McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry During the Pandemic

The McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry was constructed on St. Bonaventure in 2017 after John R. "Jack" McGinley, Jr. donated $2 million dollars to the university for a building project. In this building, there is an outdoor courtyard, great room, full kitchen, office spaces, meeting rooms, conference room, and an interfaith tower. This building provides students a 24-hour center for students to use these facilities especially the interfaith tower as a place for people of all religions to have a place of ritual.

During the pandemic, the McGinley-Carney Center was a place where many students found some of their classes as in the 2020 fall semester, many rooms in buildings at St. Bonaventure were transformed as classrooms. Commonly around buildings that had rooms big enough to allow social distancing became classrooms and the Fr. Silas Rooney, OFM Great Room in the McGinley-Carney Center was no different. As shown in the picture of the Silas Rooney, OFM Great Room chairs and desks are spaced out by six feet all around the room. In the classroom, there was technology to allow students on zoom to also be able to attend class virtually with a camera and a mic. This was one of the many different places where Bonnies had classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry, SBU Archives. July 11th 2018. Accessed December 1st 2021. http://archives.sbu.edu/buildings/buildings_mobile/McGinley%20Carney%20Center.html.

Eng, Jenn. "Bonaventure welcomes a new building to campus." The Bona Venture (St. Bonaventure, NY), August 31st 2017