Now Licensed to Teach Theology

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed Gaudete Sunday! I pray that Our Lord will grant you an extra dose of joy this Sunday and that Our Heavenly Mother will help you enter more fully into this divine joy.

The above photo was taken yesterday, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I went running around a beautiful golf course and in the middle of the run... a full rainbow appeared! Though you can only see part of the rainbow in the photo, it was a complete rainbow, touching the ground on both sides, and with a vibrant spectrum of colors. In addition, there was a second rainbow, which you can faintly see off to the left. It was quite beautiful, and seemed a sign that God was smiling down on us on the Feast of Our Lady, especially since my parents informed me that such a rainbow was extremely rare here.

And I have other good news to share: this past Thursday I successfully defended, via Skype, my licentiate thesis for L'Instut Saint Thomas d'Aquin in Toulouse France. The two-hour defense was the conclusion of two years of theology study with the Dominicans of Toulouse and resulted in them granting a licentiate in theology from the pontifical university in Toulouse, which means that I am now licensed to teach theology in seminaries. Thank you to all who have been praying for me, and who have made donations, to make this possible.

The two-hours spent defending my 100-page thesis were rather intense. Their faculty is known for being tough during examinations, but in the end, they were pleased with the work and awarded the degree. The examination consists of a jury of three Dominicans cross-examining you on the topic of your paper. At the end, I breathed a sigh of relief. This means not only that I will now be capable of teaching classes in theology or canon law in seminaries, should the need arise, but also is a necessary step for doctoral studies.

In a short while I will have the special joy, on this Gaudete Sunday, of welcoming two of my little nephews, and a niece, for some time of Eucharistic Adoration here in the little chapel we have created in my parents' home. I'm very much looking forward to that and then to dinner with them.

During these difficult times, you all are in my daily prayers. Thank you again for yours, and for all that you have done to help me reach this key milestone in my studies.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari