ALLEGANY, N.Y. — St. Bonaventure University will be greeting Fr. John Corriveau, OFM Cap. with open arms on Feb. 16.
Fr. John, who will be in-residence on campus through March 30, will be a guest of The Franciscan Center for Social Concern. The center was established to promote direct service to the poor and marginalized, to offer justice education and awareness of the practical implications of Catholic social teaching, as well as to be involved in advocacy efforts on behalf of those who are disadvantaged. The center was established through an endowment gift from the friars of Holy Name Province. A search is currently underway for a new director of the center.
SBU’s visitor was invited to share with the campus community both the vision of a “spirituality for justice” he articulated while leading the world-wide Capuchin friars as well as his personal experiences among the friars in a variety of places, including the Arabian Gulf and Africa. While at the university, he will be leading a variety of discussions around campus, is available as a resource and speaker for interested groups, and will lead the community in the celebration of the Eucharist.
He is a member of the Canadian Province of Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd in Toronto, Canada, where, after serving several terms as minister provincial was elected to serve as a Definitor General in Rome. He was later elected to serve two terms as Minister General of the Capuchin-Franciscan Order, which is one of three branches of the Franciscan First Order. He completed his term in September 2006 and will visit St. Bonaventure as part of his sabbatical year experience in preparation for a new assignment in July .
He has been a strong advocate of the fraternal charism of Capuchin life during his time in leadership at the international level.
He also developed a body of circular letters in which he ties the spirituality of Franciscan life together with the spirituality of social justice. With his letters, he has called on Capuchins to build a “fraternal economy” across nearly 100 countries, increasing transparency, solidarity and austerity and decreasing signs of inequity within the Order and the ministries in which friars serve.