News From the Field

Twenty-Three New Volunteers in year 8 of SJBVC

Thu, 20 May 2010 21:56:57 -0500

Year eight of the Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps has begun. This year’s volunteers will serve at twelve different benedictine communities in eight different countries throughout the world.

Mike Goggin, Kevin Finley, and Trey Thompson will serve at the SJBVC’s oldest site, Newark Abbey and Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School beginning in mid July.

Alec Torigian and Michael Jaeger will serve at Hanga Monastery in Tanzania.

Simon Sperl and Alex Kurt will serve in Mvimwa, Tanzania. This will be the second year Saint John’s graduates have served the community of Mvimwa.

Greg Sullivan and Colin Cote will start a new site in Togo.

Kenan Woodberry and Adam Gentner will serve at the monastery in Esquipulas, Guatemala.

Gabe Sperl and Connor McIntee will serve in Coban, Guatemala.

Alex Schafer will serve the city of Chicago, the first year of SJBVC presence there.

Manny McDonald will serve our own community of Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville.

Jeremy Graney will serve with the Manquehue community in Santiago Chile.

Brian Walsh and Anthony Nelson will serve on the Sea of Galilee in Tabgha, Israel.

Matthew Davis and Matthew Grafsgaard will continue the work of the SJBVC serving in Subiaco Italy.

Corey Friend and Matt Harren will help begin a new relationship with the community of Our Lady of Montserrat in Manila, Philippines.

Coban Scholarships

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 11:16:12 -0600

Thank you for your support in making it possible for 11 students from small villages outside of Coban, Guatemala to receive a scholarship and to go to school this year. We ended up raising $220.66 to purchase school supplies for the 11 students.

A mother of one of the students who received the scholarship told us how when she was young, the reason she could not attend school was because her parents could not afford school supplies. The students have been challenged to maintain a GPA above 75% in order to receive scholarships in the future. We will keep you posted on how this program is going - so far so good.

Thank you again for your help!

Matthew Ott

The scholarship recipients are listed below:

Student:
Marcelo Caal Xuc
Village: Río Palmeras

Age: 24

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Santa Margarita Quinilla Santos

Village: Río Palmeras

Age: 14

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Ángel Florentin Caal Xuc

Village: Río Palmeras

Age: 15

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Marta Isabel Santos Tojin

Village: Río Palmeras

Age: 14

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Alberto Tum Chipel

Village: Río Palmeras

Age: 17

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Silvia Elizabeth Choc Chen

Village: Río Palmeras

Age: 15

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Amelia Lucia Ico Choc

Village: Salvador Chitzol

Age: 18

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Brenda Azucena Caal Rax

Village: Salvador Chitzol

Age: 15

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Hermene Gildo Caal Cú

Village: Salvador Chitzol

Age: 15

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Sergio Ismael Caal Batz

Village: Salvador Chitzol

Age: 17

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Student:

Bayron Rudi Michael Sagui Paaü

Village: Salvador Chitzol

Age: 12

School Attending: Instituto Basico Telesecondaria Campur Cobán

Saint Benedict’s Prep featured on Newark news

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:11:22 -0600

When Newark’s ABC news channel 7 wanted a reaction to the recent news of Oprah ending her show, not only did they interview Newark Mayor Cory Brooker, they also interviewed Saint Benedict’s Prep Headmaster Fr. Edwin D. Leahy, O.S.B. Saint Benedict’s.

SJBVC volunteer Will Gilbert is the teacher in this clip.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=7130087

Mvimwa, Tanzania Reports

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:25:07 -0600

Daniel Plaisance and James Slagle

At 6:30 p.m. we were walking home from a friend’s house when a curious Tanzanian boy yelled out his window, “Good morning wachino!” (“Good morning, Chinese men!”) While we are not Chinese, we are definitely foreigners here in Sumbawanga, Tanzania. We are the first two volunteers to teach at Chem Chemi Secondary School and the only two non-Tanzanians in the city. We have been greeted with nothing less than Christ-like hospitality. The monks we live with treat us like one of their own. We attend morning Mass with them at 6:30, eat all our meals with them and teach with them. The monks have welcomed us with open arms and made this place feel like home.

Blog: http://danintanzania.blogspot.com

Hanga, Tanzania Reports

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:11:46 -0600

Andrew Braith and Anthony Jastrzembski

After a seventeen-hour bus ride through rural Tanzania, we began our work at the Benedictine Abbey of Hanga. Much of our time is spent preparing lessons, teaching, and tutoring students at Hanga Religious Seminary and Saint Benedict’s Secondary School. Anthony is instructing students in English and computer skills, and Andrew is teaching chemistry and physics and working at the Hanga Dispensary. We also have been working with some nongovernmental organizations and landscaping projects.

Blog: http://Braith-tanzania.blogspot.com