STAFF
Fr. Gerry Waterman, OFM Conv.
Catholic Chaplain
Phone: (315) 443-2649 Email: fwaterma@syr.edu
Fr. Gerald (Gerry) Waterman, OFM Conv. is a Conventual Franciscan Friar of the East Coast Province of Our Lady of the Angels, headquartered in Ellicott City, MD. Fr. Gerry hails from Bridgeport, CT, and in 1973 entered the Novitiate. He professed Solemn Vows in 1981 in Chicopee, MA and in 1985 was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, NY. Throughout his 3+ decades in ministry, he has served all over the Province (in seven states, to be exact) in parishes, formation, wine-making, education, and the promotion of its foreign missions. His past two assignments have been in college campus ministry. From 2005 – 2016, Fr. Gerry ministered among the students of Elon University in central North Carolina, and since 2016, he happily serves the students, faculty and staff of Syracuse University, the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Fr. Gerry enjoys being outside in nature, especially by the sea. He is an avid walker, swimmer, watercolor artist and a tennis aficionado. A foodie, he loves to cook and share food and wine. Fr. Gerry’s goal while living in Central New York is to swim across all eleven Finger Lakes. He has done a few already!
Patrick McLaughlin
Campus Minister
Phone: (315) 443-2651 Email: pkmclaug@syr.edu
Patrick McLaughlin joined the team at the SU Catholic Center in July, 2024. Previously, he taught Christian Ethics (and occasionally other courses) at East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT, where he also served for four years as Director of Campus Ministry. After nine years at East Catholic, Patrick moved Central New York in 2022 to be closer to his family. He briefly tried his hand as an admissions counselor at Binghamton University before taking a leadership role at the Chenango SPCA in rural Norwich, NY, where his parents live. Although he enjoyed being close to family and working in animal welfare, he felt a “pull” to get back into ministry, and looks forward to becoming a part of the Catholic Center community!
Patrick’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in theology. He has always enjoyed the “deep conversations” that those subjects invite. He enjoys having those conversations over coffee, a meal, or while admiring the wonder of the night sky. In his spare time, Patrick enjoys books and movies, mainly of the science fiction and fantasy genres, as well as spending time in nature, although he tries to avoid the summer heat.
Patrick was born in Alamogordo, NM, while his father was in the Air Force, and has subsequently lived in sixteen different places across six states. He and his orange tabby, Boots, are happy to make their next home in the Salt City!
Jack Rose
Student Engagement Coordinator
Phone: (315) 944-7306 Email: jrose05@syr.edu
Jack Rose joined the ‘Cuse Catholic crew after graduating from Syracuse University in May 2024—but not before embarking on a legendary month-long road trip across the United States with his best friend from high school. On this trip, he conquered the cliffs and canyons of Utah, tore up a karaoke club in Denver, cruised around the Hollywood Hills in style, and met an Elvis impersonator (or two) on the Las Vegas strip. Be sure to ask him about the fate of “Cassidy,” his buddy’s trusty 2014 Chevy Cruze. He’ll happily tell you the story!
Jack holds a bachelor’s degree in business analytics from the Whitman School of Management, but his dream is to be a renowned fiction author. He is working on his first fantasy novel titled The Precipice. It’s about people who gain supernatural abilities by jumping into a terrifying abyss. Watch out—there will be danger and treachery at every corner! But at the heart of the super-powered action is a personal story about a group of young adults who, through many trials and tribulations, learn to accept the pain of their past and leap courageously into a brighter future.
Jack is also a Syracuse native. He loves storytelling most of all, but he is an adventurous guy with a broad spectrum of hobbies and interests: reading, cooking, traveling, salsa dancing, stand-up comedy, tabletop RPGs, indoor skydiving, and the list goes on.
Prior to graduation, Jack was a regular at the Catholic Center, and this community quickly became one of his favorites campuswide. He is excited to meet new students and make the Catholic Center the best place on campus!
Jose ‘Peppie’ Calvar
Music Director
Phone: (315) 443-2191 Email: jcalvar@syr.edu
José “Peppie” Calvar, D.M.A. is associate professor and assistant director of choral activities at the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University where he directs the Hendricks Chapel Choir and serves as artistic director of Holidays at Hendricks. He is also chair of the Setnor School’s Department of Applied Music and Performance.
Calvar also directs the University Tenor-Bass Ensemble called Setnor Sonority, and teaches conducting, graduate and upper-class choral literature and choral arranging. Prior to his appointment at Syracuse University, Calvar taught high school and middle school chorus and AP Music Theory at Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC from 2004-2013. Currently, he also serves as Director of Music at the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Ann in Manlius NY.
Calvar was an International Choral Exchange Program (ICEP) fellow through ACDA interfacing with Guatemala in 2018. He has since also enjoyed residencies at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico, and at the National University of Costa Rica, and he frequently travels across North and Central America providing clinics, masterclasses, and adjudications. He recently traveled to Africa to serve as a clinician at the International Conference for Organ and Choir in Accra, Ghana.
Calvar is also an accomplished composer. His Mass of Reconciliation for mixed chorus, soloists and jazz orchestra is available on cdbaby.com and has been performed at Temple University, Coastal Carolina University, and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Many of his compositions are published by Colla Voce publications, and he serves as a reader for the AP exam in Music Theory. Calvar holds degrees from East Carolina University, Georgia State University, and the University of South Carolina.