Sr. Gemma Antonina Lunyolo, O.S.B.
March 22, 2012
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ and Saint Benedict,
Warmest greetings! I am Sr. Gemma Antonina Lunyolo, O.S.B. and I am a student at Sant’ Anselmo. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your financial support toward my studies. Your gift enables me to pursue my studies in the upcoming academic year.
I belong to the Priory of the Benedictine Nuns of the Blessed Sacrament in the Archdiocese of Tororo in Uganda, founded in 1960 by the Dutch Benedictine Nuns from Breda. The community now numbers thirty two—seventeen in solemn vows, ten in temporary vows, two novices and three postulants. The community is engaged in small income generating projects, which help us in our day-to-day living. A project like higher learning at Sant’ Anselmo is beyond our financial resources. Your contribution is a great support and our community deeply appreciates your gift.
I am among the young solemnly professed members; I made my vows in 1999. One of the reasons my superior asked me to study philosophy and theology is to help my community, by contributing to the formation of our young sisters. We are all called to serve Christ in the Church. Your generosity enables us to spread the Gospel message to future generations.
In Christ,
Sr. Gemma
Sr. Gemma Antonina Lunyolo, O.S.B.
Father Sebastian Paul Edavazhickal, O.S.B.
March 22, 2012
Dear Friends,
Greetings! I am Sebastian Paul Edavazhickal, a monk from Saint Thomas Benedictine Monastery in Kappadu, India. My monastery was founded in the Syro-Malabar Church 24 years back and this is the first Benedictine monastery founded in an Oriental Catholic Church. There are presently 26 ordained priest-monks, 5 monks studying theology, 6 simple professed monks studying philosophy, 5 novices and 21 candidates. Since we teach philosophy and theology to our students in the monastery itself, 10 of our priest monks are away for higher studies: 7 in Europe (5 in Sant’ Anselmo Rome, 1 in Germany and 1 in Belgium) and three in India (1 in Kottayam, 1 in Bangalore and 1 in Pune). So many of our monks are away for higher studies. At the moment we depend on visiting professors. Our aim is to be a self-sufficient, teaching staff for our own candidates at our monastery.
Likewise, to help the local church in various ways, we need monks who are well educated in various fields. We also hope to affiliate our theology and philosophy institutes of Kappadu with Sant’ Anselmo, Rome, and for that we need a number of resident professors in the monastery with doctorates in various fields. As a student at Sant’ Anselmo, I have already completed the licentiate (MA) in Sacred Liturgy. I enrolled for a doctorate in Liturgy 3 years ago, but after one year, I went away from Rome for an intense study of Syriac language for two years; this was very essential for the completion of my doctoral thesis. This year I came back to finish my doctorate and I hope that I will finish my thesis by the beginning of 2013.
I’d like to take this opportunity to express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to you for your scholarship help that allows me to study at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. Without the help of generous people like you, it would be impossible for students like me who come from various poor countries to have higher studies in Rome. Once again, thank you for all the encouragement and willingness to help!
Blessings,
Sebastian
Father Sebastian Paul Edavazhickal, O.S.B.
Kristo R. Ouedraogo
Fall 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ and Saint Benedict,
I would like to thank Sant’ Anselmo for this opportunity to briefly summarize my experience at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute. It has been a marvelous experience for me from all points of views: spiritual, cultural and intellectual. I had to learn a new language, Italian, and adjust to a new culture and lifestyle, because in my land of Burkina Faso, in the African Savannah, we have a very different lifestyle and, even more, a very different sense of life as a whole. However, every day that passed was a further step towards a richer relationship with my fellow students. This very positive experience helped the rest of my academic studies, which were finished, on June 4, 2012, with the defense of my doctoral thesis.
During the third year of my doctorate, in January 2010, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, asked me to work with the Secretariat of State in the Vatican. Thus I had to carry two demanding responsibilities: to write my thesis and to work in the Curia. I thank the Lord that He gave me the strength to do this; otherwise I would have had to give up my doctorate. Once more, I felt myself supported and encouraged by my professors at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, my classmates and my other friends and colleagues. The experience of Sant’ Anselmo prepares those who will work for the young Churches.
I am very grateful to the Saint Benedict Education Foundation, which supported me with a scholarship for the three years of my doctoral studies. The Foundation should know that, thanks to its generosity, I received the first ever doctorate in sacred liturgy in my country, and my country truly has great need of such experts. We hope to be able to send more students to Sant’ Anselmo for priestly and academic formation.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless all those involved in the work of the Foundation.
In Christ,
Kristo
Kristo R. Ouedraogo
Sister Edith O.S.B.
