Greg and Elizabeth Licamele carry the spirit of Mt. Irenaeus
Mt. Irenaeus truly captures the Franciscan spirit for us. The friars, friends and guests that come together from all walks of life bring the sense of community alive in us. The Mountain challenges us to be like Francis and retreat from the world for short time, only to go back into it recharged and re-energized. The Mountain challenges us to share our faith through shared homilies at Mass and good conversations around the dinner table. The Mountain challenges us to walk on blessed land and realize God's beauty in nature.
It's by going to the Mountain that we can go back into the valleys of our lives with the Gospel message in our hearts and our minds. The Mountain has always been important to us. Before we were married at SBU, we took some time away at the Mountain days before the big weekend because we wanted to slow down and feel God's grace as we prepared for marriage -- and there was no better place than Mt. Irenaeus. The Mountain has been especially important to Greg because it was through the generous gift of an anonymous donor that he and many members of the Mountain community (including students) were able to travel to Assisi for a pilgrimage that truly was life-changing.