St. Bonaventure University joins the global Franciscan community in expressing deep gratitude for the recent call to peace issued by Pope Leo XIV, echoing a message that resonates profoundly with the university’s Catholic and Franciscan mission.

Inspired by the statement (see below) of Br. Massimo Fusarelli, O.F.M., Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, St. Bonaventure University reaffirms its full communion with the Holy Father and its commitment to advancing peace and justice.

The university held a Candlelight Prayer for Peace Monday evening at the peace pole outside its McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry.

“In the spirit of St. Francis, we are called not only to speak of peace, but to live it,” said Fr. Stephen Mimnaugh, vice president for Mission Integration at St. Bonaventure. “As a Franciscan institution, St. Bonaventure stands firmly with those who build bridges rather than divide, and with the most vulnerable — especially the innocent victims of conflict and violence.”

The university encourages its campus community, alumni and friends to respond actively to this call by deepening prayer for peace, extending compassion to those who suffer, and supporting meaningful initiatives that promote solidarity and humanitarian aid.

Statement from the Order of Friars Minor

In these days, as the suffering of so many innocent people grows because of wars and violence, we receive with gratitude the voice of Pope Leo XIV, which resounds with clarity and courage. It is an appeal to the dignity of every person, to dialogue, and to our shared responsibility. To ask for peace is not a political gesture: it is a fundamental moral act, rooted in the Gospel. 

As Friars Minor, we renew our full adherence to the Holy Father and our commitment to welcoming his words of peace and justice. They bring us back to the heart of the message of Saint Francis of Assisi: the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ and of that Peace which comes from God — not the peace the world gives, but the peace that no power can take away or falsify. 

Therefore, the Church — and with it the Order of Friars Minor — chooses to stand on the side of those who build and not of those who divide; on the side of the little ones, innocent victims of wars and violence. We invite our fraternities and the Franciscan Family to intensify prayer for peace, to accompany with closeness those who suffer, and to support, according to the possibilities of each place, concrete initiatives of solidarity and assistance. 

Br. Massimo Fusarelli, O.F.M.
Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).