WEST CLARKSVILLE, N.Y. — Mt. Irenaeus, the Franciscan Mountain Retreat in western New York, launched a new Web site last week. In its new design, the site informs visitors about the many features of the Mountain including:
• Its Mission and Vision
• Communities
• Mountain Media
• Prayer
• Give & Support the Mountain
The mission of Mt. Irenaeus is to “join with Jesus Christ in making all things new.”
According to the Web site, whose redesign was supervised by Tim Shaffer, a Mountain staff member, the mission statement of The Mountain appears as follows:” Rooted in the Franciscan tradition, the Mt. Irenaeus community is committed to simple, joyful, healing communion with God and all creation through contemplation and the communal experience of God’s justice, love and peace in contemporary everyday life. Life at Mt. Irenaeus is centered on attending to what is primary: presence to God, others, one’s self and earth. All who participate in the mission of the Mountain join with Jesus Christ in ‘making all things new’ by creating and nourishing a community that transcends a particular place, opening to all peoples, ages and cultures.”
”The new site was developed because we recognized a great need to have a place where many people could experience and learn more about the Mountain no matter where they are,” Tim said. “It is much more than just a repository for information, but rather is a place where people can learn about styles of praying in the Mountain style, a place to read about reflections on pertinent themes fitting for the time.”
The site has many new features such as videos and blogs, and it will soon have the capability for allowing people to give support electronically through our Web site, Tim added.
“ The hope with the Web site is to create not only a site for gathering information, but rather a place where you can learn and experience a bit of the Mountain via the Internet. St. Bonaventure alumni Greg and Elizabeth Licamele have been central to the redesign and deserve a great deal of credit for their work.”
Mountain on the Road in March and April
Five Mountain on the Road events for various cities are publicized on the site. The Mt. Irenaeus Franciscan Mountain Retreat team will be visiting the following places:
• Denver March 30
• Chicago April 1
• Philadelphia April 21
• Binghamton, N.Y. April 22
• Rochester, N.Y. April 23
According to the Web site, The Mountain on the Road ministry is a unique program created with a rich intention to re-establish or gather together with our St. Bonaventure family.
Dan Riley, one of the founders of the Mountain on the Road program, said “Many times we feel lost or are aware of a disconnect between our place in the Church and the Church itself. Perhaps we feel we have no place at all.”
The Mountain on the Road ministry brings the Mt. Irenaeus model of Church, truly the very first model practiced by the early Christians, to the St. Bonaventure family. Friars and students partake in a collaborative, intergenerational ministry by traveling to major cities throughout the United States to share their personal experiences of God.
St. Bonaventure alumni and their families come for an afternoon of rich conversation, sharing in the Eucharist, and a joyful experience with old and new friends.
“It is wonderful to witness the powerful sense of renewal and refreshment alumni feel from simply spending four hours with members of the Mt. Irenaeus family,” Dan said.
The time together allows for both the ministry team traveling and the alumni who might be experiencing a Mountain on the Road for the first time to regain the knowledge of their significant role in the Church as they continue on their spiritual journey, ” Dan added.