Board of Trustees

Bishop John S. Bonnici graduated from the Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary in Manhattan in 1983, and chose to continue his education at St. John’s University in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and philosophy in 1987. Bishop Bonnici began his theological studies later that year at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, with academic studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he earned his Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1990. He pursued his graduate studies at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Rome where he earned his Licentiate of Sacred Theology degree (1990-1992). Upon returning from Rome to the Archdiocese of New York in 1992, Bishop Bonnici was assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Elmsford, New York, to serve as its parochial vicar for two years until his assignment as a faculty member of St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York. Over the course of 20 years, he has served as an adjunct professor of moral theology at St. Joseph’s. In 1994, Bishop Bonnici was assigned to continue his education at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., where he earned the degree of Doctor of Sacred Theology in 1995. On January 7, 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Bonnici to succeed Bishop Salvatore R. Matano as the 10th bishop of Rochester. Bishop Bonnici was installed as the bishop of Rochester on March 19, 2026, the Solemnity of St. Joseph.

Fr. Daniel Condon serves as the Chancellor of the Diocese of Rochester. He has been a priest for 40 years serving in parishes for 20 years and diocesan administration for 20 years. He received his BA in Philosophy from St. John Fisher College, a M.Div from St. Bernard’s Seminary, and a J.C.L. from The Catholic University of America. In addition to the Board of St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry, he also serves on the Board of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rochester, the Rochester Catholic Press Association, the Diocesan College of Consultors, the Diocesan Presbyteral Council, and the Communis Fund.

Very Reverend Paul J. Tomasso is currently the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester and the Director of Priests’ Personnel and Seminarians. Ordained in 1981, he completed his Master of Divinity degree at St. Bernard’s Seminary and his undergraduate degree at Saint Columban’s College and Seminary. He has been an Ex Officio member of St. Bernard’s Board of Trustees since 2015.

Dr. Stephen J. Loughlin is President and Professor of Philosophy at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester, NY. Dr. Loughlin earned his Master's and Doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Toronto. Before coming to St. Bernard’s, Dr. Loughlin was an Associate Professor of Philosophy and the Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA., a position he held for almost 20 years. Dr. Loughlin’s academic work has appeared in The Thomist, Nova et Vetera, Pro Ecclesia, and Josephinum, and his areas of research interest include Medieval philosophy and Thomistic anthropology. Dr. Loughlin deeply loves teaching, having engaged in the profession for over 25 years. Dr. Loughlin has been married for the past 35 years to his lovely wife Carol who recently retired as a NICU nurse.

Dr. Rajiv Dewan is the Dean of the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. Prior to joining Syracuse University, he was the Xerox Professor of Business at the Simon School of the University of Rochester. He obtained his PhD in Business from the University of Rochester. He is a member of the Holy Cross parish in DeWitt, NY.

Dr. Thomas Carroll is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester, husband, and father of four. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and then completed his internal medicine training at the University of Rochester where he subsequently served as Chief Resident and completed the fellowship program in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Carroll practices both general internal medicine and palliative care in the office and hospital settings. He also directs the Advanced Communication Training (ACT) Program, which seeks to improve patient care by supporting communication excellence among individual clinicians and clinical teams.

Richard DeMartino holds the Albert J. Simone Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and serves as the director the Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which promotes innovation and entrepreneurship education and activity throughout the RIT community. Dr. DeMartino's research and teaching interests include Entrepreneurial Startup Processes & Motivations, Technology Commercialization, and New Emerging Models of Higher Education.

Rev. Thomas Fallati is a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and has served as Pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Latham, NY since January 2026. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger May 18, 2024. Before entering the seminary, he enjoyed a distinguished career in law. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and practiced law in New York City, including serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and later as a partner at Tabner, Ryan & Keniry LLP. After years of active involvement in parish ministry, Father Fallati discerned a call to the priesthood and entered formation at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary. He received his Master of Divinity from St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry. Following his ordination, he served as Parochial Vicar at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Schenectady and assisted with vocation ministry for the Diocese. Father Fallati brings to his priestly ministry a distinctive combination of pastoral experience, legal expertise, theological formation, and a deep commitment to serving the Church and the people of the Diocese of Albany.

Liz Gilges has been an active parishioner of St Benedict’s parish in Canandaigua for 23 years. She has taught Pre Cana with her husband for many years and presently is involved with Baptismal preparation. She is a lector at Mass and a daily communicant. She is the mother of six children who have all attended Catholic elementary and high school. She volunteers in hospice, The Women’s Care Center and Care Net Pregnancy Center. She has served on the Diocese of Rochester school board for the past six years. She enjoys taking classes at St Bernard's to increase her ongoing formation in the faith. She was nominated for the Athena award in 2019 and received the Vita award from Catholic Charities in 2016.

