ABA JUNIOR ESSAY COMPETITION

The Junior Essay Competition is a program sponsored by the American Benedictine Academy to encourage scholarly research among monastics in formation. All monasteries are asked to encourage participation in this competition as a means of promoting monastic scholarship for the future.

PURPOSE:

• To foster use of local archives in monastic communities
• To develop interest in local history and tradition
• To acquaint young monastics with the history of the community,
  the purposes and personalities of its founders,
  significant events, developments, and challenges in the community
• To encourage the collection of personal memoirs
• To stimulate interest in and study of monastic history

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS:

The essay must be a historical or geographical study centered in the junior monastic’s own monastery and utilizing archival material. The paper should be 2,000 to 2,500 words in length, double-spaced, and done as a computer-generated Word document.

PRIZE:

The winner of the Junior Essay Competition will be awarded:

• A two-year membership in ABA
• A waiver of registration and hospitality fees
  for the August 2008 ABA convention
• A book of interest to monastics

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Email the essay and the following information to:

Sister Mary Kay Panowicz OSB
ABA Awards Chair
Sacred Heart Monastery
1105 W. 8th St.
Yankton, SD 57078

Email: mkpanowicz @ mtmc.edu
Phone: 605-668-6021

INFORMATION TO ACCOMPANY ESSAY:

• Name
• Community name, address, phone and fax numbers, email address
• Personal address including email address (if different from above)
• Current status (pre-novitiate, novitiate, temporarily professed)
• Title of essay

All essays must be received by March 31, 2008. The winner will be notified by May 10, 2008. The winning essay will be published in the Proceedings of the ABA.

Membership Application

Membership in the American Benedictine Academy is open to any individual interested in the Benedictine heritage and the purposes of the Academy. Annual membership costs $20 for one year and $25 for two years.

Benefits of individual membership include:

* Subscription to The American Monastic Newsletter
* Voting rights in the Academy
* Eligibility for awards and elections
* Discounts on convention registration, tapes and publications
* Opportunity to participate in an ABA Section

Membership renewals are due 1 January.
Print and post your application or begin your application online.