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Sept. 8, 2005

 

  1. Friars with University ties named to top leadership of province
  2. University offers aid to students hit by hurricane
  3. SBU to host Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony
  4. Castle demolition to begin this month
  5. Quick Center announces 10th anniversary celebration
  6. Lecture series on war in Iraq begins today
  7. You're invited! Celebrate our past and our future
  8. Career Center News ...
  9. Newsmakers ...
  10. Friday Forum

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Friars with University ties named to top leadership of province

Two friars with strong ties to St. Bonaventure, including SBU professor and former interim president Fr. Dominic V. Monti, O.F.M., were called into leadership positions of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus during its chapter in June.

During their chapter June 1, the friar delegates of Holy Name Province elected Fr. John F. O'Connor, O.F.M., as Provincial Minister, and Fr. Dominic as Vicar Provincial for six-year terms.

Fr. Dominic became a familiar face to SBU students beyond the Department of Theology when he was asked to assume the presidency during the basketball crisis in spring 2003. He held the office until June 2004, and was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters at Commencement 2004, when he was cited for having responded to the call to help restore faith in his alma mater: “His brown robe seemed to be everywhere as he led continued efforts to address the problems that contributed to the scandal, and provided a calming, visible presence both on campus and in the community, whether eating meals with students in Hickey Dining Hall, seeking input from those who had felt their voices had gone unheard, or attending events in the Olean community.

“For 15 months, he has provided strong but humble leadership, helping to restore faith and confidence in the University and renewing relationships with those in the surrounding communities. In so doing, he has been a living embodiment of the cherished Franciscan ideal of community and of the friars’ motto, Pax et Bonum, Peace and All Good.”

A 1967 alumnus of SBU and respected church historian, Fr. Dominic served until his appointment as Vicar Provincial as professor of theology and chair of the Department of Theology. He has continued to commute from New York City to teach a course on Thomas Merton this semester.

Prior to coming to SBU in fall 2003, he had served as chair of church history and director of the Franciscan Center of Theology and Spirituality at the Washington Theological Union, where he was a member of the faculty from 1979-2002. He served on the Provincial Council for Holy Name Province from 2002-05.

Fr. Dominic has made a significant contribution to the study of Franciscan history and thought, including a translation and commentary on The Writings of St. Bonaventure Concerning the Franciscan Order, which is volume five in The Works of St. Bonaventure series published by the Franciscan Institute, and recently completed another volume in the same series, the Breviloquium of St. Bonaventure, expected to be published later this year.

Fr. Dominic has contributed numerous articles on Franciscan themes and book reviews to various encyclopedias and journals, including the Spirit of Life series and The Cord, both published by the University’s own Franciscan Institute, and is a highly sought-after speaker and lecturer.

In addition to earning his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from St. Bonaventure in 1967, he holds a bachelor of sacred theology degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., a master of sacred theology degree from the Union Theological Seminary in New York, and a Ph.D., with distinction, from the University of Chicago. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1971.

While Fr. Dominic has been a familiar face at St. Bonaventure in recent years, Fr. John O’Connor was just as familiar to students a generation ago, having spent nine years on the St. Bonaventure campus soon after his ordination in 1973.

After being assigned to St. Bonaventure, he served nine years as co-director and then director of campus ministry at St. Bonaventure from 1973 to 1982, during which the number of students working in Community Outreach grew to 450 and the campus ministry program was considered one of the three best in the United States. He was an instructor in the Department of Theology and pastor of the campus parish, where more than 68 percent of the campus attended weekend liturgies, according to a student survey.

Fr. John was extremely active in the local community as a member of the Olean Area Ministerial Association and of the founding committee for Camp New Horizons, was instrumental in helping to secure state funding for youth programs in Olean, Allegany and Cattaraugus County, and served on the boards of the Cattaraugus County Mental Health Association and the mental health unit of the former St. Francis Hospital. He also served several years as assistant chief of the Allegany fire department, and when he left, was presented with the key to the City of Olean.

From 1982 to 1990, he was guardian and director of Holy Name College in Washington, D.C., and after a brief stint as director of real estate for the province and chaplain of Trinity College in Washington, was named pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Triangle, Va., where he served from 1991 to 2003.

From 2003 to 2005, he returned to his post as director of real estate for Holy Name Province while continuing as chaplain of the Department of Fire and Rescue for Prince William County, Va., and weekend associate at St. Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax, Va. From 1997 to 2005, he was a member of the Provincial Council, and served as co-director and later director of finance for the province.

Fr. John, who now joins the University’s Board of Trustees through his position as Provincial Minister, previously served as a University trustee from 1985 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2001.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from The Catholic University of America and a master of arts degree in theology from the Washington Theological Union.

