New Romero Task Force Brings Faith into Action 

Campus Ministry is thrilled to announce the creation of a new student group, the Romero Task Force (RTF). With the growing number of students wanting to get involved in Campus Ministry activities at St. Joe’s, there is a need to expand our programming to include student-led groups that will bring new ideas and initiatives to the school community. 

The Romero Task Force is named in honor of St. Oscar Romero, the martyred archbishop of San Salvador who spoke out for the needs of the poor and marginalized of El Salvador during the time of a brutal civil war in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The group name also pays homage to the Romero Center, an immersion trip location in Camden, New Jersey, where St. Joe’s students have volunteered for years. A hallmark of immersion trips includes analyzing the inequalities in the cities students serve in and asking what we can do to create a more just and equitable community.  

The RTF will be led by three rising members of the class of 2027- Colin Fulco, Billy Kennedy, and Akash Rudra. 

We hope to create a more inclusive community at St. Joe’s by living out the ideals of St. Oscar Romero. We plan to put into action the themes of Catholic Social Teaching that we are learning in the classroom. 

Billy Kennedy, ‘27, Student Co-Director

A hope of the RTF is to offer students the opportunity to look at issues of injustice in our school and Western New York community through the lens of theological reflection, guided by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, and offer concrete action steps & projects to create a more just community.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Michael Specht, Campus Minister at mspecht@sjci.com.