Summer 2013,
Dear Saint Benedict Education Foundation, My name is Sister Edith Im O.S.B. I belong to the community of Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing (Seoul Congregation). I just arrived in Rome to study the Rule of Saint Benedict at Sant’ Anselmo. For our community it is very important that one of our sisters knows the spirituality of Saint Benedict very well. With my studies at Sant’ Anselmo, I can further help my community to follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. I don’t know how to thank you enough for your scholarship.
With thankful prayers and joy,
Sister Edith O.S.B.
Sister M. Eucharia, O.S.B.
Summer 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am currently studying at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome where I am working towards a Licentiate in Monastic Studies. To study in a foreign land using a language not my own is truly very difficult. But I know that despite this, there are many hands awaiting to help me, like angels leading me on. The sharing of yourselves and your gifts are truly a consolation for me; my endless gratitude to all! I am confident that my studies will be of use to not only my community, but for the entire Church in Korea. I thank you again with all my heart. Be assured of my humble prayers for each of you.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Sister M. Eucharia, O.S.B.
FATHER OLIVIER SARR, O.S.B.
Father Olivier Sarr, O.S.B., a monk from Senegal, was the second student at Sant’ Anselmo to receive the Perchak Scholarship at Sant’ Anselmo. He is from Abbaye de Keur Moussa, Senegal. He entered the monastery in 1997 and was sent to France by his abbot to study theology in Solesmes and complete his bachelor’s degree in Avignon in 2005. Father Olivier-Marie was then sent to Sant’ Anselmo in 2006 where he was ordained as a deacon in Rome that year. He was ordained to the priesthood on January 6, 2009 at his home monastery.
The topic of his thesis in 2009 was “Notae Ecclesiae—Notae Musicae Sacrae. The relations between Sacred Music and the Church.” Father Olivier-Marie is now working on his doctorate focusing on “the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and our conception of time.”
He said he looks forward to starting class again this “John and I are Grateful for God’s Blessings”—Laurie Perchak fall as he begins to draw closer to finishing his dissertation and is very grateful for his time in Rome where he interacts with people from over 45 nations. “I am seeing the world through Sant’ Anselmo where I get to see many different styles of monastic living.… This is a big moment in my life to increase my vocation, my culture, and my knowledge.” His abbot sent him abroad to study in order to help contribute to the formation of young monks and to build for the future of Abbaye de Keur Moussa.
SISTER AGNIETE IVASKEVICIUTE, O.S.B.
I am Sr. Agnietė Ivaškevičiūtė, from the Monastery Benedictine Sisters of Kaunas, Lithuania. Born in 1977, I attained the Licentiate in Pastoral Theology at the University of Vytautas Magnus in Kaunas and in 2005 I joined the community of Benedictine Sisters. In July 2010 I made my final profession. For the last four years I was involved in the pastoral care of adults who come to our church. This is my second year of monastic studies at Sant’ Anselmo Pontifical University and after finishing the studies I will be involved in the formation within the community.
When the Independence of Lithuania was re-established in 1990, our Sisters had to strive hard to revive community life and were made to search for their monastic identity anew. Due to long years of Soviet isolation, our Sisters were not able to acquire appropriate and consistent Benedictine formation. At the moment there are 36 finally professed sisters and half of them are at the age of 23-45. This year we have three novices of the same age group. In the meantime, the greatest need is the formation of the formators. Since there is no institution in Lithuania providing such kind of education, monastic studies at Sant’ Anselmo is a great possibility to obtain the knowledge needed.
Your financial contribution is a great help to me and to the whole community. We thank you wholeheartedly for your generosity and keep you in our daily prayers. May the Lord bless you all and your ministry.
Sincerely,
Sister Agnietė Ivaškevičiūtė, O.S.B.
November 15, 2010
SISTER MILAGROS CABLAR
Sister Marianne Cablar, O.S.B.
First of all, I would like to introduce myself. My religious name is Sister Marianne Cablar and Milagros Cablar is my baptismal name. I was born on April 22, 1968. I am a perpetually professed nun of the Benedictine Nuns of the Eucharistic King in the Philippines. At present, I am in my second year at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome taking up the Diploma program in Monastic Studies. If given another chance in the future, I wish to continue to the Licentiate in Monastic Studies. After my studies, I hope to be of service to my community. I intend to be of help in whatever way I can be in Formation or in any other task that my Superior would ask me to do. I would be very willing to share the things that I have learned from my studies. Other than my community, I would also make myself available to our oblates and other Benedictine communities who might need my assistance.
Finally, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to all of you who have helped me to sustain my studies. I cannot thank you enough for your willingness in sharing your resources considering the fact that you do not even know me. I will forever be grateful for the kindness and generosity that you have shown me and my community as well. I can only repay you with my prayers. Rest assured that I will include all your intentions in my prayers and sacrifices. May God reward you and your respective families and communities.
In Christ,
Sister Marianne Cablar, O.S.B., Milagros Cablar
November 11, 2010