News

Mount Saint Mary College chaplain interviewed about St. Patrick

March 17, 2011

Newburgh, NY -

Fr. Francis Amodio, OCarm, director of campus ministry and chaplain at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, was recently interviewed about the man behind the legend of St. Patrick.

Amodio noted that Patrick, born in Britain, was 16 when he was forced into slavery and taken to Ireland. Escaping at 23, he returned home and was eventually ordained a priest and then bishop. Later in life, sensing a call to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the Irish, he returned to the Emerald Isle.

Mount Saint Mary College, ranked a Top-Tier Regional University (North) by U.S. News & World Report, is lead by Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, president, who was named to the Irish Voice’s Irish Education Top100 list. He accepted the award, which honors top educators in America and the long standing Irish commitment to excellence in education, on behalf of Irish faculty members at the Mount.

In New York City for the parade and an alumni event, Fr. Mackin noted that he's honored the grand marshal Mary Higgins Clark twice: giving her honorary degrees while president of Mount Saint Mary College in 2010, and Siena College in 2000.

In keeping with the wearing of the green, Mount Saint Mary College recently hosted Celtic Crossroads of Galway when their World Fusion Tour stopped in Newburgh. On Sunday, March 20, the Dublin City Ramblers, Ireland’s No. 1 folk and ballad band, will perform at the college in honor of the 175th anniversary of St. Patrick’s Church in Newburgh.

Mount Saint Mary College offers strong career preparation in education, health professions, business, psychology, social services and liberal arts. For a list of our academic programs, visit www.msmc.edu/academics