By Luis Rodriguez
Contributing Writer
In order to teach students Franciscan values, the university has started a new project, the Lateran Center, to create programs that will help explain what the Franciscan mission is.
“The Lateran center is not trying to reinvent things, but trying to help be clearer about what we already do,” said Brother Ross Chamberland, O.F.M., executive director of The Lateran Center
According to Brother Ross, the Lateran Center was created to help recognize the Catholic identity to better understand what the Franciscan mission is. Also, it helps recruit Catholic students to St. Bonaventure. Brother Ross has been meeting with Catholic high schools around the Buffalo area to attract new students.
“We are Catholics first, and to better understand that will help to better understand the Franciscan tradition.”
Programs such as BonaResponds, Bona Buddies, and Mt. Irenaeus are all rooted in the Franciscan values.
“The Lateran Center is permeating every aspect of the university,” Brother Ross said.
The center is helping connect the dots throughout campus, bringing together sacramental life, ministry life and student life, to strengthen the web at Bonaventure.
“It is still very, very, new,” Brother Ross said. “There are no current or upcoming events being held by the center.”
Brother Ross also added that new programs may be implemented in the future for the Lateran Center.
“We plan to open a program for residential undergraduates discerning priesthood and religious life,” Brother Ross said, “we also are converting the St. Joseph oratory into a Eucharistic adoration chapel.”
Things are still in the planning stages, but the Lateran Center is quickly developing.
“The concept of the Lateran Center came from a genesis of conversation between Sr. Margaret and myself,” Brother Ross said.
Brother Ross explained that the name of the center comes from a dream that Pope Innocent III had after removing Francis from his church. In this papal premonition, Francis was holding the Lateran Cathedral. The Pope believed that the dream was a sign that Francis was the one who would reform the church.
Even with the new center, Br. Ross still dedicates his time to teach students at St. Bonaventure about the Catholic-Franciscan heritage. Br. Ross is a man who wears many hats, but his main focus as well as the Lateran Center’s is to better the church.
