HONORING THE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR PRESIDENT

"On his deathbed, Francis said to his brothers: 'I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you yours.'"
- Major Legend of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure 14:3

During this academic year, the St. Bonaventure University community proudly celebrates the 10th anniversary of our 20th president, Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D.

For the past decade, Sr. Margaret has done what is hers to do. She has steered the University through fundraising campaigns totaling more than $112 million; cultivated a spirit of academic rigor; encouraged students to lives of service; and engaged alumni to assist with internships and job placement. The past ten years have also witnessed the most exciting physical transformation in the history of the campus.

The Mille Grazie Scholarship has been established in honor of Sr. Margaret’s accomplishments and milestone anniversary. On special occasions, Sister often uses the Italian expression “Mille grazie” — a thousand thanks. The phrase evokes images of our roots and of our patrons: Saints Bonaventure, Francis, and Clare. In Franciscan spirit, the Mille Grazie Scholarship will provide need-based aid, filling the financial gap for talented students who might not otherwise be able to experience a St. Bonaventure University education.

Families choose St. Bonaventure because of its distinctive brand of higher education — and many go to great lengths to afford this experience, which they value so highly. They choose education first, while forgoing other family needs. In some cases, families commit to payment plans of as much as $1,000 per month, in addition to receiving generous scholarship aid, as well as subsidized and non-subsidized loans.

For these families and for many others, your gift to the Mille Grazie Scholarship will be life-changing. It will help new students to commit and will aid in retaining present students facing otherwise insurmountable financial difficulty. Amidst an economic environment where parents and students fear that their college dreams are futile, your support will make all the difference.

As Sr. Margaret stated at this year’s academic convocation, it has been her duty and her privilege over the past ten years to protect the legacy that is St. Bonaventure University. She has done what is hers to do.

Now the time is ours. Please invest in today’s learners and seekers — and in tomorrow’s leaders — with a gift to the Mille Grazie Scholarship in honor of Sr. Margaret’s legacy of leadership.

All members of the St. Bonaventure University community are invited to join Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., for a 10-day pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome, Italy.

From March 22 through March 31, 2015, you will tread the paths where the Franciscan movement first began more than 800 years ago.

During the pilgrimage, you will:

• Journey into the rich history of our Franciscan tradition;
• Discover the sacred places that shaped the lives of our patron saints;
• Enjoy informative conferences, prayer, and liturgy; and
• Explore the surroundings, shops, and sights.

Your pilgrimage team is fluent in Italian, and St. Bonaventure University holds a special place with the local people of Assisi — all of which will offer you a unique perspective.   

The pilgrimage is coordinated through the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs of Franklin, Wisconsin. Cost is approximately $4,150.  Learn more…

In fraternitas, or in fraternity — this is how St. Francis and his followers lived more than 800 years ago. It is also a message realized this past May by four St. Bonaventure University employees who journeyed to Italy on a 10-day pilgrimage. 

Bona staff members Danny Bush, ’13, multimedia producer; Beth Eberth, director of university communications; Joe Flanagan, ’74, director of alumni services; and Janet Glogouski, ’10, major gifts officer, joined more than thirty other pilgrims to explore the history of Saints Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure, and to visit the places where the Franciscan movement first began.

They traveled from the quiet solitude of San Damiano, the church where Francis heard the crucifix speak to him and where Clare and her poor sisters would later settle, to the Vatican and Rome.

Jean-François Godet-Calogeras, Ph.D., professor in the School of Franciscan Studies, and Fr. André Cirino, O.F.M., pilgrimage guide for the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, led the group, offering special liturgies and reflections along the way.

Throughout the pilgrimage, staff members lived “in fraternitas,” or in close community, sharing thoughts and support, and making new friends, just as Francis and his brothers once did.

“Within fraternitas, everyone is welcome,” Godet-Calogeras explained. “It is celebrated through eating and drinking together, which creates relationships. That is the experience we try to have during the pilgrimage.”

It is also the experience the staff members brought to life for their colleagues as they hosted a bring-a-dish-to-pass lunch in Francis Café on campus September 10, where they shared stories about the pilgrimage.

They talked of the magnificent architecture and rare artworks they viewed, shared photos of the beautiful vistas, and described their daily itineraries, which were filled with Mass, lectures, and reflections — along with about five miles of walking per day.

“I would like for more people at our university to be able to go on the pilgrimage,” Godet-Calogeras said, adding that he would also like to see more gatherings like the shared lunch in Francis Café. “We could visit Assisi virtually through videos and images.”

For more information about the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, interested persons can call (414) 427-0570 or email info@franciscanpilgrimages.com.


