About St. Bonaventure University · St. Bonaventure, New York
St. Bonaventure University is a private Catholic Franciscan university founded in 1858 in Western New York and recognized as the nation's first Franciscan university. Its University Ministries office, housed in the McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry at the heart of campus, coordinates the spiritual, liturgical, service-learning, and community-building life of the campus, welcoming students of all religious affiliations. The office works closely with the resident Franciscan friars of the St. Bonaventure Friary and with the nearby Mt. Irenaeus retreat community in West Clarksville to offer Mass, the sacraments, retreats, faith-sharing groups, mission trips, and outreach to those in need, all rooted in the Franciscan tradition of simplicity, service, and hospitality.
- Established
- 1858
- Patron
- St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (Doctor of the Church, patron of Franciscan studies and learning)
- Rector
- Fr. Steven Kuehn, O.F.M. — University Chaplain (since 2023)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Buffalo
Why belong here
University Ministries invites every student, faculty, and staff member — Catholic and non-Catholic alike — into a community shaped by Franciscan hospitality. The Sunday Eucharist (11 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the University Chapel during the academic year) and weekday noon Mass in the McGinley-Carney Center anchor a rhythm of prayer that also includes weekly faith-sharing groups (LIFT, Men's Faith & Fellowship, Faith in Fiction, SBU Life & Faith), liturgical ministries (Eucharistic minister, lector, music, hospitality, altar server), the Search Retreat Team, RCIA, and dozens of service opportunities — from the student-run Warming House soup kitchen and Big Brothers/Big Sisters to mission trips in the U.S. and abroad. It is also a gateway to Mt. Irenaeus, the 370-acre Franciscan mountain retreat community 30 minutes from campus.
Mass times at St. Bonaventure University
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m., Eucharistic Chapel, Doyle Hall (during the academic year)
- Friday: 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Interfaith Prayer Tower, University Ministries
University Ministries — Overview
University Ministries is the focal point for spiritual life, service learning, social action, and community building at St. Bonaventure University. It welcomes students of all religious affiliations into a community shaped by the Franciscan tradition, which 'affirms the unique dignity of every person and invites everyone into a community of acceptance and understanding.' The office shares God's love especially with marginalized populations — the needy, ignored, and excluded — and extends the university's sense of community beyond its campus borders.
- Located in the McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry, opened 2017
- Houses offices, an interdenominational prayer tower, a great room for student gatherings, and kitchen facilities
- Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the academic year
- Coordinates liturgical ministries, RCIA, retreats, service trips, and faith-sharing groups
Faith Formation, Worship & Ministry
Through University Ministries students can attend and help with Mass, join prayer and reflection groups, sing in the choir or play in the music ministry, become a full member of the Roman Catholic Church through RCIA, and celebrate the liturgical year with the Bonaventure community. A wide range of student-led faith-sharing groups meet weekly or biweekly.
- Faith in Fiction — explores faith and popular culture/media
- Ladies in Faith Together (LIFT) — weekly discussion of life, faith and spirituality
- SBU Life & Faith — weekly faith-community conversation
- Men's Faith & Fellowship — student-led, twice monthly
- Search Retreat Team — weekly faith sharing; assists local confirmation retreats
- RCIA — monthly meetings, culminating at Easter
- Liturgical Ministries: Eucharistic minister, lector, music, hospitality, altar server
Mass and the Liturgical Calendar
The liturgical life of the University is centered on Sunday Eucharist. During the academic year, the Franciscan friars offer daily Mass at 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Great Room of the McGinley-Carney Center, and Sunday Masses at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the University Chapel. The schedule expands at times to include residence-hall Masses and special seasonal liturgies.
- Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mass — University Chapel
- Sunday 7:00 p.m. Mass — University Chapel
- Weekday 12:30 p.m. Mass — Great Room, McGinley-Carney Center (M–F during the school year)
- Saturday Vigil Mass has been added in some years (e.g., 4 p.m. in 2012)
- Sunday Mass also offered at Holy Peace Chapel, Mt. Irenaeus (seasonally)
Mt. Irenaeus — The Mountain
Mt. Irenaeus is a 370-acre intentional Franciscan retreat community in West Clarksville, N.Y., about 30 minutes from campus, and a sponsored ministry of the Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in partnership with St. Bonaventure University. Founded in 1984 by the late Fr. Dan Riley, O.F.M., and the late Fr. Dan Hurley, O.F.M., it offers a place of peace, contemplation, and hospitality open to people of all ages, cultures, and faiths. The Mountain hosts student retreats, faculty and staff reflection days, alumni gatherings, the 'Mountain on the Road' program, and the summer Companions program.
