Collegio San Lorenzo Da Brindisi

Collegio San Lorenzo da Brindisi

Study at theCollege

General Information

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi College is open to all Capuchin Friars who come to Rome to study at a Pontifical University.

The Superiors of the Circumscriptions who wish to send a friar to the College must, first of all, complete the Admission Request and send it to us,following to the instructions given below.

In the same way, Superiors who intends to ask for a study burse from Solidarity must also complete and forward to us the Study Burse Request.

The request form can be downloaded easily from our website ( and must arrive herebefore 15 November the year beforethe proposed studies are to begin.

The requests are considered first of all by the admission committee. The committee then forwards its recommendations to the Minister General and his Definitory who decide upon the applications each January. Candidates accepted to the College will receive a Letter of Obedience to allow them to reside at the College during the time assigned for their studies.

At that point it is important to prepare the necessary documentation to enter Italy. Student friars who intend to take part in the Italian language course organized by the College must arrive in Rome in the last week of April to begin the course at the beginning of May. Therefore, there are only three months to prepare the documentation needed to apply for an entry permit.

Students who already know Italian should arrive at the College at the end of September so as to complete university enrolments on time.

Documentation

1. Letter of Obediencefrom the Minister General

If the Minister General accepts your Admission Request, he himself will sign a Letter of Obedience for the friar who is to come to reside in the College to study. The period of time covered by the Letter of Obedience will correspond with the number of years required for the course as determined by the chosen University Faculty. The Letter of Obedience will be sent to the Superior of the student friar. A copy will also be sent to the Rector of the College.

2. A photocopy of the student’s passport. The passport must be valid for at least two years

It is important that you send us immediately a clear and legible copy of the student’s passport. A scanned copy sent by email has been the best method to send this copy. This document is essential before an Invitation Letter can be sent to you. The Letter of Invitation is essential to receive a visa to enter Italy. On the other hand, students from the European Union can send us a copy of anyvalid identity document or ID card.

3. Visa(for a friar who comes from outside the European Union)

For friars preparing to enter Italy we ask that they obtain a Type D Visa (long stay) for religious purposes [VISTO TIPO D (lunga durata) per motivi religiosi].This visa will allow foreign friars to receive a residence permit [permesso di soggiorno] for two years.

When requesting this type of visa the friars should not give “Studies in Rome” as the reason for the request. Instead they should say, “Service to Collegeand friary in Rome.”

4. A full copy of his Curriculum Studiorum

We need a complete list of the courses in Philosophy and Theology that the friar has completed, with the academic transcripts of the courses attended as well as the degrees received: in short, all of his academic records at tertiary level. Initially copies of these documents may be sent us via email or fax. However, please note, original copies of the documents MUST be supplied for university enrolment. Therefore it is recommended that the student friars bring those documents with them when they come to Italy.

In the same way (i.e. a copy sent straight away and then the original document later) we must receive a State recognized Diploma (formerly known in Italy as the Diploma di Maturità), or some other equivalent qualification (High School or Secondary School Certificate) showing proof of having passed State Examinations at the conclusion of High School studies that allow access to university studies.

5. Medical Certificate

We ask each friar to bring with him a medical certificate that attests to the state of his health and treatments he may be receiving. Thus it will be easier to guarantee continuity with his health care with the same or equivalent medicines. The condition of a friar’s health should not be such as to seriously restrict his ability to complete his studies.

Italian Language Course

Each year the College organises an intensive Italian language course. The course entails four months of classes (from May to September), plus a month of experience in one of the Capuchin Fraternities in Italy (in July). The purpose of the course is to enable the students to start university courses at the beginning of October and pass the Italian Language exams that nearly all the faculties have made a condition for admission to the university.

Moreover, Italian is the language that the Fraternity of the College uses in its prayer and daily life.

Study Burses

The number of Study Burses varies each year, according to the donations received by the Order’s Solidarity Office. Since 2010 the number of burses has been reduced from 80 to 70 per year. In granting Study Burses great importance is given to the circumstances of each request.

The studies done by the friars in Rome are seen, first of all, as a help for the work of education and formation in the circumscriptions of the Order, and ultimately aim at providing better services within the Church.

The duration of the Study Burses is equal to the number of years required by the universities in their study plans. The friars have the responsibility to apply themselves to complete their work in the time assigned them. In this way we may provide for a greater number of friars to benefit from the opportunity to study in Rome.

The grant of an extension of a study burse is only possible for very serious reasons that have prevented the friar from completing his studies in due time. The Major Superior must present the request for an extension together with the reasons, along with a certified record from the university that shows the exams the friar has undertaken until that moment. The deadline to submit such a request for an extension is 15 November of the year preceding the end of the study burse initially granted. If the reasons for the delay occur after this date, it is the responsibility of the student and his superior to inform the Rector and Prefect of Studies immediately.