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SBU offers aid to students affected by Katrina

St. Bonaventure University is offering free room and board and one-half tuition scholarships to students from higher education institutions in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina in order to assimilate the students into St. Bonaventure so they can continue their studies on a temporary basis. The remaining one-half of tuition will be returned to the students’ home institution.

“Our doors — and our hearts — are open,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D, University president. “We have put into motion every effort to accommodate students from higher education institutions affected by the hurricane and invite them to contact us. Our goal is to help these students continue their education without interruption.”

“We expect students to return to their home institutions at the earliest possible moment and will make every effort to help them with that transition,” said Mary Piccioli, dean of enrollment. “Our classes began August 28, so it’s important that students contact us as soon as possible if they’re interested in attending classes at St. Bonaventure.”

Interested students should contact St. Bonaventure University via the Dean of Enrollment, Mary Piccioli, at (800) 462-5050, or via e-mail at admissions@sbu.edu.

The University is also collecting donations for hurricane aid. For full information on St. Bonaventure University’s response to Hurricane Katrina, please visit the University’s Web site at http://www.sbu.edu/.

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University to host Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony

The St. Bonaventure community welcomes everyone to attend a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, in front of Plassmann Hall for a moment of prayer and reflection in honor of those affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The ceremony is a way for the St. Bonaventure community to pay tribute to those affected by the tragedy. This ceremony also allows the St. Bonaventure community to remember the people who died and their families who suffered.

St. Bonaventure University welcomes the public and local businesses to join in the fellowship of the event. For more information on the event, please contact the St. Bonaventure University ROTC Department at (716) 375-2508.

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Demolition to begin this month on former Castle property

COR Development Inc. of Fayetteville, N.Y., the development company that purchased the former Castle property from the University, has been working through the many issues required for its redevelopment and are expected to begin demolition this month at the site.

“COR has been performing the required upfront planning work and site work for a project of this magnitude,” said Brenda McGee Snow, vice president for Business and Finance at the University. She said that in the past few months, the company has continued its discussions with potential lessees, and conducted an environmental impact statement and traffic impact study, which will be submitted this month to the Town of Allegany planning board.

The company has also completed an environmental review and an engineering feasibility study, which included parking and utilities, as well as resurveyed the property to reflect current title information and topography.

Beginning this week, the site will be fenced and extensive asbestos abatement procedures, common for buildings of 1950s vintage such as these, will begin, she said. Demolition is expected to be completed in late fall, and the approval process with town and state officials is expected to continue through early 2006.

Robert Donius, vice president for University Ministries, said the University will host a prayer of gratitude for what the Castle has been to the community and a blessing for the coming project, from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, on the front lawn of the University across from the Castle, near the Francis Hall entrance. Punch and cookies will be served.

Looking forward to the construction of the planned development, COR officials have had discussions with Cannon Design to gain input on architectural features that will complement University architecture, including the signature red brick and clay tile that is predominant in University construction, as shown in the conceptual drawing pictured here.

“Interest in the project continues to be very good,” though the Olean marketplace requires a more detailed analysis, and hence, takes more time for leasing to national retailers than a more urban area might, Snow noted.

The company has been in discussions with Jason Fox, owner of Domino’s Pizza, regarding a potential relocation into the redeveloped center, she added.

The University’s Board of Trustees announced in January of this year that it had approved an exclusive agreement with COR for development of the former Castle properties, situated across Route 417 from the University. COR plans to develop the property as a mixed-use lifestyle center, including retail shops and restaurants as well as, potentially, office space and a residential component.

St. Bonaventure put the Castle property, totaling approximately 17 acres including four motel buildings, a restaurant and three commercial properties, up for sale in fall 2003. It had acquired the former Castle Motel property at tax auction in August 2002, then purchased the former Castle Restaurant, Castle Cinemas and Domino’s Pizza/Bamboo Kitchen properties in August 2003 as a means of protecting University interests by guiding any future development at the site.

COR, based at 540 Towne Drive in Fayetteville, has worked on major developments involving commercial and industrial projects, retail shopping centers, professional complexes and municipal facilities, collectively covering several million square feet.

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Quick Center announces 10th anniversary celebration

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University will launch its 10th Anniversary Season Friday, Sept. 23, when the doors will open at 10 a.m. with seven new exhibitions.

The fall exhibitions include a 210-foot replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, an extraordinary record of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066; 18th century engravings depicting scenes from Shakespearean plays and a scale model of his Globe Theater; and more than 70 pages of Cerebus, the longest-running independent comic book ever published. The exhibitions will also include sculptures by 19th century American artist John Rogers from the collection of Roland Granger.

