Personality
Anyone who has met Father Aidan R. Rooney knows that he is a compassionate man with a vibrant personality. As Vice President for Mission Integration at Niagara University, his Vincentian passion focuses on incentivizing current students and the local community for professional advancement with a focus on equity. As members of the Niagara community we know how important matters of equality are in the states of our society.
When I asked him to speak about the principles of business ethics and the intersection with NU’s Vincentian heritage and mission, he emphasized: justice, workers rights, and the proper relationship between capital and labor. “As future leaders, we should mold our decisions based on these principles, and encourage community building to make the world a better place.” According to Fr. Rooney, “Vincentians are concerned with the way marginalized communities are affected by the local, national, and global economy”.
Journey
Fr. Rooney unknowingly began his journey to his current position in Bolivia, where he spent nine years committed to encouraging diversity, equality and morality. He did extensive work as the International Coordinator for the International Communications Network of the Vincentian Family. In 2017, under the persuasive influence of Mrs. Patti Wrobel, Executive Director of NU's Levesque Institute for Civic Engagement, Father Rooney chose to rejoin the Niagara community, and we are blessed that he did!
I, along with most of the Niagara University body, have enjoyed interacting and collaborating with Fr. Rooney. He promotes success and compassion by nurturing and engaging with authenticity.
His accomplishments at NU include:
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Extensive work to improve the life of students on campus and their collaboration to the local community.
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Leadership courses which advocate moral and ethical values.
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He celebrates Mass to promote spiritual growth, including live-streamed Mass throughout the period of COVID-19 campus closure last Spring.
He commented that after many years of service “I have not been disappointed!”
Moving Forward
Due to his expertise with online work, adapting to the restrictions of COVID-19 was not a barrier for Fr. Rooney’s continued impact. Before the pandemic, he established a strong social media presence for the Office of Mission Integration. He rebuilt the mission’s website and has become very familiar with live-streaming possibilities and encoding software. While he definitely misses daily interaction with students and colleagues in a face to face environment (relatable!), he has adapted to the new lifestyle and remains committed to the Vincentian mission. Father Rooney is yet again paving the way for the Niagara community to continue moving forward!
Fun Facts
-Qharurkama!! - Wondering what this word means? - It translates as “See you tomorrow!” in Aymara. Father Rooney has the ability to speak Aymara, which is a native Bolivian language.
-Fr. Rooney is a coordinator for the FamVin Alliance Mapping project https://vfhomelessalliance.org/; the purpose of the project is to identify and gather information on all Vincentian homeless services worldwide in order to share their locations on an easily accessible map.