THE GOOD
NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN
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| from January 15, 2006 Diaconate
Ordination Celebrated At Enid's Saint Francis Xavier
St.
Greg's President Elected 10th Abbot of Benedictine Abbey SHAWNEE — The Rt. Reverend Lawrence Stasyszen, O.S.B., has been elected to serve as the 10th abbot of St. Gregory’s Abbey. The election was conducted on Jan. 6. Abbot Lawrence is a native of Tecumseh, and a 1984 graduate of St. Gregory’s College. Abbot Lawrence entered the novitiate at St. Gregory’s Abbey on July 10, 1984. He professed vows as a member of the community on July 11, 1985, and was ordained to the priesthood on August 10, 1994, the Feast of the Transfiguration. Abbot Lawrence said the election results took him by surprise. “It’s a mixture of feelings,”
he said, upon learning he had been selected to lead
the Abbey. “The election was held on Friday, and the
outcome was not what I was anticipating. For the last
three days I’ve experienced a mixture of feelings within
myself. In a sense, I’m humbled that the community has
chosen to entrust me with this role.” Even though the election was a surprise, Abbot Lawrence said he is at peace with the decision. “I feel a sense of consolation and faith in the Holy Spirit,” he said. “We prayed and friends of the Abbey have prayed for months for this election. In the time since the election, I have reflected on my feelings of trust and consolation. “I also feel a certain degree of
excitement that I’ve been afforded a wonderful opportunity
to provide leadership not only to the University but
to the monastic community and for the other ministries
and ways we serve the Church and humanity: the Mabee-Gerrer
Museum of Art, the pastoral ministry we provide, the
retreats we offer. There’s so much mystery involved
in all this. What an opportunity.” “At present, I hope my election as Abbot will impact the University in a positive way. Immediately, it will not have any impact. I will remain president for the foreseeable future. At this point, it is my intention to seek the council of the monastic community, the University’s Board of Directors, other abbots and friends of Saint Gregory’s to determine what in the most wise and strategic course of action. “But personally, this doesn’t diminish in any way the success of the very important ministry of Catholic higher education and the Church, especially in Oklahoma and the surrounding region. Certainly, it can’t. It should benefit everyone, as the Abbot understands the potentials of the University and its challenges and strengths. “It is inspiring for me to think of the courage and dedication of all those that have gone before us, the monks and friends of the Abbey that have supported us in our pastoral care and ministry of education. They have given us an incredible heritage, and it’s inspiring in me great dreams for the future,” he said. Abbot Lawrence holds a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH, and a doctoral degree (STD) in Theology with a specialization in Monastic Studies from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome. He has served St. Gregory’s Abbey in a variety of ways, including as the monastery Vocation Director and for 10 years on the Abbot’s Senior Council for several years. As chairman of the theology faculty at St. Gregory’s University, Abbot Lawrence was instrumental in the design of the university’s bachelors degree program in theology. As Vice President for Church Relations at St. Gregory’s University, Abbot Lawrence forged strong collaborative relationships between St. Gregory’s Univ-ersity and the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, and with the Dioceses of Tulsa, Little Rock and Amarillo. Abbot Lawrence is a Fourth Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus and Rotary International. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Unity Health Center in Shawnee, the Board of Directors of the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art and the Archdiocesan Commission for Justice and Human Development. He was invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2001. Abbot Lawrence succeeds Abbot Martin
Lugo, O.S.B., who served as the superior of St.
Gregory’s Abbey for nearly 11 years. Abbot Martin
had served for two years as Prior Administrator,
and then eight years as abbot following his election
in 1996. |
