Beyond the studies that priests need for priestly ordination, Father Pillari has studied for two different pontifical degrees. One is called a Sacred Bachelorette in Theology that’s given by pontifical universities and the second is a Licentiate, a specialized form of a master’s degree, through the Institute of St Thomas Aquinas in Toulouse, France. The degree from the Institute involved two years of diving more deeply into the writings of St Thomas Aquinas in particular and the beautiful Dominican theological tradition. Currently,Father Pillari is studying for a Doctorate in Moral Theology at the Angelicum.

You might wonder why; because every hour Father spends studying is an hour he’s not in the confessional or doing some other form of external Ministry. But at the deeper level, it’s an important work for the long game which you all are making possible. In the dramatic chapter of John:6, Our Lord is speaking of the Sacred Eucharist and the people ask, “What can we do to do the works of God?” Our Lord responds,’This is the work of God: that you believe in Me,’ that you believe in Jesus Christ.

That is the goal of all the theology of St Thomas Aquinas, to help us believe and adhere to the mysteries of Faith and understand them to the degree we can understand them. In a sense, the goal of theology is for the theologian to help himself and anyone he’s speaking to or writing to, to see more in faith. The more you know God, the more you can love Him and cooperate with His action. At Ave Philomena Inc., simply put, our goal is ‘to know, love and serve God.’ It is also the goal of theology. One way we live this is to support Father Pillari’s work as a theologian to dive into understanding more deeply the great mysteries of our Faith and who God is, trusting that in His way and His time, He’ll make use of that understanding for the greater good of souls.

Theological studies can be very challenging but the fruit is lasting, though often hidden, in the underlying foundation of goods like: the Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism, spiritual direction and Retreats.

For the long game, the more that any priest does that is well structured theologically, the more that allows God to act powerfully in our world and for people to adhere more deeply to Him in ways that will have a ripple effect for a very long time to come.