Welcome to the Siena College Friary pages, where you can meet the friars and learn about our life and ministries.
St. Bernardine of Siena Friary is home to 17 Franciscan friars from Holy Name Province who minister at Siena College and in the local community.
We, the friars of St. Bernardine of Siena Friary, believe we are called by the Holy Spirit to live the Gospel as brothers and to serve the Kingdom of God as ministers within the Catholic Church in the Franciscan Province of the Most Holy Name.
As Friars Minor we are committed to peace, justice and the integrity of creation, and to making those values concrete in the lives of those we serve. In the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are guided by the centrality of prayer and a commitment to education and pastoral ministry at Siena College and in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany NY.
Accepting and living the Gospel, our Siena community aspires to be a witness to fraternity in a fragmented world. We strive to be hospitable to all who come to us. As friars we are committed to evangelization and to the promotion of a life of service to others.
Welcome to the web pages of St. Bernardine of Siena Friary, a faith-filled community of Franciscan Friars in the Roman Catholic Church.
We hope to provide you with a brief glimpse of our lives, our ministries, and our varied interests.
We are a very diverse group of men united by our faith in Jesus Christ and our dedication to the spiritual path of St. Francis of Assisi.
Our friary is located on the campus of Siena College, where most of our brothers serve as professors, administrators and staff members.
As members of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, headquartered in New York City, we are committed to justice, fraternal living and partnership with all people in building the Kingdom of God.
Enjoy your electronic visit and please feel free to contact us with your questions or prayer requests. May the Lord give you peace and every blessing!
Fr. Mark G. Reamer, O.F.M.
Guardian
In 1937, Seven priests and two lay brothers open Siena and place it under the patronage of St. Bernardine of Siena, the 15th century Franciscan scholar. The seven founding fathers of Siena College: Front row (left to right): Adalbert Callahan, Cyprian Mensing, Lambert Zaleha. Back row (left to right): Bernard Tobin, Alcuin Shields, Benjamin Kuhn, Joseph Vann.
The original campus building, once well known in the area as the Garrett Mansion, became St. Francis Hall. This building served for all functions at the college.
This rock on the front lawn of the campus marks the location of the original St. Francis Hall.
In 1938, ground was broken for Siena Hall.
Siena Hall was completed in 1939.
In 1950, St. Mary of the Angels Chapel and St. Bernardine of Siena Friary opened.
The chapel and friary were dedicated in the same year (1950).
Old Friary Destroyed in 1956
In 1981, the friars moved into their new (current) residence in the Northwest corner of the campus. The old friary became Hines Hall, a residence hall for students that also houses Information and Technology Services and some faculty offices.
St. Mary of the Angels chapel was renovated in 1980 and still functions as the college chapel today.