The Australian Catholic University Centre for Liturgy Postgraduate Scholarship for 2017 has this week been awarded to Faculty of Theology and Philosophy masters’ student Samantha Wegner.
During her Master of Theological Studies at ACU, Samantha says she has developed a great interest in liturgical studies and sacramental theology.
“Studying liturgy has been a significant and truly fulfilling area of my studies so far, and my aspiration is to continue with a research project related to liturgical studies,” Samantha said.
Samantha went on to say that it is her belief that ritual, done well, has a profound impact on human well-being.
“It can be what facilitates our most profound encounters with God, with creation, with ourselves and with each other,” she explained.
Samantha enrolled in ACU’s Master of Theological Studies at a turning point in her life when her youngest child started pre-school.
After being out of the workforce for several years she wanted to investigate possibilities for the next phase of her life.
She says that her enrolment at ACU “was not vocationally guided, but spirit guided.
“While I had no fully formed idea of what awaited me on the completion of my studies, I knew early on that I was in the right place,” she said.
“The faculty and staff at ACU have not only shown a deep commitment to the highest standards of academic enquiry, but to the development of the person behind the student number.”
Director of the ACU Centre for Liturgy, Professor Clare Johnson said that the scholarship committee was delighted to award the inaugural ACU Centre for Liturgy Postgraduate Scholarship to Samantha.
“Sam is a wonderful student whose evident interest in liturgical studies and sacramental theology has expanded significantly during her masters’ work at ACU,” Prof Johnson said.
“Her inquisitive mind and dedicated study-ethic make her an ideal candidate to benefit from the opportunities the scholarship will provide to advance her research in liturgical studies. “We look forward with great interest to reading the outcomes of her research project.”
Undertaking postgraduate studies while sharing family responsibilities often requires both personal and financial sacrifices.
“The ACU Centre for Liturgy Postgraduate Scholarship has provided financial support for a research project at an important time in my studies,” Samantha explained.
“I offer my thanks to the ACU Centre for Liturgy for their generous support of my studies and in assisting me to give something of value back to the community,” she said.
She plans to use the scholarship to fund a research project exploring the aesthetic and ethical aspects of Catholic liturgical rites surrounding death.