Rt. Rev. Lawrence Stasyszen, O.S.B.

Personal Information

Photo Album

 Family

I grew up near the town of Tecumseh, OK, which is only about four miles south of St. Gregory's Abbey and University. I am the youngest the five boys who were born to Bill and Gloria, my dear parents. I am grateful that my father is still living.  My mother passed away on September 14, 2005, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross.  I take comfort that her ultimate healing for ovarian cancer took place on such a beautiful feast day.

Here is a portrait taken of my family in June of 1996.

L to R - Back Row: Joe (brother) & wife Marla, parents Bill and Gloria, Bill (brother) & wife Jonna, and myself; Middle Row: Jason (nephew) Pete (brother, now deceased) & wife Jeannita, Dusty (nephew), Monica & husband Rick (brother), and Bill III; Front Row: Philip (nephew), Sarah (niece), Jeffrey (nephew), Mark (nephew) and Jandi (niece).  This is a very special family portrait as it was taken just a month before the sudden death of my oldest brother, Pete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have had several additions to our family since the above portrait was taken.

To the right is a picture from Christmas 2005.  In the back row are nephews Jeff, Dusty, and Mark.  Next to my father are nephew Alex (age 10) and niece Emily (age 8). Alex and Emily are God's blessings given to us through adoption to Rick and Monica. Jeff will be a senior in high school in The Woodlands, TX, Dusty will be a junior at the University of Central Oklahoma and Mark will be a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin.  Alex and Emily attend school in The Woodlands, TX.
My nephew Jason, my niece Sarah and my niece Jandi were the first of the next generation to marry.  Through them I have a new niece and two new nephews:  Andrea, Nate and Karlan.

To the left is a photo of Jason and Andrea and their son Noah that was taken with my father on Thanksgiving Day 2005.
  To the right is a picture of Jandi and Karlan (Morris), who were married in February 2005.  The picture was taken with Grandpa Bill on Easter Day, 2006

 

Election and Blessing as Abbot

My blessing as the Tenth Abbot of St. Gregory's Abbey on February 24, 2006, was a glorious day for our entire community.  We were grateful for the attendance of so many of our friends and colleagues.  Archbishop Eusebius Beltran conferred the blessing while Abbot Matthew Leavy of St. Anselm Abbey in Manchester, NH, delivered the homily.  The picture to the right was taken on the day of my blessing.  It features my friends, the Rev. Matthew Gerlach of the Diocese of Tulsa and the Rev. Paul Aveni of the Archdiocese of Boston.

Time in Rome & Encounters with the Pope

Little did I realize when I joined the monastery that I would have the wonderful opportunity to study in Rome. I spent a total of six years in graduate theological studies at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant'Anselmo. This is the Benedictine house of studies in Rome, and there were about 130 monks from all parts of the world living at Sant'Anselmo. Some of the monks were students at the university sponsored on the premises of the residence, others were students at other universities in Rome and some were professors.

This photograph is a view of the university and residence looking from its lovely gardens. Sant'Anselmo sits above the Tiber River atop the Aventine Hill in the heart of Rome. It has good views of Saint Peter's Basilica and other significant sites in the heart of the Eternal City. The window to my own room can be seen in the upper right hand corner of the photo, opposite the window that appears to be open.
Of course, part of any graduate program is attending class.  Pictured at left is the great lecture hall at Sant'Anselmo. I spent many hours in this room, for the most part in the same seat. In the picture we are listening to a presentation by Rt. Rev. Marcel Rooney, OSB, a professor in liturgy who subsequently served as the Abbot of Conception Abbey in Missouri and as the Abbot Primate of the worldwide Benedictine Confederation.
This picture shows the inner courtyards of Sant'Anselmo. The university classrooms are found on the ground level around this courtyard and student rooms are on the upper floors. The courtyards, with their orange and palm trees and gold fish ponds, are a favorite gather spot of students between classes. Who knows, I might even be found in this picture.

One of the nice things about living and studying at Sant'Anselmo is the fact that I was able to share in the life of a Benedictine community, with common prayer and meals. Language was also a fun aspect of the experience. Italian was the official language of the house, but since most residents were not Italian conversation was usually a curious mix. In the above photo members of the community are lining up in the cloister for a procession to Mass.

This is a photo of the church at Sant'Anselmo during a celebration of the Eucharist. If you are a fan of Gregorian Chant you should try to visit Sant'Anselmo on your next visit to Rome. The chant really is very nice. If you think you will have problems finding Sant'Anselmo, you can take me as your guide. I do have experience.

Although the church at Sant'Anselmo is not a "parish church", it is a favorite spot for weddings. Not only is it a nice space, it is also in a somewhat fashionable neighborhood. This is very important to the young couples of Rome. Some weekends see five weddings in the church.

Being six years in Rome afforded me several opportunities to encounter the Bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II. My dad thinks that I am exchanging a Polish joke with the Holy Father in this picture. If such was the case, I certainly can't remember the punch line now.
Our conversation on this occasion looks a bit more serious. Pope John Paul II had an incredible ability to engage the person he is addressing at any moment. Each time he meets someone in a semi-private audience, he hands them a rosary as a gift. I received several of these, but have given most of them away.

Perhaps among the greatest privileges I experienced while in Rome was the two opportunities I had to attend early morning Mass in the Pope's private chapel. Each time I and a small group of monks from Sant'Anselmo provided the music the Holy Father's early morning mass. In this photo I am sitting against the wall to the right. Pope John Paul II was a man of very intense prayer, which was evident as he meditated prior to Mass and after communion. After Mass, Pope John Paul II would meet with those who have joined him for the celebration that day.
As Providence would have it, I had the privilege of returning to Rome for a visit on the very weekend of the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005.  The purpose of the trip was to accompany Br. Boniface as he began his course of study in Italy.  As it turned out, we were able to be present for the funeral liturgies of Pope John Paul II.  In this photo I am in line to view the body of Pope John Paull II lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica.  I was lucky to be in Rome for the first day of public viewing and I had to wait only about six hours in line.  Eventually, people waited about 18 hours in line in order to view Pope John Paul II's body in St. Peter's Basilica.

 

 In this photos we see the crowd that had assembled at the Circus Maximus. Br. Boniface and I joined this crowd, watching the funeral of John Paul II in the shadow of the ruins of Caesar's Palace.

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