Dialogue in Context

A native of Lithuania, Dr. Sr. Gabriele Aušra Vasiliauskaitė, O.S.B., has traveled extensively in Europe and Canada in her roles as a professor and researcher at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania. Becoming the inaugural Stephans Family Visiting Benedictine Professor at Saint Vincent College this year gave Sr. Gabriele a chance to get acquainted with the United States.

Under the new visiting professor program, which is funded by a grant from the Rossin Foundation, the College recruits one scholar from the Benedictine community to live and teach on campus for at least one semester in each academic year. In the spring 2024 semester, Sr. Gabriele made Latrobe her temporary home as she taught and lectured about Catholic bioethics.

Dr. Sr. Gabriele Aušra Vasiliauskaitė, O.S.B.

“This is actually my third time in the USA, but the first two times were only for a few days—just [long enough] to say hello,” Sr. Gabriele said. “This is good because it’s much longer.”

A senior researcher at the Research Center of Marriage and Family at Vytautas Magnus with a PhD in humanities (theology), Sr. Gabriele has been honored in Lithuania and abroad for her research and scholarly activities. She came to Saint Vincent after completing an internship with the Archdiocese of Toronto that involved training related to pastoral care in a hospital setting. That experience will prepare her for a coordinator role when she returns to Lithuania.

At Saint Vincent, Sr. Gabriele co-taught a course on Catholic bioethics with adjunct professor Rebecca Krzmarzick. Although the class was small, it was energized by Sr. Gabriele’s ideas about ethical principles for the intersection of faith and science on topics such as elective abortion, euthanasia, and end-of-life care. She focused on the intersection of family studies and bioethics, particularly in the context of fertility awareness and natural family planning.

“Sr. Gabriele gave an interesting perspective, coming from a different country and culture,” Krzmarzick said. “She is very enthusiastic in her teaching and enjoyed engaging in discussions with the students.”

Sr. Gabriele didn’t limit her chats to theology students; she especially liked interacting with students from a variety of majors. Noting the importance of dialogue in a multicultural context, using Jesus’ teaching as a guide for building bridges and fostering understanding, she added that SVC’s students appreciated her background and viewpoints. “They had a lot of openness,” Sr. Gabriele said. “They’re willing to try to understand another context, not just an American context.”

Addressing students in the Benedictine Leadership Studies Program, Sr. Gabriele described two terms she created: pastoral care in silence and the pastoral care of silence. “A pastoral care of silence is an openness to the moment,” she said. “Pastoral care in silence is the preparation for that moment.”

Near the end of the semester, Sr. Gabriele delivered a public lecture about the fortieth anniversary of the Foundation Prayers of the Benedictine Monastery in Kaunas and the role of Archbishop Blessed Teofilius Matulionis.

“One of the great blessings of Catholicism is belonging to a global (‘catholic’) Church that constantly broadens one’s own perspective,” said Dr. Lucas Briola, C’13, assistant professor of theology. “In sharing her experiences of the Church—and Benedictine monasticism in particular—in Lithuania, Sr. Gabriele has done just that for our entire community, from students to monks. We have been so grateful for the opportunity to welcome her and build new theological bridges along the way.”