Gary Maciag Dies in New York City

Maria Hayes Friar News

NEW YORK — Gary Maciag, OFM, 61, a professed Franciscan friar for 37 years, died Feb. 25 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

A wake will be offered from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, with a wake service at 6:30 p.m., at St. Anthony Church, 65 Bartholdi Ave., Butler, NJ 07405. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated there at 10 a.m. on March 2. Burial will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa, N.J.

Early Years
Gary was born on May 23, 1956, in Passaic, N.J., to Joseph Maciag Jr. and Serafina Maciag (née Mancini) and was baptized on June 10, 1956, at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Garfield, N.J. The second oldest of five siblings, he attended the parochial grammar school and graduated from Pope Pius XII Regional High School in Passaic, N.J.,1974.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1978 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Gary entered Holy Name Province’s affiliate program. He was received into the Order of Friars Minor on June 21, 1979, and professed first vows one year later. He made his solemn profession on June 18, 1983.

Ministry
Following his solemn profession, Gary continued his studies at The Catholic University of America, where he earned his master’s in directing in 1984. After completing his degree, Gary taught theatre for three years at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. He returned to the classroom from 1987 to 1991 as a doctoral student concentrating on performance studies at New York University. While in New York City, Gary served as a lecturer at NYU and also worked as the associate director of communications for Holy Name Province from 1988 to 1991.

In 1991, Gary returned to Siena College, where he would teach as an assistant professor of creative arts and director of theatre for the next 16 years. While at Siena, he offered courses in theatre, interdisciplinary arts, and management. He also directed a variety of productions, including seven world premieres, and worked in areas such as acting and text development in other plays.

As a professor, he presented his work at numerous national and international conferences and published research in venues including The Cord and Analecta Husserliana. He was also involved in a number of professional organizations including the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, of which he was a founding member.

After nearly two decades at Siena, Gary requested a change in assignment. In 2007, he moved to St. Anthony Shrine where he served in a variety of roles, including as director of special projects, human resources, and the Lazarus ministry. He also spent one year of continuing education with Boston College’s Leadership for Change program, a work-based leadership graduate program for working professionals.

In 2012, Gary moved to St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, N.Y., where he began serving as executive director of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities. One year later, he was also appointed director of operations for the Franciscan Institute. He continued his duties for the AFCU when he was appointed special assistant to the president of Felician University in 2015.

Two years later, Gary returned to New York City to work as a financial assistant in Holy Name’s Provincial Office, where he served until his death.

He is survived by his mother, Serafina Maciag of Hamburg, N.J., and three sisters – Kathy Babinski of Ogdensburg, N.J., and Diane Mercer  and Lisa Maciag of Hamburg and Stirling, N.J., respectively.

Memorial donations may be sent to Franciscan Friars – Holy Name Province, 144 West 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001-3202.

— Maria Hayes is communications coordinator for Holy Name Province.

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