NEWS
of the Benedictine Confederation
and the Cistercian Family

Letter from Dom M.-G. Lepori, Cistercian Abbot General, for Christmas: ocist.org

The community of Notre-Dame de Lérins Abbey is going through an important stage in its life and entrusts itself to the prayers of the entire Order. After 27 years as abbot and upon reaching the age of 70, Abbot Dom Vladimir Gaudrat , president of the Congregation of Cistercians of the Immaculate Conception, submitted his resignation to the Father Abbot General during his regular visit. The latter accepted it. The election of the new abbot will take place at the end of January

The community of Rougemont (Canada), in thanksgiving, celebrated the solemn profession of Brother Joseph-Aimé , which took place on Sunday, November 16, 2025. Surrounded by many young friends, our community immersed itself in this beautiful liturgy of monastic consecration, which renews each of us in the great yes to Christ, the ideal of the monk. We also take this opportunity to thank each and every one of those who held our community and our Abbot in prayer during his conva

November 12, 2025 The celebration of the dedication and consecration of our new church and altar on Sunday, Aug. 24th was a day of grace and blessing for all of us. We are deeply grateful to God and all to who joined us in the journey of bringing our new monastery to completion. Our desire in this journey and now and always is that in all things God may be glorified. ocist.org https://build.valleyofourlady.org/

On 25 October 2025, Brother Gerardo María Krutský took his solemn vows at the monastery in Vyšší Brod (Czech Republic). The community currently consists of eleven brothers and two candidates for admission. In order for the Cistercians of Vyšší Brod to elect an abbot, the community must have thirteen members who have taken solemn vows. Within the entire Cistercian Order, Vyšší Brod has the community with the lowest average age. The traditional liturgy is celebrated there in L

On Monday 27 October 2025, for their jubilee pilgrimage, the Cistercian nuns of San Giacomo di Veglia visited the ancient Abbey of Santa Maria (Follina), built by Cistercian monks in the 13th century and located near the nuns' monastery. Founded by the Abbey of Chiaravalle (Milan), it remains one of the best preserved and restored Cistercian abbeys in Italy, a place where beauty and simplicity still speak today with the voice of the founders of Cîteaux. Here is the article th

October 27, 2025 During the Audience granted to His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the Supreme Pontiff authorized the same Dicastery to promulgate the Decrees regarding, among others, the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maria Evangelista Quintero Malfaz (born Maria), a professed nun of the Cistercian Order, born on 6 January 1591 in Cigales (Spain) and died on 27 November 1648 in Casarrubios del Monte (Spain). ocis

On October 7, 2025, at a meeting at Wilhering Abbey, Abbot Dr. Pius Maurer of Lilienfeld Abbey was elected as the new Abbot-President of the Austrian Cistercian Congregation. It was also decided that Abbot Dr. Reinhold Dessl of Wilhering Abbey would remain First Assistant, and Fr. Dr. Meinrad Tomann of Heiligenkreuz Abbey would remain Second Assistant. Abbot Pius Maurer (born 1971) comes from the parish of Unterdürnbach in the municipality of Maissau (Weinviertel). After gra

We are pleased to announce that today, September 17, 2025, the feast day of Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Father Ignatius FRITSCH OCist was elected the 53rd Abbot of Marienstatt (Germany). The Abbot's blessing will take place on Sunday, 26 October 2025, at 10:30 a.m. ocist.org https://www.abtei-marienstatt.de/

On the morning of September 18, 2025, the Dominus Tecum monastic community of Pra 'd Mill (Italy) reelected Brother Emanuele Marigliano as prior, confirming him for a further 10-year term. May the Lord accompany the community's journey and Brother Emanuele's service. ocist.org

On the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patronal feast of the entire Order, Our Lady of Thien Phuoc Abbey joyfully celebrated the profession of vows of 11 brothers: 6 making temporary profession and 5 making solemn profession. In communion, we give thanks to God and pray that these brothers may remain faithful and persevere in their monastic vocation, and that the Lord may continue to bless the Order with vocations. ocist.org

We inform you of a new scam attempt of fake mails. This is obviously a scam. Please be careful. Below we present the emails that some Superiors have received: Lieber Bruder, Diese freundschaftliche und brüderliche Nachricht wird Ihnen von Ihrem Bruder und Freund, Kardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Metropolitischer Erzbischof von Kinshasa, übermittelt. Ich erlaube mir zudem, mich an Eure Exzellenz zu wenden, um um eine moralische, spirituelle und eine materielle Unterstützung in Form

From June 29 - July 5, a workshop for candidates, novices, and those temporarily and solemnly professed from German-speaking Cistercian...

On June 17, 2025, Dom Bento Gonçalves de Oliveira , OCist, Abbot of Nossa Senhora da Santa Cruz, in Itaporanga, was elected Abbot...

On May 15, the Chau Son Nho Quan community of the Congregation of the Holy Family in Vietnam elected Fr. Dominic Tran Tien Thieu as their...

Communication concerning the Pontifical Commissariation of the Monastery of Saints Gervasius and Protasius in San Giacomo di Veglia,...

At the end of an Apostolic Visitation, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life issued on 7 April...

International College "San Bernardo in Roma" of the Cistercian Order From 23 September (arrival on 22nd) to 27 September (departure after lunch) 2025 Topic for the Course: PILGRIMS IN HOPE https://www.ocist.org/ocist/images/pdf/ENCS2025.pdf ocist.org

Solemn profession of Sr. Gina Marucci at the monastery of SS. Trinità (Italy) On the Solemnity of the Annunciation (25 March 2025), we...

On 28 March, during the celebration of the 9th Ordinary Chapter of the Congregation of Castile, Mother Eugenia Pablo was elected Abbess...