I could return as a Bona student for a day, I would spend some time sitting on the steps outside Plassmann Hall and chatting with my friends between classes while taking in all the hustle and bustle of campus life! Simply the best!

SUE (SMYTHE) VANKNAPP,

p Pictured at the top of the page from left: Fred Handler, Dr Leo Keenan and Dr Stephen GrayLewis Photos courtesy of Athletics, the Keenan family and University Archives

’79

One of my fondest memories at Bona’s was my senior year, 1969-70. I needed a 1-credit course to fulfill graduation requirements I signed up for a PE class taught by Coach Fred Handler I had played for him on the freshman basketball team in 196667 The curriculum included a game called badminton basketball Whether Coach Handler created this game or not, it was a blast A 30minute game of 5-on-5 full court would luckily result in a 1 to 0 score with a number of broken badminton rackets A wonderful ending to a great four years. That’s a day I would love to repeat

Although I have so many great memories, the one thing I would want to do is return to the campus radio station WOFM and be a DJ one more time For eight semesters I had a radio show called “Roger B from 1 to 3 ” I used the 1959 instrumental hit “The Happy Organ” by Dave “Baby” Cortez to begin and end every show Now 50 years later, I have set my ringtone to the same “Happy Organ” tune. As a result, I am reminded a half dozen times every day of the wonderful four years I spent at St Bonaventure

ROGER BARBARO, ’72

First, stop off to the OG* RC Cafe for a chicken tender sub Next, I would hit up my room in Dev to play some Griffey on SNES* before class. After classes I would play a game at the Richter Later at night I would grab a Big Ugly from the Uni-Mart before hitting up the greatest place ever, the Tav.

X. FOLEY, PH.D., MSW, MPS, ’70

MICHAEL

DAVID “CHEESE” ROSS, ’07 *Original; Ken Griffey Major League Baseball on Super Nintendo

“If you could return to St.

as a student for one day, what’s one thing you would do?”

My happiest memories of SBU were the times I spent working on plays/shows at the Garrett Theater with Dr Stephen Gray-Lewis, my BFFs and my future husband. If I had just one day, I would go back to an opening night of a play, do the show then celebrate as we always did at the home of Gray-Lewis, eating and drinking into the wee hours!

LEIGH (BEREZNEY) SIMONE, ’77

If I could go back to St Bonaventure for one day, I’d start with working the breakfast shift in the dining hall (worked there all four years), go to my elementary education classes in Plassmann, go to the post office (for a care package), lunch at The Burton for a burger, do homework at Friedsam Library, dinner in the Skeller (stop up to the dining hall to hear Fr Dan’s laugh), and possibly hit The Hickey for $2 pitcher night

SARA (HOVEY) ESKILDSEN, ’94

If I had only one day to return to SBU as a student, I would realize that the 24 hours will pass quickly I would look for an opportunity to connect more with my instructors. I would notice that some students are struggling as much as I am and try to lighten their burden with a word of encouragement I would understand that I’d be seeing some of them for the last time and tell them they are in my heart forever. Then I’d go to the Skeller and just be with them

MARY SIEDLIKOWSKI, ’84

I was a student at St Bonaventure from 1970 to 1974 I was a townie and lived at home

I drove back and forth every day to and from my classes. Each night I had a part-time job in Olean from 6 to 10 p m

I rarely, if ever, missed a class or my nightly work If I could return to St Bonaventure as a student for one day, I would only want to sit in on a class taught by my dad watch him as he quietly closed the classroom door in Plassmann Hall at the appointed time, took the roll call, led an opening prayer and only then start the classwork He was fair, he was honest and above all he lived a Franciscan life He had a reputation as a “tough” grader I asked him about that one day to which he replied, “I merely record the grade each student earned.” I miss ya’ dad

ROBERT KEENAN, ’74

I would go to Friedsam Memorial Library and read up on the life and times of Thomas Merton, especially his time at St Bonaventure If I found a book to check out and if it was a nice day, I’d head over to the beautiful Grotto and read it there

I never made it to Merton’s Heart during my time as a student, though I remember some classmates who did.

MARGARET MCCORMICK, ’81

FOR THE NEXT EDITION: Were you ever in the Rathskeller when “Mack the Knife” didn’t play on the jukebox? And on a beautiful spring day when windows were open wide, what songs filled the air when you walked into Dev quad?

Music is a big part of college life Is there a song you associate with your time at Bona’s, one that transports you back to campus the second you hear it?

Tell us in 100 words: magazine@sbu.edu

We’ll print a collection of responses in the summer 2023 issue

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was completed in 1925, built by campus rocks collected by students