At Saint Anselm College, the faculty and staff form close bonds with students, making
their time here that much more special. With the busy and eventful environment that we can
surround ourselves in on campus, it can be difficult to foster that same personal relationship with
them all. However, the rich tapestry of interactions helps to build a network of meaningful
connections. Today, Brother Stanislaw speaks about his time on campus both serving in the
monastery and working in the Human Resources office.
Growing up, Brother Stanislaw knew that he wanted to pursue priesthood from a very
early age. In fact, he remembers getting that initial feeling and calling upon him from God in 4th
grade. From there, he journeyed from his early years in western Massachusetts, to his first stretch of a
monastic lifestyle in Florida, and finally making his way to the monastery here on Saint Anselm College
campus. While his time on campus may have been short thus far, joining the Saint Anselm monastic
community in January of 2024, he has been a professed Benedictine for 26 years. Brother Stanislaw
started his career off at Saint Leo Abbey in Saint Leo, Florida where he flourished in their monastic
brotherhood. During his time at Saint Leo’s, he served not only religiously, but also in the community as
he taught classes in theology and assisted in the church by playing the organ, similar to Saint Anselm
Abbey standards. Although he had originally sought out priesthood, within the house that he resided in
at Saint Leo’s it was impossible to be ordained one– that is simply how it was.
He recalls several of his fellow Benedictines encouraging him to spread his wings on his
religious voyage as others knew about his priestly aspirations. “When we’re young, we have a
tendency not to listen,” says Brother Stanislaw, acknowledging that he wished he had joined
Saint Anselm ahead of time. That is not to say that he did not enjoy the time he spent at Saint
Leo’s. While there, he had been the Prior, or second in command, of the Abbey! It was not until
one of his old friends, who we know as Abbot Mark, had invited him to join him at Saint Anselm
that he decided to listen. He was not aware that Saint Anselm had a Benedictine monastery, or
else he would have ended up here much sooner.
On campus, aside from monastic life, Brother Stanislaw works at the Human Resources
office on the third floor of Alumni Hall. While there, he spends most of his days doing simple
tasks that are critical to keep the office running smoothly. Some of those include setting up and
sitting in on job interviews, helping students with getting their I-9 documents to be approved,
filing away important documents, and assisting on projects. His favorite part about the job has to
be the bridge that it has created for him, being able to better connect with and getting to know
students and faculty.
Outside of this, he also enjoys music and playing the organ. When Brother Stanislaw
ventures back to western Massachusetts on occasion, he is actively involved at the Basilica of
Saint Stanislaus parish in Chicopee, MA. That being said, when he is home you can surely find
him here singing in Polish or helping out the organist!
All things considered, Brother Stanislaw is extremely happy to be here and glad that his
Benedictine journey lead him to Saint Anselm’s monastery where he gets to have meaningful
interactions each day. He enjoys all of his responsibilities on campus and is remaining open to
serve wherever the community needs him to be.
As members of Catholic and Benedictine communities, one of the core values found
between the two is hospitality and being welcoming towards all individuals. That is why it is
important for the monks on campus to strive to follow this, which is exactly what Brother
Stanislaw exemplifies! He looks forward to meeting new people on campus, including both
students and staff, and has high hopes for his upcoming years at Saint Anselm College and in the Abbey.