MEMORIES FROM ASSISI:

“A lot of times we met in the evenings on a rooftop in Assisi. Those were some of the best conversations.” - Janet Glogouski, ’10

“We shared a common journey, a common experience; it was wonderful.” - Joe Flanagan, ’74

“Don Aldo Brunacci, who received St. Bonaventure’s Gaudete Medal, worked with the bishop of Assisi to help hide hundreds of Jews in homes and monasteries during World War II. It was amazing to read about him in the museum there and to see the Gaudete Medal in Assisi.” - Beth Eberth

“The experience was truly an adventure. One of the most poignant moments for me was being a Eucharistic minister at Francis’s tomb. That was out of this world.” - Danny Bush, ’13

Pictured above (from left): Danny Bush, '13; Joe Flanagan, '74; Beth Eberth; Janet Glogouski, '10; and Jean-François Godet-Calogeras in Assisi, Italy.

Lennas leave a lasting legacy at St. Bonaventure
By Brett Keegan, '13
Teaching and Learning Fellow in the English master's program

Reginald and Betty Lenna believed in The Power of a Bonnie. Through their generous donations, students at St. Bonaventure University and Jamestown Community College are able to enhance their education. 

The Reginald A. and Elizabeth S. Lenna Endowed Scholarship is awarded to local students who attend Jamestown Community College (JCC) in Jamestown, allowing them to complete their education at St. Bonaventure.

The Lennas also established the Lenna Endowed Visiting Professorship, which brings scholars to the St. Bonaventure community and the JCC community in Jamestown. These visiting professors guest lecture in multiple classes while at the University, bringing new and exciting knowledge to our students.

Though the Lennas have both passed away, their legacy continues. They represent The Power of a Bonnie through their many community projects, contributions, and donations. Read on to learn more... 


Lenna Scholarship helps JCC Students Continue Education at St. Bonaventure

From a couple who gave so much to their community, the Reginald A. and Elizabeth S. Lenna Endowed Scholarship continues to give. The endowment from the Reginald A. and Elizabeth S. Lenna Foundation will help local students who attend Jamestown Community College in Jamestown continue their education at St. Bonaventure University.

The Lennas’ many community projects and contributions included donations for the restoration of the historic Palace Theater in Jamestown (later named the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts), the Elizabeth S. Lenna Recital/Rehearsal Hall at the Chautauqua Institution, a war memorial project in Jamestown, and the new teleconference center at Jamestown Community College. 

Along with their donations, the Lennas served on numerous boards and community organizations, including the Chautauqua Institution, banks, and their own foundation. Reginald Lenna was also a trustee at St. Bonaventure, later honored as a trustee emeritus, and both received the University's Gaudete Medal alongside their many other community awards.  

Elizabeth “Betty” Lenna, who moved to the area at age five, felt particularly close to her community—especially Jamestown Community College, where she graduated in 1973.

She wasn’t able to attend higher education until later in life. As a single, working mother, she struggled to balance work and family and did not have the resources. However, marrying Reginald Lenna in 1961 offered her a new opportunity. “The first thing she wanted to do was go to school—to go to college. She started in JCC,” said Joe Johnson, president of the Lenna Foundation and a close friend with Betty Lenna for many years.

Graduating proved one of Betty Lenna’s proudest accomplishments. 

“She was never more proud of anything in her life than that piece of paper that said she had an associate degree from JCC,” said Johnson. “She was a very smart woman, but she grew up in an era where her parents had no money and scholarships weren’t available, so that education became an important thing.”

The struggles that Betty dealt with encouraged her and Reginald to establish the endowed scholarship program and the Lenna Endowed Visiting Professorship, which was created in 1990 through their foundation. The professorship brings a professor each year to St. Bonaventure and JCC for at least two weeks to provide lectures and other learning opportunities on both campuses. Some notable names have included Robert Lax, Margaret Hermann, Robert Holmes, and Dan Barry. 

The Lennas' passion for higher education was apparent through the establishment of the professorship and continues to be seen through the Reginald A. and Elizabeth S. Lenna Endowed Scholarship. Originally at $25,000, the endowment recently grew to $100,000 through additional gifts of the Lenna Foundation. The scholarship provides money for students at JCC in Jamestown who maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher to attend St. Bonaventure, helping many in the Jamestown community like Betty who could not afford college otherwise.

“She never forgot where she came from,” said Johnson. Betty was there for “the people who didn’t have a voice, the people who didn’t have a penny. She was always there.” 


Greg Mitchell, '70, serves as this year's Lenna Visiting Professor

The Lenna Endowed Visiting Professorship continues its tradition of community engagement and thought-provoking issues with this fall’s nominee, Greg Mitchell, ’70, a prolific and respected writer and journalist. Along with offering public lectures, Mitchell intends to spend his two-week visit working daily with students from numerous departments and helping to launch and edit a student-driven blog to cover events on campus and in the local area. 

