Tom Staebell

Hi, I’m Tom Staebell, and I’ve been a proud member of St. Joseph’s University Parish for the past three years. Before joining this community, I was part of Macmillan Kolbe Parish in Corfu. My professional background is in education—I’m a retired administrator who served as principal at Genesee Valley BOCES, Pembroke Central School District, West Seneca Central, and the NYC Department of Education in Manhattan.

Since retiring, I’ve dedicated much of my time to volunteering at Crossroads House in Batavia, a comfort care home for the terminally ill. There, I provide end-of-life doula services and help care for residents. I’ve also been actively involved in our parish’s LGBTQ+ ministry, including serving as the social co-chair, which has been a deeply meaningful part of my journey here.

What brought me to SJUP—and what has kept me here—is the genuine sense of welcome, inclusion, and safety I felt from the start. This parish truly feels like home. I’m honored to now serve as Chairperson of the Pastoral Council and am committed to listening openly, communicating transparently, and helping us grow as a parish community.

I’m also a proud dad of three and grandpa to seven wonderful grandchildren.

Roy Bakos

Greetings and may Peace be with you all.
My name is Roy W. Bakos and I am a member and the Secretary/Communications person of the newly formed Pastoral Council here at St. Joe's. I was born in Buffalo, moved out to Depew/Lancaster when I was 6, and was raised a Catholic through the tutelage of my working-class Polish-American Family. I attended St. James in Depew for Grammar School and was lucky enough to receive an academic scholarship, a financial scholarship, and work-study to attend Canisius High School where the Jesuits further influenced my thoughts on the values of Catholic Social Teaching, education, and critical thought. Currently, I am an Adjunct Professor of English and Writing at both Buffalo State and at UB so I see our Campus Ministry mission in action while I am at work.
After drifting into a Cultural Catholicism for a few decades, I had a Cannonball Moment--an Ignatian/Jesuit way of describing an instant when we feel a pull to embrace our Faith--in 2016 when I started the journey to fully embrace my Catholic-ness. I came to St. Joe's in 2021 under the influence of a long friendship with Fr. Pat and Fr. Jack, was Confirmed here in 2022, and I have truly found my Spiritual Home here on Main Street.
The "stuff" that keeps me grounded in life and helps me on my Faith Journey is found each and every day at SJUP. The folks at this Parish walk the walk and live out our mission to live justly, work for justice, and deepen our Faith while welcoming everyone to the Table of the Lord. St. Ignatius implores all of us to "find God in all things" and, for me, this parish lives that maxim.
I am both humbled and honored to serve on the Pastoral Council. Please feel free to say hello and bring any concerns or issues that you have to the guy who wears shorts all year long so I can take them to Fr. Dan and the Pastoral Council to be heard and acted upon. I look forward to working towards building our next 175 years of Saint Joseph University Parish.

Mary DiCioccio

My name is Mary DiCioccio and I have been a parishioner at St. Joseph University Parish for about 8 years. I used to be a math teacher at the parish school and am now completing a PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning at UB. Because of this, I am involved in the campus ministry here at St. Joe's. I am also a bassist in several local ensembles, including our own contemporary ensemble that plays at the 11:30 masses. My favorite thing about St. Joe's is that all are welcome, and I work to help that mission by serving as a member of the LGBTQ ministry here. I am honored to serve as a member of the parish council!

Debora Stafford

My name is Debra Stafford, and I am a life-long Catholic. I received the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation at St. Gerard’s R.C. Church. I attended St Gerard’s through 8th grade and graduated from Kensington high-school.

After graduation, I trained as a dental assistant and worked with John Arcadi , DDS, for 11 years until his sudden death in 1981 brought me to a discerning moment as I looked at the rest of my life.

I spent a month in Cumbermère, a Christian Community founded by Catherine Dougherty, located in Canada. From there, I spent a week in NYC with Covenant House, another Christan community whose mission is to homeless youth. I returned to Buffalo and spent close to a year with Sister Jean Frank at the St Vincent de Paul soup kitchen, where I worked until I was offered and accepted the position of Director of Religious Education at St Gerard’s.

During my years as DRE, and as our Diocese moved towards closing and mergers, I recognized that the need to be financially responsible, I needed to extend beyond the full-time ministry in the church. I went back to school (1990-94) to become a dental hygienist and worked the next 25 years with University Pediatric Dentistry. I fully retired from dentistry in 2021.

When St Gerard’s closed in 2008, I came directly to St. Joesph University Parish, as its spirituality, vison and mission matched my own. Since joining, I have been involved in Children’s Liturgy of the Word, served as a Eucharistic Minister, participated in the Faith Sharing Group training, and have continued with a FSG from 2020 till the present. In the past three years, I have become fully involved with both the LGBTQ+ ministry and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.
I like to say my two passions are dentistry and faith formation. I have been blessed my whole life, and feel that joining the St. Joseph University Parish Council is the next step in living out my faith.
PS… I was recommended for this position, and then my name was pulled out of a hat … God has a great sense of humor

Vito Casoni

Hi, I’m Vito, a lifelong Red Sox fan, born and raised in Middleboro, Massachusetts.
I began my academic journey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, where I earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the field, I had a revelation: maybe I was meant for something different. So, I pivoted and headed to Cornell Law School, where I earned my Doctor of Laws degree.

As part of my commitment to deferment from the draft during that era, I joined the U.S. Air Force after law school, serving four years as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. Following my military service, I practiced corporate law and litigation in New York City for many years. One highlight? Our firm represented Walt Disney—which meant free family passes. We made good use of them!

In 1988, I moved to Buffalo after representing a Buffalo-based company facing bankruptcy. Following a successful outcome, I was invited to join the company, and together we grew it from $8 million to $300 million in sales before it was ultimately sold. While I advocated for taking the company public, they chose another path—but that experience, combined with my NYC financial connections, led me to begin acquiring companies across the Northeast.

These days, my wife, daughter, and I devote most of our time to managing those businesses and enjoying life in Western New York.

Jeanine Ingram

Jeanine is a valued member of our Pastoral Council. We’ll be sharing more about their background and contributions to our parish community shortly—stay tuned!

Rebekah Stiller

I am the proud mom of two incredible kids, Tyson (15) and Ruby (12), who are truly the light of my world and keep me grounded, inspired, and laughing every day.

I have been blessed to work at St. Joseph University Parish since 2017. I began my journey here as a part-time receptionist and transitioned into a full-time role in 2019. Over the years, my work has grown to include parish engagement, stewardship and development, and communications—helping tell the story of St. Joe’s, strengthen connections, and support the mission of both the parish and school.

I genuinely love the people I work with and feel deeply grateful to be part of a community that values inclusion, compassion, and justice. St. Joe’s is more than a workplace for me—it’s a place where faith, creativity, and community come together, and I look forward to coming to work each day knowing the work matters.

Outside of parish life, you will almost always find me at cheer practice. I am the owner of WILD All-Stars Cheerleading, a competitive cheer program that is home to more than 250 athletes. As we prepare to enter our 18th season, I am continually inspired by the discipline, teamwork, and resilience of our athletes and families.

It is truly an honor to serve on the Pastoral Council. I am excited to listen, learn, collaborate, and help support the ongoing work of building a parish community where all feel welcome, valued, and connected.