Vasiliauskaitė, Aušra

Vasiliauskaitė Aušra (Sr. Gabriele OSB) – a Ph.D. in Humanities (Theology), Associate Professor (since 2021), Lector (since 2015, before was an Assistant Professor from 2010 until 2015) at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at Vytautas Magnus University, Senior Researcher of Research Center of Marriage and Family (since 2011), Visiting Benedictine Professor at Saint Vincent College and Seminary, PA, USA (2024), Manager and Director of Public Office “Domus Laudis” (since 2014), Coordinator of Clinical Pastoral Care of Kaunas Archdiocese (since 2018), a Member of the Curatorium European Society of Catholic Theology (ESCT) and Lithuanian Section President of the ESCT (since 2021). She is an Expert by the Episcopal Theological College of Pécs for AVEPRO and the Hungarian Accreditation Commission. The Episcopal Theological College of Pécs invites experts to collaborate with the Hungarian Accreditation Committee in accreditation procedures in Hungary within the field of religion, theology, and divinity studies (since 2023). She is a Member of the Process of the Revision of ESCT Statutes Committee (since 2021). She is a Member of the Council of the VMU Scientific Cluster “Church Relations with State and Society in Lithuania”, a Member of the Council of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at VMU, and the Chair of the Licensee Pastoral Theology Program Committee at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at VMU. In 2012-2013 she worked as an Assistant Professor of the Department of Humanities at Marijampoles College (now the Public Institution Mykolas Romeris University), Faculty of Educational Sciences and Social Work. In 2012-2014 she worked as a Young Scientist at FH, Department of History at VMU. She studied at the Vytautas Magnus University from 2002 until 2014 (STB, STL, and PhD), and at K. U. Leuven in Belgium (Erasmus 2009-2010). She is an archivist of the Convent of Benedictine Sisters in Kaunas (since 2005). In her licentiates and doctor studies, Ausra has studied the pastoral models and created a new pastoral hermeneutic-communicative model in the monasticism area and in the new context of pastoral care of Silence, whom she created, too. She has main fellowships and internships in Germany, Poland, Belgium, Belarus, the USA, Canada, Australia, etc. The important internship was in the Archdiocese of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the same during the month too, she took part in the consultation and hands-on training related to pastoral care in a hospital setting. A final internship was as the inaugural Stephans Family Visiting Benedictine Professor for spring 2024 in Saint Vincent College and Seminary, PA, USA (visiting the Benedictine Professor program of the Stephans Family is funded by a grant from the Rossin Foundation). She was honoured and awarded: Saint Vincent College Recognizes Prof. Dr. Sr. Gabriele Aušra Vasiliauskaitė, OSB for Distinguished Service as The Stephans family Visiting Benedictine Professor. Rev. Paul Taylor, OSB., President, April 24, 2024. She has lectured and public lectures for the general public; presentations at national and international conferences, and targeted commissioned/invited presentations in different countries. She was an administrator, a project principal, a project coordinator, a researcher, and an expert in national and international projects. She is a Member of the Editorial Board of the Periodical ACTA: Faculty of Catholic Theology at Comenius University in Bratislava. She is a reviewer of various scientific journals and book chapters in different areas of scientific publications in Lithuania and abroad. She regularly reviews two scientific journals: “The Person and the Challenges: The Journal of Theology, Education, Canon Law, and Social Studies Inspired by Pope John Paul II“, and “SOTER: Journal of Religious Science“. She has been awarded in Lithuania and abroad for her research work and scholarly activities and for winning various scholarships, competitions, and internships. She is the chair or member of the organizing or scientific committee of international and national scientific conferences. She is involved in training young scientists: reviewing dissertations, supervising dissertations, serving on dissertation defense boards, etc. She has written scientific articles and book chapters in foreign or Lithuanian scientific journals or books and has written the manuscript of a monograph reviewed by a Scientific Council, etc., too (currently thirty-four positions in scientific and popular articles and book chapters), and developed new products as an expert. Scientific interests: History of Monasticism, Pastoral Care, History of Monastic Spirituality, Bioethics, Sexual Ethics, NFP (Fertility Awareness), Clinical Pastoral Care, Social Teaching.