By Matthew Laurrie
Features Assignment Editor
St. Bonaventure’s spiritual outreach extends beyond meetings held in the Thomas Merton Center, hymns heard in the university chapel and the majestic peacefulness of the Allegheny Mountains. The Bonaventure connection stretches far and wide across the country, and one program has made its mission to unite alumni and students in their faith formation.
The “quiet fire” of Mount Irenaeus, as Fr. Dan Riley, O.F.M and chaplain of the National Alumni Association Board, calls it, along with the unwavering Bonaventure bond, is sweeping the country with a program called Mountain on the Road (MOTR). MOTR provides alumni in various regions, and a small group of students and faculty, the opportunity to gather with one another and reflect upon their spiritual journeys.
According to Joe Flanagan, director of alumni services, the retreats typically begin with a small social gathering, leading into student-led Scripture readings, a reflection session and sometimes a mass and reception. The exact format of events vary, but each gathering follows a similar structure.
Flanagan said part of enjoying a fruitful faith experience includes bringing spirituality to others. He hopes MOTR can give participants a sense of community through the services it provides.
“We want to be church where people are and that means going to them and being church where they’re at,” he said.
John Meisch, a Bonaventure alumnus, and his wife, Kay, are the benefactors of the MOTR program, according to Flanagan, who also added how strongly the Meischs feel about spiritual outreach. With over 100 MOTR trips that have connected thousands of individuals over the 20-year span of the program, the Meischs’ sponsorship has been essential.
MOTR began its first of three trips this year yesterday in Buffalo, where it hosted a “Twilight Retreat” for alumni to gather for a shortened edition of MOTR. The group will hold another retreat in Atlanta, Ga., today and tomorrow, and will conclude their excursion in Richmond, Va., on Sunday.
Flanagan said MOTR focuses its attention on areas in the US where there are large Bonaventure alumni populations. Alumni Services reach out to graduates through phone calls, post cards and emails, according to Flanagan.
Flanagan reflected on the impact MOTR has on alumni and their family and friends, who are also welcomed to participate in gatherings.
“You’ll see alumni who will say, ‘I was ready to walk away from the church’ or ‘I was ready to walk away from my experience and this has renewed me,’” Flanagan said.
The purpose of the program is not so much about reuniting classmates, as it is about providing an outlet for people to reflect upon their spiritual progress in life, according to Fr. Dan.
“I wouldn’t even think of it as a reunion; we’ll have spouses or friends who didn’t go to Bonaventure; it really is a chance for people who have had an experience (at Bonaventure) to have a current experience,” he said.
Fr. Dan further addressed how MOTR connects students and alumni together and gives them a break to pause and reflect on their lives.
“In the Church today, and in the larger world, we don’t always have a chance to sit down and have a one-on-one,” Fr. Dan said. “Those become very intimate, very real experiences where people can share their joys and sorrows, their challenges and the things they are looking forward to. It really is a personal spiritual growth time for people.”
Four Bonaventure students – Josh Maxey, Brad Smith, Maggie Young and Lilly Whelan – will be attending the trip after Fr. Dan asked if they would be interested in joining the program. At the various retreats, they will read Biblical passages and share their personal beliefs and stories with the group.
Josh Maxey, a junior political science major, said the retreats are a time for connection and reflection.
“Not only do these trips give us students (the opportunity) to bond and network with alumni, but it also gives us a chance to connect on a much more personal level,” Maxey said. “Each city that we visit offers something different.”
Brad Smith, a junior journalism and mass communication major, said MOTR has helped him expand his horizons.
“It’s enabled me to grow as a person; to go outside of my comfort zone,” Smith said.
Maggie Young, a sophomore psychology major, said the trips are enlightening. In the process of teaching others about their faith, she has learned about her own.
“I’ve always been a religious and spiritual person, but you don’t really realize how much you know about your own spirituality until you have to talk about it in front of other people,” Young said. “I never realized how truly important it was to me.”
Lilly Whelan, a junior mathematics major, said this experience is all about sharing faith with others and engaging in a dialogue about spirituality.
“It’s a nice reminder of the Lord’s sacrifice for me and for (all of) us,” Whelan said. “This is my way to give back and share faith. I enjoy the conversations with Fr. Dan, or other friars or people I’m around to see other people’s input on their faith.”
Fr. Dan said the response he receives from alumni about the students involved is overwhelmingly positive. MOTR helps students hone their leadership skills in a contemplative forum.
“It allows them (students) to consciously develop the skills of reflection and actively engage alumni,” Fr. Dan said. “How many people that age are having the chance to present to an assemblage of adults? Alums are delighted to meet these young students and realize how articulate, thoughtful, reflective (and) personable (they are).”
Fr. Dan believes MOTR encompasses Franciscan ideals, which are a vital component of St. Bonaventure’s outreach.
“The early Franciscan calling was to evangelize; to go the marketplace, to go among people,” Fr. Dan said. “These times on the road allow us to go out to where people are: we go to the marketplace so to speak, we go to into their homes, we go into secular environments and create a spiritual experience.”
