The Jesuit Community of Western New York invites the Canisius campus to join them in praying the “Novena of Grace,” in honor of St. Francis of Xavier, from March 4 – 12.
A Novena is a nine-day program that offers a set of prayers to St. Francis Xavier for a special intercession. It concludes on March 12, which is the date in 1622 when both Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier were declared saints.
According to Rev. Fred Betti, SJ, chaplain of mission and ministry, the Novena has been held for more than 124 years in Western New York, traditionally hosted by St. Michael’s and St. Ann’s churches, and attracts the faithful from far and wide. Over the course of the years, “many apparent cures and prayers have been answered,” says Father Betti. He continues, “The Novena was so popular in Buffalo culture that former Canisius faculty member, Roger Dooley, in his novel, The House of Shanahan, set an entire chapter of the protagonist’s adventures inside St. Michael’s Church during the March Novena.”
This year, in light of the reorganization of the Jesuits, the Novena is being offered at Christ the King Chapel, which is now home to a historic statue of Xavier – recovered from the former St. Ann’s Jesuit Church on Broadway.
The origins of the Novena date back to 1634 in Naples, Italy when a Jesuit, (Mastrilli) suffered a traumatic brain injury and, at the point of death, he had a vision of St. Francis Xavier and was instantly cured.
The Novena will be offered on the following days and times:
As a small token of our appreciation for all of the good work you do and your commitment to our campus community, please take a break and enjoy a medium-sized beverage from the Tim Horton’s on campus!
Faculty and staff can stop by Tim Horton’s on Friday, March 1 or Monday, March 4 to receive your complimentary beverage!
No voucher is required this year.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources at hr@canisius.edu.
Submitted by: Linda M. Walleshauser, SPHR-SHRM-CP, Associate Vice President for Human Resources & Compliance
The Canisius University Wiki, a long-time host for policy and procedural documents, is getting a new look and feel as it moves to the Atlassian Cloud Platform. This is scheduled for Wednesday, February 28th, 2024, and will bring some improvements, but also some temporary disruptions.
If you own or maintain wiki pages, please check them on or after February 28th for broken links, missing content, or other possible concerns. Email helpdesk@canisius.edu if you require assistance.
In general, the next two weeks would be a good time to look for outdated pages, page content (including links), page permissions and especially file attachments.
Since the wiki must use different web addresses, links on web pages and spaces across the university will need updated, and some may be broken until fixed. Please be patient, and report broken links to helpdesk@canisius.edu.
To an extent possible, all old wiki pages will redirect to the new wiki’s home page. There, users can navigate to the things they need.
Links to wiki pages within old emails, news, and social media posts will expire and will not work. Please watch for new links, or go to the wiki using the MyCanisius Portal. The Wiki can be found on the righthand side of the MyCanisius portal:
If you send emails using boilerplate mail text that points to wiki spaces, your boilerplate text will need to be updated.
If you own or maintain wiki pages that you know are linked on the main Canisius site, in Google Sites, or in any other location, those links will need to be updated after February 28.
Submitted by: Mark Gallimore, Director, Center for Online Learning and Innovation
Even through spring-like temperatures are upon us, the early mornings and late nights are still around freezing. Make sure you still follow winter walking procedures during these times.
Walk cautiously and avoid icy walking surfaces whenever possible.
In darkness, icy glazed spots or “black ice” can be difficult to see.
In cold temperatures, approach with caution and assume all wet slick spots on walking surfaces are frozen.
If you must step on the ice – take short steps and shuffle your feet like a penguin.
Submitted by: Matthew Moje, Safety Coordinator, Facilites
Lenten observances are continuing at Christ the King Chapel. This season’s theme is from Pope Francis’ “Encuentro” (“Encounter”). Canisius’ faith community received world globe stress balls.
International student Mmesoma, from Nigeria) is assisting with services.
Submitted by: Rev. Fred Betti, SJ, chaplain, Mission and Ministry
