Campus Ministry

Msgr. J. Patrick Keleher

Fr. Pat Keleher, Director and Campus Minister

We are honored to be among the first to welcome you to University at Buffalo! We hope that this page about opportunities to participate in your faith life during college will either inspire you to come to UB, or excite you about the years that await you in Buffalo.  You will be among the first generation of UB students who will have a permanent sacred place for celebration of the Word, Sacraments, prayer, community building and so much more. College is full of new experiences — some exciting, some difficult — and both faith in God and a supportive faith community can help ease the transition.

We here at the Newman Center feel privileged for the opportunity to walk alongside you during your time at UB and share with you in prayer, fellowship and other activities. The Newman Center, Catholic Campus Ministry at UB, often acts as a “home away from home” for students. We offer a warm, welcoming environment for prayer and faith, as well as a dynamic community that relishes in sharing time and energy with one another. 

Sarah Farnett

Assistant Director and Campus Minister

Sarah has worked at the Newman Center for the last four years and is currently serving as the Assistant Director and as a Campus Minister. She has recently earned her Masters in Science for Clinical Counseling at Canisius College and is excited to incorporate her counseling skills into her work at Newman.

As the Assistant Director and a Campus Minister, Sarah’s main goal is to unify the Newman community with the UB campus. She is passionate about advocating for mental health and believes that community is the cornerstone for a fulfilling spiritual life. She feels extremely blessed to be a part of such a vibrant and engaging parish and has grown close to many of the community members.

In her spare time, she likes to read and go on long walks with her wonderful husband Ryan. She is also an (embarrassingly) avid fan of “The Bachelor” franchise and loves “The West Wing”. If you have a dog, she requests that you show her a picture of them!

Leah Merlo

Campus Minister and Program Coordinator

Leah Merlo is the new Campus Minister and Program Coordinator at the Newman Center. She is newly married to Josh Merlo whom many of you know and she is thrilled to be a part of the Newman family. As a campus minister, Leah is dedicated to helping students grow closer to God through taking advantage of all the little moments each day brings and working towards making the world a little brighter through all we do. She is a Florida native and an ocean girl through and through, so she is grateful for all the beautiful water escapes Buffalo has to offer!

Edneraldine (Edna) Simon

Campus Ministry Intern

Edneraldine Simon (‘Edna’ for short) is a graduate student at the University at Buffalo. She is enrolled in the advanced graduate certificate program in public health; this is her last semester in the program. Her goal is to obtain a master’s degree in public health so that she can help serve underprivileged communities by addressing their collective healthcare needs.

Edna works at the UB Newman Center as a campus ministry intern. She helps organize events and activities for students and community members – including weekly prayer groups, Takeout Tuesdays, the UBRooted women’s group, masses, and seasonal liturgical celebrations – and assists the pandemic response team by cleaning and disinfecting and monitoring adherence to CDC, state department of health, and Erie county department of health guidelines.

Edna is also an AHEC scholar intern for the Erie-Niagara NYS AHEC scholars program. As a AHEC scholar, Edna works with interdisciplinary majors to reduce the healthcare burden in low-income communities.

Finally, Edna is currently employed as a contact tracer for western New York.