YONKERS — St. Joseph’s Seminary and College is pleased to announce the appointment of Sister Mariana Koonce, R.S.M., M.D., as the inaugural director of the Redemptor Hominis Center for Holistic Health, a new formation initiative made possible through a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. Sister Mariana will begin her role in August 2026.

The Redemptor Hominis Center for Holistic Health, funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, will significantly strengthen the Seminary’s capacity to form healthy, resilient Catholic leaders. The center’s mission aligns closely with both the Seminary’s historic commitment to human and pastoral formation and the 2022 Program for Priestly Formation issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Named for Pope John Paul II’s first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, the center expresses St. Joseph’s Seminary’s conviction that Christ heals and restores the fullness of our humanity. Collaborating with the Seminary’s formation faculty, the center, under Sister Mariana’s leadership, will position St. Joseph’s at the forefront of holistic priestly formation in the United States.

A Comprehensive Vision for Holistic Human Formation

The Redemptor Hominis Center will implement a multi-component program designed to support seminarians, clergy, diaconate candidates, M.A. in theology students, and lay leaders across the Church. Key activities will include:

• Individual wellness assessments for seminarians at every stage of priestly formation, Propaedeutic, Discipleship, Configuration, and Vocational Synthesis.
• Early identification and coordinated support for seminarians’ mental, physical, and emotional health needs.
• Workshops and fraternity programming for recently ordained alumni to strengthen satisfaction, resilience, and long-term success in ministry.
• Wellness-focused workshops and conferences for graduate students, diaconate candidates, deacons, and lay church leaders, equipping them to meet the needs of the faithful better.

A Leader Formed by Faith, Science, and Service

Sister Mariana Koonce, a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan, brings a rare combination of clinical expertise, pastoral sensitivity, and deep commitment to the Church’s mission. As a physician and religious sister, she has dedicated her life to healing in both body and spirit, an ideal foundation for directing a center devoted to holistic formation. Her leadership will guide the center’s development, oversee its programming, and collaborate closely with Seminary faculty to ensure that holistic health becomes an integrated dimension of priestly and ministerial preparation.

A Seminary Committed to Healthy, Holy Leaders

“This center,” said Bishop James Massa, rector and president of St. Joseph’s Seminary, “will help cultivate the affective maturity and priestly character that our people expect to find in their priests. Our purpose is forming men of communion who live healthy and holy lives and help others to do the same.”

With Sister Mariana’s appointment, St. Joseph’s Seminary takes a major step toward realizing that vision, ensuring that future priests and Church leaders are formed with the strength, resilience, and humanity needed for faithful service in today’s world.