In 2015, John R. "Jack" McGinley, Jr. donated $2 million dollars to contribute to a building project for University Ministries. It was announced in 2015 that the current building, the Thomas Merton Center, would be demolished and a new building would be constructed. In 2016, Jack McGinley asked the Board of Trustees for a resolution adding Sr. Margaret Carney's name to the building. It was unanimously approved. Construction began in the summer of 2016 and was completed in the spring of 2017.The building includes an outdoor courtyard, great room, full kitchen, office spaces, meeting rooms, conference room, and an interfaith tower. The brick and clay tile roofing give the building an old world feel, which is reminiscent of the other buildings on campus. The interfaith tower is made of clay terracotta. The building is an integral feature of the "quad" area of campus and remains the heart of the campus community. The center's main purpose is to "provide welcome, acceptance, and respect to all who enter" (BV, 9/18/2015).

John R. "Jack" McGinley graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1965, and served on the Board of Trustees for ten years in the 1990s, ultimately serving as chair of the Board of Trustees from 2004-2012. His gift to enhance the University Ministries was given in appreciation for his uncle, Rev. Silas Rooney, O.F.M, an alumnus of St. Bonaventure and former Director of Athletics at St. Bonaventure, his family, and the Franciscan friars and sisters who have served on campus.