Team Profiles

Debby came to St. Bonaventure in September 1997 to serve as Administrative Assistant for University Ministries. She lives in Allegany with her husband, Mike. Debby has two grown children who are married and live in the area. The pride and joy of her life are her two grandsons, Benjamin and Collin.

Julianne Wallace, Assoc. Director of Faith Formation, Worship and Ministry

E-mail: jwallace@sbu.edu

FRANCISCAN CENTER FOR SOCIAL CONCERN

Sr. Suzanne Kush, C.S.S.F., Director of Franciscan Center for Social Concern

E-mail: skush@sbu.edu

Sr. Elise Mora, O.S.F., Director of RCIA program

E-mail: emora@sbu.edu

Sr. Elise of Allegany is a lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages at St. Bonaventure and directs the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those preparing to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation in the Catholic Church.

Sr. Elise was recognized by The Franciscan Federation with a Peacemaker Award for her commitment to the environment and social justice issues. She received the award July 11, 2007, during the organization’s annual conference in Minneapolis, Minn.

Sr. Elise also serves as a Minister in Residence in 1st Rob.

Fr. John C. Coughlin, O.F.M., RCIA Program

E-mail: jcoughlin@sbu.edu

MT. IRENAEUS STAFF

Fr. Daniel Riley, O.F.M., Guardian of Holy Peace Friary

E-mail: driley@sbu.edu

Fr. Dan, a professed friar since 1970 who was ordained a priest in 1971, has had the joy of being a member of the Mountain community from its very beginning. The Mountain is a special response to this renewal of the Church and a place of peacemaking, an effort that has been a part of Fr. Dan's life since he was an undergraduate at St. Bonaventure.

Fr. Dan was also involved in founding the Campus Ministry at St. Bonaventure and continues to play a vital role both on campus and with his ministry at the Mountain.

Fr. Dan enjoys painting, gardening and continues to have a great hunger for prayer and a life of itinerancy, taking "the Good News of Jesus Christ" on the road to others through "Mountain on the Road."

Michelle Marcellin, Administrative Assistant

E-mail: mmarc@sbu.edu

Michelle is from the Olean area where she lives with her husband and children. She has worked at St. Bonaventure since 1990, and has worked for Mt. Irenaeus since 1995. She is also a secular Franciscan at the emerging fraternity at Mt. Irenaeus.

Though Michelle works for the Mountain, most of her time is spent on campus in the Thomas Merton Center. Michelle helps coordinate events at the Mountain, supervises students who are involved with the Mountain, and is responsible for all the clerical tasks in the Mountain office itself. Anyone in need of information about Mt. Ireneaus is welcome to contact Michelle.

Fr. Lou McCormick, O.F.M.

Fr. Lou has been a member of the Mt. Irenaeus friar community since July 1991. He was ordained in March of 1965 and spent a year in graduate school before going to Bishop Timon High School (currently Bishop Timon- St. Jude) where he taught math for 24 years. He spent 10 weeks at the Mountain during each of the summers of 1987, 1988, and 1989.

He is presently household coordinator, spiritual assistant for the Secular Franciscan Order, coordinator of the Outreach Community, and an officer of the corporation. Fr. Lou is the one to call about spending some time up on the Mountain.

Br. Joe Kotula, O.F.M.

E-mail: jkotula7@yahoo.com

Br. Joe grew up in western Pennsylvania. He joined the Franciscans in 1982 while living in Boston, Mass. Br. Joe came to Mt. Irenaeus in 1989 and has been there ever since. He lives at the Mountain and spends most of his time there. However, he works with the Students for the Mountain group, which brings him to campus several times a week.

Br. Joe loves the life at the Mountain and the interaction with students and others who visit. He enjoys the outdoors and has a passion for backpacking. Most of his hiking is five- to 10-day trips. One of his dreams is to do a section hike of the Appalachian Trail. He loves to travel and was blessed with a trip around the world last year. It was grand! Come to the Mountain and say hi. Peace.

Fr. Bob Struzynski, O.F.M.

E-mail: rstruzyn@sbu.edu

Fr. Bob returns to ministry at St. Bonaventure University after a 27-year absence and a variety of ministerial services. In 1978, Fr. Bob, along with two other Franciscans, began St. Francis Inn, a soup kitchen and shelter in the Kensington area of Philadelphia. He then moved on to the missions in Jamaica as a pastor for 10 years.

For 11 years he lived with ex-offenders seeking to make a successful re-entry into society, and was involved in Attica, Wyoming and Collins prisons as a volunteer with the Cephas Program, and in Gowanda prison as a chaplain.

Fr. Bob relishes the prayerful contemplative life at Mt. Irenaeus. He is involved with the Students for the Mountain and also serves as a coordinator of academic programming for Mt. Irenaeus. He continues as a chaplain at Gowanda Correctional Facility and has begun experiential learning programs for St. Bonventure students in Attica and Gowanda prisons.

Br. Kevin Kriso, O.F.M.

E-mail: kkriso@sbu.edu

Br. Kevin Kriso, O.F.M., D.Min. has been a Franciscan friar since 1988. Br. Kevin's ministry has mainly been in the mental health and addiction recovery fields and in direct service to the poor. He sees a direct connection between addiction, the destruction of the environment and the growing gap between rich and poor and believes St. Francis' gospel message can heal these rifts. Br. Kevin lives and works at mt. Irenaeus Franciscan Mountain Retreat in West Clarksville, NY but spends much of his time on the SBU campus interacting with students and staff and scheduling and planning Mountain events for the community.

Fr. John C. Coughlin, O.F.M.

E-mail: jcoughlin@sbu.edu

Campus Life