Taking Benedictine values beyond CSB+SJU’s campuses

Dear St. John’s Class of 2027,

Welcome to your senior year! This is an exciting, busy and, at times, overwhelming season of life. By now you have probably asked yourself, and certainly been asked by friends and family, “what’s next?” This is an important question.

My invitation to you is to consider spending a year with the Benedictine Volunteer Corps (BVC).

The BVC gives Johnnies the opportunity to spend 10–12 months serving in Benedictine communities around the globe, working in schools, clinics and social development programs. From serving people experiencing poverty in the streets of Nairobi to teaching English in Guatemalan high schools and even serving lunch to the Pope, Benedictine volunteers have found meaningful ways to share their gifts and talents through the BVC.

I can’t think of many experiences that offer the same opportunity for growth, service and discovery.

Following graduation, you can put the skills and knowledge you have developed at CSB+SJU into practice in communities that not only need your help but also welcome your participation and presence. Volunteers arrive at their host sites as strangers and, over the course of a year, often leave as friends and deeply valued members of their communities.

A year with the BVC also provides an opportunity to put into practice the Benedictine values you have heard about and experienced during your time at St. John’s: grounding yourself in daily prayer, working with dignity and purpose, practicing deep hospitality and living in community while striving to make the world a better place. Together, these experiences can make for a deeply transformative year.

Throughout the coming year, The Record will feature letters from current BVC volunteers through the “Letters Home” column. These stories will offer a firsthand look at the experiences of Johnnie alumni serving in communities around the world. My hope is that, through their words, you will begin to see the ways a year of service can shape the lives of people you already know.

Johnnies, I am inviting you to step into something bigger than yourself. I am inviting you to step into a year of service and a world of discovery.

I am inviting you to consider the Benedictine Volunteer Corps.

Please join us at one of our upcoming information sessions on Sunday, Sept. 13; Thursday, Sept. 17; or Thursday, Oct. 1 to learn more about the program.

Questions? Or do you already think the BVC is the right fit for you? Contact me at bvc@csbsju.edu or wkirchner001@csbsju.edu, I am happy to meet one-on-one with anyone interested in this opportunity.