At 12:30 p.m. the public will have the opportunity to meet the performers of the folk trio Simple Gifts in the Quick Center atrium. They will present a free demonstration showcasing the various and unusual instruments they will play at the grand finale of the evening performance. At 7:30 p.m., Simple Gifts will present a program using their 12 instruments in a variety of ethnic folk styles. This concert is the first in a series of seven classical music and jazz concerts organized in association with Friends of Good Music of Olean. Tickets may be purchased at the door, but advance purchase is recommended.

Refreshments will be available with the opening of the Quick Center’s new fall exhibitions and the galleries will remain open until one hour after the evening performance of Simple Gifts.

For ticket information, call the Quick Center box office at (716) 375-2494. Ticket prices are $18 full price, $15 for a subscriber, employee or a senior and $5 for students.

Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is always free. Visit us at www.sbu.edu.

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Lecture series on war in Iraq begins today

On Thursday, St. Bonaventure University will hold the first talk in a three-part lecture series called “Perspectives on the War in Iraq” that will take place at the University over the next month.

The first lecture, “A Catholic Response to the War in Iraq,” is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, in the Robert R. Jones Board of Trustees Room in Doyle Hall. Doyle Hall is located on the west side of the St. Bonaventure campus. The program will include time for questions and dialogue.

The Thursday presentation will feature Russell Testa, director of the Center for Ministry and Public Life at Washington Theological Union, Washington, D.C. This center was established to improve the quality and depth of the Catholic seminary’s engagement with issues of social justice.

Testa is also a secular Franciscan who serves as director of the Office for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation for the Holy Name Province of Franciscans. In this capacity he works to strengthen and expand the various social justice ministries conducted by the Franciscan friars.

Testa holds a bachelor of science degree in economics from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He held a variety of church ministry positions before moving to the Washington Theological Union in 2000.

The second program in the series, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, will feature Eric Massa, a retired career Naval officer and former aide to Gen. Wesley Clark, speaking about “The Impact of the Iraq War on U.S. Military Forces.”

The final lecture, scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, will be given by Kathy Kelly, founder of the peace group, “Voices in the Wilderness,” who has made 22 trips to Iraq, including several weeks in Baghdad during the initial stage of the U.S. occupation in 2003.

Kelly will talk about “The Effects of the Iraq War on Iraqi Civilians.”

All lectures will be held in the Robert R. Jones Board of Trustees Room and are free and open to the public. The series is sponsored by the Catholic peace group Pax Christi, the Franciscan Center for Social Concern, the SBU Center for Nonviolence, and the Olean Area Coalition for Peace and Justice. For more information about the speakers or the series, please contact Dr. Chris Stanley, professor of theology, at (716) 375-2454 or cstanley@sbu.edu.

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You're invited! Come celebrate our roots and our future

You're invited - come celebrate!

“The Coming of the Friars”
by Fr. Dominic Monti, O.F.M.
4:30 p.m. Sept. 15
QCA
Reception to follow, with displays of historical artifacts and photos in Dresser Atrium

First Sesquicentennial Mass
4:30 p.m. Sept. 16
University Chapel, Doyle Hall

Join us in a procession from the chapel to an
All-Campus Picnic followed by Anniversary Campaign for St. Bonaventure
Reilly Center Arena

For more information, click here.

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Career Center News ...

For information on Senior Orientations, On-Campus Recruiting, Mengel Metzger Barr & Co., Open House, Graduate School Week and FREE practice GMATs, GREs and LSATs, visit the Career Center Events Web page.

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Newsmakers ...

“Techniques used by Yoruba Traditional Healers of Nigeria,” a presentation by Dr. Mary O. Adekson, associate professor of counselor education, has been accepted by the New York Counseling Association 2005 Convention in Buffalo, NY. Adekson is scheduled to present her workshop on Oct. 1 at the convention.

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Barry L. Gan, professor of philosophy and Director of the Nonviolence Program, presented a paper this past July at a conference on War, Peace, and the Media held at Portland State University in Oregon. His paper was titled "Pressed into War" and summarized the lies perpetrated by government and media prior to eight major U.S. military engagements of the last century. At the conference Gan also gave a reading from his recent anthology and served as a panelist following keynote presentations by Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and Jack DuVall, PBS producer.


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John Mulryan, Distinguished Board of Trustees Professor of English, has had an article published in Milton Quarterly: "Satan's Headache: The Perils and Pains of Giving Birth to a Bad Idea." He also delivered a paper on Jesuit emblems at the international emblem conference, which met at the University of Illinois in July 2005.

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Friday Forum

All SBU faculty, staff and administrators are welcome to all the Friday Forums.

Date: September 9, 2005 (this Friday)
Speaker: Students in Money Management (c/o Dr. Stephen Horan)
Time: Lunch starts at noon, Forum goes from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., including Q&A
Place: University Club - Above Hickey
Title: "History and Structure of Students in Money Management "

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