By Kerri Linsenbigler
Features Editor
Students usually only experience the scenic views, fresh air and relaxing atmosphere of Mt. Irenaeus for just a few hours. Three students, however, live the life of a mountain friar for nine weeks every summer.
Located approximately 40 minutes from campus, St. Bonaventure’s mountain retreat, Mt. Irenaeus, was established in 1985.
“There were a couple of students who lived with the friars, right from the beginning,” said Br. Kevin Kriso, O.F.M., a Mt. Irenaeus friar. “It’s just something that’s always been done.”
While there have been many mountain companions over the years, the goal of the internship hasn’t changed. Learning to lead a more contemplative, aware life is the ultimate take away from the experience, according to Br. Kevin, the mountain companions’ supervisor.
“A lot of the people that come are real seekers, you could say,” Br. Kevin said. “They’d like the chance to have a good amount of solitude, a good amount of silence, a good amount of time to write.”
Most companions have goals they wish to accomplish during their time at the Mountain, Br. Kevin said. Steven Kuzara, a summer 2012 companion, said he applied to the internship looking for answers.
“I went there with a couple things in my mind that I needed to decide,” Kuzara, a senior English major said. “One of them was should I go to grad school? Another was do I want to adopt the Catholic faith as my own? (They were) really big reflections that needed to be answered.”
Along their journey of self-reflection, the companions were completely immersed into the friar’s way of life, according to Aleda Leis, another summer 2012 Mountain companion.
“A big project that we did was clearing the trails,” said Leis, a senior math major. “We worked in the garden a lot, and we also helped with prayer events and general hospitality.”
The day-to-day and ministerial tasks led to greater self-confidence, Leis said. Jesse Altaville, the third companion, also said the experience boosted his confidence, especially as he began a new chapter in his life.
“I’m a senior this year, so it was my last chance to do something,” Altaville, a computer science major, said. “I’ve never been in a community like that before. I felt like I could really use the time to reflect and do some hard work.”
The experience gave a behind-the-scenes look into life at the mountain that most students don’t get to see, the companions said. Their summer of work and reflection strengthened the companions’ connection to Bonaventure and the Mountain.
“It’s something really different and I think everyone that’s been up there seems to have been able to take something away from it,” Altaville said. “I think that’s really important.”
To learn more about being a summer companion or Mt. Irenaeus, contact Br. Kevin at kkriso@sbu.edu.