Since earning his B.A. from St. Bonaventure University in journalism, Mitchell has garnered a prolific and distinguished media presence. Mitchell’s writing has appeared in many major print and online periodicals, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, and The Nation, where he was a daily writer. He has also published more than a dozen print and electronic books on a wide range of topics, from music and biography to politics, sports, and memoir. In new media, Mitchell continues to blog regularly for the Huffington Post alongside his own blog, Pressing Issues, and he has dabbled in film, co-producing the compelling documentary Following the Ninth in 2013, among other projects. Throughout his career, Mitchell has appeared on multiple media outlets, including MSNBC, NPR, and PBS, and spoken at numerous universities.

His work as editor for Editor & Publisher from 2002 to 2009 was particularly successful, helping to earn the magazine more than fifteen Neal Awards, one of the top awards given to business and trade publications in the country. 

Throughout this successful career, Mitchell has maintained integrity, honesty, and a high concern for journalistic ethics and community engagement—even as the industry continues to become increasingly fast-paced and competitive. Whether discussing Beethoven or Wikileaks, Mitchell stresses the significance and factual reality of his topics. This concern, along with his clear expertise, makes him an ideal Visiting Professor, considering the program’s tradition. 

Established officially in 1990, through gifts from the late Elizabeth S. Lenna Fairbank and the late Reginald A. Lenna of Jamestown, the endowment, like its founders, aims to enrich the local community by bringing respected, often world-renowned, experts to the area. Once here, each candidate must give two public lectures—one at St. Bonaventure, the other at Jamestown Community College—and attend a dinner at St. Bonaventure. Mitchell’s intention to engage with students daily and spearhead a local news blog will deepen his own investment further, foregrounding his energy and expertise as he enriches his alma mater and its surroundings.

Learn more about Lenna Visiting Professor Greg Mitchell's September 30 talk on struggles of a free press >>

Welcome to our newest Devereux and Young Grotto members

Anonymous (2)
Ms. Kelsie A. Abrey '13
Ms. Susan E. Acker '77
Mr. William Benoit '73 and Mrs. Deborah J. Benoit '74
Mr. Greg Booth
Mrs. Amy S. Broadhurst '93
Mr. Jay B. Broadhurst '91
Mr. Patrick J. Cullen '69 and Mrs. Joan A. Cullen '69
Mr. Kevin M. Cunningham '81
Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. DiSorbo '61
Dr. J. Michael Donahue '64 and Mrs. Nancy A. Donahue '64
Mr. Jacob R. Donius '11
Mr. and Mrs. Donald T. Durlak '64
Mr. Daniel C. Eisemann '10
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Enright '64
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Feeley '74
Mr. Michael R. Felter '14
Mr. Matthew Fernandes '05 and Mrs. Kristi L. Fernandes '06
Mr. Joseph J. Flanagan '13
Dr. Paul J. Galley '87 and Mrs. Danielle C. Bessette-Galley '87
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh J. Garvey III '78
Mr. and Mrs. William V. Giniecki '59
Mr. Francisco P. Herrera '64 and Mrs. Anne T. Herrera '64
Mr. and Mrs. David P. Hilbert
Mr. John P. Hyland '89
Mrs. Kendra L. Kistner '05 and Mr. William A. Kistner '05
Michael S. Komar, Esq. '89 and Mrs. Cheryl Komar
Ms. Laurie R. Krupa '82
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Maginn '64
Ms. Kathryn A. Malik '03
Mrs. Michele L. Maliwauki '87 and Mr. David M. Maliwauki
Mr. Lucas S. Marchiori '11
Mrs. Barbara A. Matthes '64
Mr. Richard J. Mayer '64
Mr. Stephen M. Mayer '12
Miss Mary A. McClure
Mr. Reed H. McElfresh '13
Mr. Michael S. McGovern '69
Ms. Jill M. McInroy-Ballard '93
Ms. Margaret E. Moloney '91 and Mr. Kenneth Okorn
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Dr. Paul K. Murphy '64
Mr. Lawrence P. Neu '00
Mr. Ryan R. O'Reilly '10
Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Panza '63
Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Papera '64
Mr. Zbigniew Pawlowski '09
Mr. Brian J. Peters
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Peterson '93
Rev. John J. Pierce, O.F.M. '54
Mr. W. Jack Plants II '05
Mrs. Amanda Rasinski Poor '64
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Rahmlow '76
Mr. Mark E. Rizzolo '05 and Mrs. Sarah A. Rizzolo '05
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Daniel L. Spada, M.D. and Mrs. Leslie Spada
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