Since September I have been volunteering at least one day a week at St. Bonaventure University’s Warming House. My friend Br. Kevin Kriso, OFM recommended it as an activity I might like as I transitioned into retirement. Unsure of myself at first in the new surroundings and lacking confidence in my culinary skills I decided … Read more
Last night our family attended the St. Bonaventure University vs. Canisius College men’s basketball game at The Reilly Center. We sat in Section 10 and had a birdseye view of the court. We participated in a rich tradition that spans decades. My Mom and Dad attended these games at the Olean Armory when I was … Read more
Today I began my day at St. Philomena’s Roman Catholic Church. As a young boy I attended daily Mass, often serving as an altar boy. Yesterday I met Fr. Robert Marino, Pastor of St. Philomena’s and he told me that Mass on Wednesday would be at 9:00 am followed by Adoration of the Eucharist. As … Read more
The Warming House in Olean, New York is the nation’s oldest student run soup kitchen. It provides meals six days a week to the neediest in the Olean area who find their way to our tables. It serves more than 12,000 meals annually. Each day volunteers from St. Bonaventure University and the local community assemble … Read more
I’ve been volunteering lately at the Warming House, a unique soup kitchen sponsored by St. Bonaventure University Ministries in downtown Olean, New York. I’m not a chef or anything close to it. I am a good dishwasher and errand boy who can respond to the needs of the more talented chefs who come from the … Read more
Recently I met with the principal of a local Catholic high school who is attempting to resurrect the Franciscan tradition upon which her school was originally built. Declining vocations meant that the school had to be staffed with lay people and administered by them too. There are members of the school’s governing board who would … Read more
In the past couple of weeks I’ve found myself volunteering at The Warming House. It’s a soup kitchen in downtown Olean, New York run by University Ministries of St. Bonaventure University. As a recently retired person I’ve found ample opportunity and time to help brothers and sisters who come to dinner each day. Some I … Read more
Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith. — Secular Franciscan Rule, Article 15 I think of this often and in fact this … Read more
In a couple of weeks I’ll be attending classes at St. Bonaventure University’s Franciscan Institute. In preparation for that I received an instructive email from the liturgist yesterday. Each day begins with morning prayer and ends with evening prayer and in between is the Eucharist. I loved this quote taken from the mail. Institute liturgies … Read more
After completing my last post and walking along the Allegany river I thought of the words of our Secular Franciscan rule. Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively. Then I came … Read more
