FR. THOMAS BOLIN, O.S.B.
I was born in Algonac, Michigan, the third child in a family of ten. I studied at Thomas Aquinas College in California, and then at the International Theological Institute in Austria, earning an S.T.L. there in 2000. I spent some time in another community, the Society of St. John, before joining the monastery in the summer of 2004, due to a desire for a fuller liturgical life and for the fuller commitment of religious vows.
Since joining the monastery, I was the sacristan for several years, then the accountant, and most recently I was appointed Subprior in 2009, while retaining my accounting duties. Additionally, as time permits, I have been working on a doctorate for the University of the Holy Cross in Rome. I was ordained a priest on October 31st, 2009. The opportunity to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has been truly wonderful and has deepened my monastic life as well.
One of the most memorable events since I entered the monastery was my pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which I made in January 2010 – each monk makes such a pilgrimage once at some point after solemn vows. It was an incredible experience and has increased my faith, making it much more concrete and distinct in meaning.
My special patrons are St. Thomas Aquinas (thus my monastic name) and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. While neither saint is Benedictine, this is relatively unimportant to me, since as St. Benedict says, we all serve under the same King.
http://osbnorcia.org/about/meet-us/frthomas