Dr David Berezan of Eaglesham, Alberta, Canada has won the inaugural Sister Agnes Essay Prize for an original piece of research into women in the ancient order of St John. Dr Berezan works as a St. John Ambulance First Aid and CPR Instructor through St. John Ambulance in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
The competition and prize, supported by the International Women’s Network, is to encourage research into women who have made a significant contribution to the Order – in this case in the period between the 11th and 18th centuries – and for the candidates to consider the implications of that contribution for the modern Order of St John.
Amongst a number of impressive essays, Dr Berezan’s paper on Women of Singular Significance in the Hospital or Order of St. John (1099-1798) was an outstanding effort. He told us there were two reasons he entered the competition.
Firstly, it gave an opportunity to write about the ‘remarkable and enduring history of the founding Order of St John that has continued its hospitable, humanitarian, protective mission for over 800 years’, and secondly a ‘discomfort…with the persistence of patriarchy and institutionalised male chauvinism that dominates historical discourse and societies around the world even in the 21st century’.
He went on to say ‘With the St. Agnes Writing Competition I had the privilege to delve into the historical literature, discourse, and records related to the Order of St. John to discover and uncover, perhaps in a limited way, the identities of singularly significant women to whom the Order substantially owes its existence and longevity. St. Agnes was there from the Order’s inception and along the way so were many other remarkable women’.
Questions about the prize should be directed to the International Office. The 2025 call for submissions should be released by October 2024. The organisers of the competition and prize are working with the producers of the ‘One St John’ magazine on future publication of the competition essays.
