"What Has Mt. Irenaeus Meant to You?"

Class of 2015 Bonaventure graduates reflect on their time at the Mountain

 "I visited the Mountain a few times during my freshman and sophomore years, and although I knew it was a place unlike any other, I didn't truly get involved until my junior year when I joined Mountain Community Leaders (MCL). 

 Becoming a part of MCL made me see the Mountain in an even more unique light and it became part of my heart and part of who I am. 

 Every time I go to the Mountain I feel so welcomed just as I am. I feel recognized and known, welcomed and wanted. It is a place of God's presence, even for those who may view God a little differently or who may not believe in God at all. Simply put, the Mountain is home-for me and for all who visit. And for those who have never experienced the Mountain, it's our privilege to bring that piece of home to them. It has been one of the deepest blessings of my time at St. Bonaventure."

- Hannah McGrath

"If I were to describe Mt. Irenaeus in one word, it would be home. I first went up to the Mountain my freshmen year at the invitation of Br. Kevin Kriso, ofm. I must admit I was a bit nervous. I not only was going by myself, but there were three other students who were also attending and I didn't know any of them. 

I had heard so many wonderful stories from upperclassman and St. Bonaventure faculty and staff on how wonderful the Mountain is. When I first walked the grounds and entered the Main House, all my fears and anxieties of what was to take place soon went away. I was immediately overcome with happiness and peace; a sense of God. Being new to college, this was a feeling that I have only when I am with my friends, family, and loved ones - at home.

Since that remarkable evening, the Mountain and the friars have always been a huge part of my time at St. Bonaventure. Through the ministry of the Mountain I have met with hundreds of alumni on the road, students from SBU and students from other area colleges.

The Mountain is not only a place of solace, but it is a place of prominence and importance in our SBU community. As I move on from St. Bonaventure, it's hard to imagine my life without the Mountain and the friars, but because this ministry has penetrated my heart, the Mountain community will always be a part of my life. Thank you not only to the friars, but also to our benefactors, volunteers, and community members. Because of your support, future Bonnies everywhere can experience this wonderful sanctuary and embark on their journey of becoming."

- Josh Maxey 

Evenings of Re-Creation 2015

Join us for our Evenings of Re-Creation this summer!

• 5:15 p.m. Evening prayer, followed by quiet time on the land
• 6:30 p.m. Dish to pass supper
• 7:45 p.m. Eucharist with discussion of theme

Theme: Movements in the Spiritual Life

• June 24: Living with Abundance and Welcoming People Into Summer
• July 1: Creation, Especially on th Land With Us
• July 8: The Presence of God, Contemplation, An Encounter in Silence 
• July 15: Home, Hospitality and Creating a Space Within Oneself for God To Dwell
• July 22: Hope and Healing: Stepping Out Into the World

Feel free to come to all or part of any evening and to come early to spend time on the land.

Will Your Gift Put Us Over the Top?

A message from Marv Stocker, chair of the Mountain Fund.

This is my third year serving as the chair of the Mountain Fund. I was a volunteer on the Mountain Fund committee for about five years under Mike Hahn before he asked me to take over for him in 2013. I said yes for one main reason – Fr. Dan Riley. We were actually at St. Bonaventure University (SBU) together in the mid 60’s but I didn’t really feel his impact on Bona’s until I joined the National Alumni Board in 2003. 

Living with my family in Baltimore, I could not get up to campus or to Mt. Irenaeus as often as I would have liked, but we held an alumni board meeting at the Mountain. What a beautiful place of peace, quiet and love!

In 2006, my wife and I went on SBU President Sr. Margaret’s Carney’s Franciscan Pilgrimage to Italy.  Fr. Dan was also on that “good journey.” We spent six days in Assisi together visiting the many mountain retreats of St. Francis – La Verna, Greccio, Eremo delle Carceri and San Damiano. I realized then how fortunate St. Bonaventure University was to have a Franciscan retreat just 45 minutes from campus. Fr. Dan’s vision 30 years ago had brought a part of St. Francis’s life to Western New York – a peaceful retreat for Bona’s students, alumni and friends, as well as students from other local colleges and community members.

So, when I was asked to chair the main fundraising effort – The Mountain Fund – I, of course, said yes.  We have many volunteers who help with the calls, all out of love for the friars and the Mountain.  I’ve been inspired by how graciously our calls have been received. Fundraising can often be a difficult task, but that’s not the case for the Mountain Fund. Almost all of our past donors thank us for the call and are eager to donate again.

Our end date of May 31 catches some by surprise so they appreciate being reminded. While the Mountain is supported in part by St. Bonaventure, more than 34 percent of its annual operating budget comes from the Mountain Fund. This year we hope to raise close to $200,000 – as of the writing of this article, we are already 90 percent there.

I want to thank all of our donors who continue to contribute to the Mountain Fund. Your gifts are very much appreciated by Fr. Dan, Fr. Lou, Br. Joe and Br. Kevin and will help guarantee the next 30 years of our “Diamond in the Rough!!” 

Sincerely, Marv Stocker, St. Bonaventure class of 1965

Br. Kevin Kriso Reflects on 25 Years as a Franciscan

Mt. Irenaeus community marks his anniversary with April 25 celebration.

June 2, 1990, was a beautiful sunny day in Brookline, Massachusetts. Ten of us who had "persevered" through two years of Franciscan formation, took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for a period of four years. In 1994, seven of us took our vows for life.

People sometimes ask questions about the vows from a negative perspective - "So you have to give up this or that as a friar?" Yes, but over the years I have learned that I don't "have" to do anything. I "get" to do my vows.

At Mt. Irenaeus, we encourage people to reflect on their life's experiences. As Richard Rohr, ofm, writes, "God comes disguised as our lives." As I reflect on the people, experiences, places that have made up the last 25 years of my life, I realized how blessed I am to have the gift of this vocation. It is a way of life that is second to none because as much as I thought I knew God in 1990, I know God that much more now and know many more of God's people.

In our Mountain chapel on April 25, a few people (maybe about 70!) and I celebrated the gift of 25 years of Franciscan life. What struck me is that seven years ago when I came to the Mountain I knew maybe three of those 70. 

So, what does that all mean? None of us, myself included, have met all of the good people yet. We can lament as we get older that many of our friends and relatives pass over to God. That's true, it does happen. However, God comes into our lives disguised as the new friends He sends to us - if we are open to meeting them!

Ultimate Collaboration

Fr. Lou offers a reflection on Palm Sunday Scripture and life lived for the “we” instead of the “me.”

In my 24 years here at Mt. Irenaeus the word “collaboration” has always been part of discussions, and, more importantly, part of the life lived here. That is probably the reason why the second Scripture reading for Mass on Palm Sunday (Philippians 2:6-11) has become so central for me. 

“Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The collaborative model of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is now shared with us through Jesus. That is the model of love. Jesus shares with us all the many hard things we suffer: rejection, false accusation, indifference, abuse, and death. But He went beyond all that on Easter when He rose from the dead and changed everything because death was no longer final.

When you take the word “me” and turn it upside down, you get the word “we.” This is not just a new word but a whole new way of being, a very collaborative way of living. My journey in life has been moving from the “me” to the “we,” back into the heart of God, the heart of the world, and the heart of people.

One of the many great sayings of the AA movement is, “I may not be much, but I’m all I ever talk about.” This sounds like a perfect motto for an increasingly individualistic culture. But what a trap that becomes. The author of the Letter to the Philippians shows us the way out of that trap: “Have the same mind in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though in the form of God ...”