- Seeds of the Mountain planted in 1971 with an off-campus retreat by Dan Riley, O.F.M., and Gervase White, O.F.M.
- Named in 1983 in memory of Fr. Irenaeus Herscher, O.F.M., longtime St. Bonaventure librarian
- 207 acres purchased Nov. 14, 1984
- Holy Peace Friary established 1990; Holy Peace Chapel dedicated by Bishop Edward Head of Buffalo in the 1990s
- Signature House of Peace dedicated Sept. 23, 1995
- First executive director, Mike Fenn, appointed 2016
- Current guardian/animator: Br. Kevin Kriso, O.F.M.
- Students for the Mountain plans most student activities
Service, Mission and Outreach
Service to others — particularly those on the margins — is a hallmark of the University's Franciscan identity. University Ministries coordinates a wide variety of hands-on service opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally, and pairs them with reflection so that service becomes a faith practice rather than a one-off project.
- Warming House — student-run soup kitchen
- Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentoring
- After-school tutoring program
- U.S. and overseas mission trips
- Habitat for Humanity and other community builds
- Volunteer work with the Missionaries of Charity (Fr. Steven Kuehn's background)
- Franciscan Pilgrimage Program to Italy, helping pilgrims follow the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare
Clergy, Staff and Franciscan Friars
The spiritual life of the University is shepherded by a team of Franciscan friars and lay ministers. The current University Chaplain is Fr. Steven Kuehn, O.F.M., a former U.S. Navy pilot who professed final vows and was ordained in 2023 before joining the campus in summer 2023. The Office for Mission Integration is led on an interim basis by Fr. Xavier Seubert, O.F.M., S.T.D., who also serves as guardian of St. Bonaventure Friary. Past chaplains include Fr. Greg Jakubowicz, O.F.M. (a 1987 St. Bonaventure alumnus who began Aug. 1, 2020), Fr. Ross Chamberland, O.F.M. (interim chaplain for 15 months while associate VP for Student Affairs), and Fr. Stephen Mimnaugh, O.F.M. (interim chaplain appointed Aug. 22, 2022, formerly pastor of Sacred Heart in Tampa, Florida). The Franciscan friars belong to the Holy Name Province of the Order of Friars Minor.
Athletic Team Chaplaincy
The Franciscan presence at SBU extends onto the playing fields, where chaplains accompany student-athletes in prayer, presence, and formation. Fr. Steven Kuehn serves as chaplain for the Bonnies women's basketball team (regularly on the bench at home games) and the men's lacrosse squad, and regularly prays with teams in the locker room before games.
- Women's basketball chaplaincy
- Men's lacrosse chaplaincy
- Locker-room prayer before games
- Opening prayer at the 2025 SBU Hall of Fame induction ceremony
Getting Involved — Practically
University Ministries makes it easy to plug in at any level of commitment. Mass intentions can be requested online (a $15 donation per intention is suggested, with up to two intentions per Mass), and Mass cards are available both for the deceased and for the living. The office encourages visitors to 'stop by — we're always open.'
- Mass card requests: contact Brian Negron, (716) 375-2662
- Liturgical ministry sign-up through University Ministries
- Apply for the Mt. Irenaeus Summer Companion internship
- Join a weekly faith-sharing group
- Service opportunities through the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Greg Jakubowicz, O.F.M.2020–2022
1987 St. Bonaventure alumnus; first named university chaplain, beginning duties Aug. 1, 2020.
- Fr. Ross Chamberland, O.F.M.interim, ~2022
Served as interim chaplain for 15 months while associate vice president for Student Affairs.
- Fr. Stephen Mimnaugh, O.F.M.interim, 2022
Appointed interim university chaplain Aug. 22, 2022; previously pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida.
- Fr. Steven Kuehn, O.F.M.2023–present
Named university chaplain July 14, 2023; former U.S. Navy pilot; ordained April 29, 2023.