DONATION HELPS BRING COLLEGE’S PATRON SAINT TO LIFE
Students pass an 8-foot-tall bronze statue of Saint Anselm of Canterbury every day as they walk to classes and dorms. But while every student knows something about him, not all know him well.
Thanks to a generous gift from a graduate of the college, students now have an opportunity to delve deeply into the life and times of this medieval thinker and leader who was chosen as the college’s patron by the founding monks. The anonymous donor has funded a fellowship that allows one student each year to pursue research on some aspect of the saint’s life, times, and thought. The fellowship is named in honor of Fr. John R. Fortin, O.S.B. ’71, the founding director of the Institute for Saint Anselm Studies.
There is a wide range of topics for researchers to choose from. Anselm was a teacher, scholar, monk, abbot, archbishop, Christian philosopher, writer, and theologian—which is why a group of faculty members organized a conference on the saint in 2000, and why Fr. John subsequently proposed an academic research center focused on his life, teachings, and spirituality. A prime goal of the Institute, through research and conferences, is to bring Saint Anselm into living contact with the culture of the 21st century.
Having a fellowship named in his honor came as a complete surprise to Fr. John. A Benedictine monk at Saint Anselm Abbey since 1970, Fr. John has served the college in many capacities over nearly six decades. He has taught philosophy and enjoyed teaching in the Great Books Program, served in campus ministry and residential life, and served on the board of trustees and governing board. He was superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Manchester for three years, and a teacher and headmaster at Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, Calif.
A Maine native, Fr. John was the first member of his family to attend Saint Anselm College. Following in his footsteps were siblings David Fortin ’79 and Mary Breen ’85, and five nephews and nieces: Benjamin Dearnley ’00, Abigail Varga ’03, Lydia Buchert ’13, Zachary Fortin ’16, and Michael Breen ’20.
Acknowledging the impact Fr. John has had on students through his many contributions to the life of the college and the field of Saint Anselm Studies, the donor chose to honor his legacy by establishing the Fr. John R. Fortin, O.S.B. Institute for Saint Anselm Studies Research Fund.
One of the aspects of the saint that fascinates Fr. John most is his pastoral concern for not only the monks at the Abbey of Bec, but people of all classes of society. “As a teacher and writer, he helped people develop their minds and their search for God, and he encouraged all people to be faithful, even the kings who exiled him,” he says.
Fr. John sees several benefits to the fellowship for students. The Saint Anselm Fellow can choose an aspect of Saint Anselm that interests them, and earn money that can be applied to tuition. The student may present his or her work at the Institute’s conference or see publication in The Saint Anselm Journal. While the research could make a contribution to the field of Saint Anselm studies, Fr. John views the academic and long-term benefits to the student as being of primary importance.
All members of the junior class are invited to apply for the fellowship. Applicants must meet a grade point requirement and have a recommendation from a faculty member in their academic department. For the donor of the fellowship funds, and for the fellowship’s namesake, a major milestone will be the selection of the first Saint Anselm Scholar in April 2026.
For more information on the Institute for Saint Anselm Studies, visit https://www.anselm.edu/isas
As a teacher and writer, [Saint Anselm] helped people develop their minds and their search for God, and he encouraged all people to be faithful, even the kings who exiled him.