Rev. Aaron Kelly is a priest of the Diocese of Rochester, New York, and was ordained on July 2, 2022. After graduating from Horseheads High School in 2013, he studied philosophy at St. John’s University for two years, prior to being accepted into the Basselin Scholars Program at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He graduated with his licentiate in philosophy (Ph.L.) from The Catholic University of America in 2018 and wrote a thesis entitled: "The Teleology of Friendship According to Cicero and St. Aelred of Rievaulx." While attending seminary at The Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, he completed his baccalaureate in theology (S.T.B.) from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. He then completed his licentiate in canon law (J.C.L.) at the Pontifical Gregorian University, graduating summa cum laude in 2024. He wrote a thesis entitled: "Freedom of Research and Expression in Canon 218 and its Application to Professors of Ecclesiastical Faculties." He currently serves as priest secretary to Bishop Bonnici.

Deacon Roger J. Loucks is a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Rochester and a professor of physics at Alfred University. He was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Rochester in May 2020 and serves the Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community in the Finger Lakes region. Dr. Loucks holds a B.S. in physics from Houghton College, an M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where his doctoral work focused on theoretical nuclear physics. He has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications and has received Alfred University's Excellence in Teaching Award multiple times. His academic career and diaconal ministry reflect a distinctive commitment to bringing together scientific inquiry, faith, teaching, and service. He has also written on the relationship between faith and science, emphasizing the Catholic understanding that faith and reason complement rather than contradict one another.

Dr. Richard J. Seeger is a Rochester-area ophthalmologist whose distinguished medical career has been accompanied by extensive leadership in professional, health-care, and Catholic organizations. A graduate of Albany Medical College, he completed his internship at Genesee Hospital and his ophthalmology residency at Albany Medical Center. He has practiced ophthalmology in the Rochester area for more than four decades and has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Seeger has been deeply engaged in professional health-care governance. He has served in leadership roles with the Rochester Ophthalmological Society, the New York State Ophthalmological Society, and the Rochester Individual Practice Association (RIPA), including serving as RIPA president. His experience provides a broad understanding of medical practice, professional organizations, health-care policy, and institutional governance. His Catholic commitment has been an important dimension of his professional vocation. Dr. Seeger served as President of the Finger Lakes Guild, the Rochester-area guild of the Catholic Medical Association. During his leadership, the Guild promoted Catholic principles in health care, sponsored educational and spiritual programs, supported the annual White Mass, and encouraged physicians and other health-care professionals to integrate their Catholic faith with their professional responsibilities. Dr. Seeger has also contributed to Catholic health-care and medical-mission initiatives, reflecting a longstanding commitment to the dignity of the human person, service to those in need, and the integration of faith, medicine, and professional life.

Teanna Tomko is a full-time mom and part-time commercial real estate lawyer originally from just outside of Toronto, Canada. She moved to the Rochester area in 2017 and she and her husband Ryan have two young boys, Theodore and Damien. Teanna and her family live in Walworth, NY and attend both St Jerome’s in East Rochester and St. Dominic’s in Shortsville.

Dr. Margaret M. Turek is Professor and Chair of Dogmatic Theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park, CA. She has been a member of the seminary faculty since 2001 and has also served as Academic Dean. She previously taught as a tenured Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Dallas. Dr. Turek earned her B.A. in Theology from the University of San Francisco and an M.A. in Systematic Theology from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley. She received her Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where her doctoral work was directed by Christoph Schönborn, O.P., now Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna and a principal editor of the "Catechism of the Catholic Church." Her scholarly interests include Trinitarian theology, soteriology, the theology of the Cross, and the integration of dogmatic theology with spirituality. Her major publications include "Atonement: Soundings in Biblical, Trinitarian, and Spiritual Theology" (Ignatius Press, 2022), and she has contributed extensively to theological journals, conferences, and priestly and diaconal formation.

Rev. Daniel E. White was ordained a Priest on June 5, 2004. As a priest, Father White has served in parish ministry, campus ministry, and priestly vocations ministry.

Jeremy Wolford is a technology and business leader with extensive experience in software engineering, digital communications, data systems, and cross-functional collaboration. He has been with Wegmans Food Markets since 2015 and currently serves as a Lead Software Engineer. He was among the company's original Lead Software Engineers, following his successful leadership of the Wegmans Meals 2GO iOS application. At Wegmans, Mr. Wolford has led technology initiatives that have produced significant business results, including the development of a group-ordering process and a customer-onboarding program. He has also developed training programs and mentored software engineers, helping to greatly improve team productivity. His experience includes working across technology, marketing, supply-chain, and business operations and communicating project strategies to senior organizational leaders. Before joining Wegmans, Mr. Wolford worked in technology and data analysis at Rochester Regional Health and as a developer and technical writer with Novatek Communications. He also founded OutAbout Digital LLC, where he served as founding engineer and CEO and developed technology solutions for small businesses and chambers of commerce. Mr. Wolford holds a bachelor's degree in Communication from SUNY Geneseo, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude after three years of study. A lifelong participant in the Catholic community, Mr. Wolford has served on parish councils at Guardian Angels/St. Marianne Cope and Church of the Assumption and on the CYO Basketball Council at Guardian Angels.