10.11.2025, ITI Event
The school year has officially begun for the International Theological Institute in Trumau, with matriculation being fittingly celebrated on Wednesday, October 1, the feast of the Little Flower, St. Thérèse, patroness of the university.
Holy Mass – “Being a follower of Jesus is never a part-time affair. It is all or nothing.”
The events of the day were kickstarted by the celebration of Holy Mass in the overflowing Byzantine chapel by Provost Anton Wolfgang Höslinger of the Augustinian monastery at Klosterneuberg. The Provost’s presence and his preaching was a special joy, as the ITI has shared a good relationship with the monastery for many years.
In his homily, the Provost focused on the importance of education in the Christian life, and he celebrated the fact that in this Holy Year, within the Jubilee of the World of Education, St. John Henry Newman, would receive the title of Doctor of the Church on November 1. He highlighted the importance of the ITI’s mission, reminding students and teachers of their special task to bring about a renewal of theology in a modern world. This, the Provost said, could be done not only in the classroom, but also in “all our readings, research, writing, in our worship and in all our activities.”
“We are witnesses of our Christian faith,” he said. “We are witnesses of our faith and trust in the living God.”
Reflecting on the Gospel of the day, the Provost mentioned the importance of being free to follow Christ, with no strings attached. Unlike the three men in the Gospel who made excuses and failed to respond wholly to Christ’s call, the Provost highlighted the importance of answering immediately. “Once we are aware of Jesus' call, the only time to answer is now,” he said. “Not sometime in the future.” Once one has accepted Christ, there must be no waiting, and there must be no turning back - following Christ must be free, and unconditional.
The Provost also dwelt on the example of the ITI’s other great patron, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, urging students to follow the beautiful example of her “Little Way” in their daily lives. It was this Little Way, he reminded the congregation, that contributed to the development of Christian doctrine, and was what made her a Doctor of the Church. The call of Christ in the Gospel for the day was one which Therese herself had fully accepted and embodied, having once said: “You cannot be half a saint - you must be a whole saint, or no saint at all.”
Matriculation Ceremonies Welcome Record Number of Students
The President and Rector of the ITI, Prof. DDr. Bernhard Dolna, celebrated ITI’s entrance into its 30th year of classes, and announced his joy that this new year could boast the highest number of students ever before enrolled at the ITI, with a total of 115 total students now in attendance. Forty-three of this number, hailing from such varying backgrounds as Canada, the USA, Australia, the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Slovakia, Estonia, Singapore, China, and Nigeria, were formally matriculated into the ITI family, inscribing their names into ITI’s book. As custom, the ITI professors pledged their fidelity to uphold the magisterial doctrines of Holy Mother Church in their teachings.
“Prayer, learning, and loving kindness.”
In his matriculation address, Dr. Dolna reflected on the teachings of the Church Fathers, who taught that the world rested on three pillars; namely, on Divine Wisdom and learning, on worship, and on acts of love, kindness, and service to others. “These are essential to the sustenance of the world and our own personal development,” Dolna said.
“Here at the ITI these three pillars merge naturally, enriching and inspiring one another. The studies are embedded in liturgical life of the eastern and western tradition. At the sametime, you live a community life on campus, permeated by studies and prayers. You have the privilege to talk to one another about the most valuable things in life. You have the opportunity to put what you have learned in class into practice in your interactions with one another. We not only learn by intellect, but by experience,” he said, quoting from the Doctor Angelicus, St. Thomas Aquinas. Dolna also appealed to the example of St. Thérèse, saying that, like its patron, the ITI attempts to follow the Little Way, not by advancing new teachings, but by placing itself at the heart of the Church by following the teachings of the great masters and handing on the truth of the Church’s teachings to its students.
Wine to gladden the heart
Following Holy Mass and the day’s ceremonies, students braved the chill Autumn air to share a meal together in the Schloss courtyard, warming their bellies with good food and wine, and their hearts with good comradery and fellowship. The day concluded with the matriculation dance in Riley Hall later that evening, ushering in the new year with joy and mirth.