The Curious Truth:Ghosts and haunted mysteries of St. Bonaventure

    A variety of rumors exist around fifth Dev.  The best rumors are those that have been derived from the story of the Black Mass.  

    In the early 1960s a group of students stole some unconsecrated hosts from the Dev chapel and collected a few books in an attempt to perform a Black Mass.  

    Although the exact events of what occurred on fifth Dev are unclear, the students did proceed upstairs to a former recreation room and attempted to conjure up some type of spirit.  

    The supposed Black Mass was interrupted by a friar or residence life staff member that walked upstairs and so it was never carried through.  The students suffered severe consequences by the University including an expulsion. 

Students today believe that ghosts linger up on the fifth floor and that this Black Mass could have brought some of them there.  They also believe that this is the reason that the fifth floor is presently closed and proceeding up there is prohibited.      Fr. Alphonsus Trabold, a friar consulted during the incident, provides a larger amount of information regarding the exact details and possibilities of the fifth floor's fate.

Tours of 5th Dev carry on, particularly around Halloween. Here are some images
from 2012 and 2018.

These images were taken in 2012
These images were taken in 2018 by Lauren Barry

BACK