Fr. Paul Paproski
My involvement in campus ministry has been such a blessing to my vocation as a Benedictine monk. I have been involved with campus ministry at St. Peter’s College since 2006, serving as chairman in 2007. Our ministry team consists of three Benedictine monks who seek to bring the face of Jesus Christ to the students through our campus ministry events.
St. Peter’s Abbey is my home and I have been living here as a Benedictine monk since 1997. Benedictine monks take part in a life devoted to prayer and work (ora et labora). We gather for prayer five times each day beginning at 6:20 a.m. for lauds (morning praise). Following is Mass at 7 a.m. There is noon hour prayer at 12 p.m., then vespers (evening prayer) at 5:30 p.m., and finally vigils (night watch prayer) at 7:30 p.m. Students and staff are always welcome to join us for prayer.
Monks work at various jobs in-between prayers. One of my roles includes assisting our vocations program at the abbey by teaching a class on monastic history. I am a member of our vocations team and give retreats to men (candidates, novices and juniors) who are seeking monastic life.
I serve as director of oblates, Christian men and women who are members of a Benedictine religious community. Oblates strive to renew their baptismal commitment while living the Rule of St. Benedict at home. Oblates gather at St. Peter’s Abbey three times a year for meetings and prayer. About 100 oblates are members of our community.
A new role recently assigned to me is archivist of St. Peter’s Abbey. We have an excellent archives room with history on our community and surrounding area. I sit on the board of St. Peter’s College and on St. Peter’s Abbey Senior Council. On the weekends I celebrate Mass at the parishes of Lanigan and LeRoy. I serve as the pastor of these two parishes while I reside at the abbey.
I was born in Lanigan, Saskatchewan in 1963 and moved with my family to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan in 1971. I earned a bachelor of journalism degree in 1985 and worked as a reporter and editor of the newspaper in Hudson Bay before joining St. Peter’s abbey in 1997. I made my simple monastic vows in 1997 and solemn vows in 1999. In 2000 I began attending seminary at St. Vincent Archabbey, convocating in 2006 with master degrees in Divinity and Monastic Studies. I convocated in 2011 with a Master in History at the University of Saskatchewan.
