NEWS
of the Benedictine Confederation
and the Cistercian Family

The General Chapter of September 2025 asked for a special visitation at the community of Rochefort (vote 42). This visitation was carried out and, on the recommendation of the visitors, the Abbot General with the consent of his Council suspended the exercise of autonomy of the community of Rochefort and appointed Dom Xavier Frisque , superior ad nutum of Orval, as monastic commissary of Rochefort. This nomination became effective on 28 October, 2025. Dom Xavier was born in 1

Dom Joseph Wittstock (abbot of Berryville), who has been monastic commissary of New Melleray since December 2024, offered his resignation as monastic commissary of New Melleray. The Abbot General, with the consent of his Council, accepted the resignation, which became effective on 21st October 2025. On the same date, the Abbot General with the consent of his Council appointed Fr Jerome Machar , monk of Genesee, as monastic commissary of New Melleray. Dom Jerome was born in Cl

On November 01, 2025, Solemnity of All Saints, Father Basilio Masashi Goto made solemn profession at the monastery of Phare (Japan). Father Basilio was born in 1954 in Hokkaido (Japan). He was a diocesan priest, entered Phare in 2020 and made his first profession in 2022. ocso.org https://www.trappist.or.jp/home/index-English.html

After more than two centuries of Cistercian presence, the community of monks at Port du Salut (diocese of Laval, Mayenne, France) has decided, after much prayer and discernment, to leave the abbey. Due to a lack of new vocations, the brothers felt that it was becoming difficult to maintain a sustainable monastic life at this site. On Sunday, 19 October 2025, the monks of the Abbey of Notre-Dame-du-Port-du-Salut handed over responsibility for their abbey to a team of volunteer

For several years, the Cistercian community of Bellefontaine (France) has been questioning its future. Initially, it sought to adapt its community premises to accommodate a smaller number of brothers, but over time it realised that the brothers could not continue to live alone on this 19th-century property covering 120 hectares, which had become too large for a small group of monks whose average age had reached 80. So it explored the possibility of partnering with association

On 3 October 2025, Father Mauritius Wilde has been appointed by the Holy See as the new Abbot of Maria Laach. We congratulate the new abbot and also the community of Maria Laach. From 2016 to 2025, Fr. Mauritius served as prior of our house community of more than 100 monks, students, and professors. Abbot Mauritius is 59 years old. He comes from Münsterschwarzach Abbey in Franconia, which belongs to the Congregation of Missionary Benedictines of Saint Ottilien. Before his ser

On 7 Oktober 2025,  Mother Pascale Fourmentin  completed her six-year term as Abbess of Arnhem (Diocese of Utraiectensis, in The Netherlands). On the same day, she was re-elected Abbess of the Community for an indefinite term. ocso.org https://abdijkoningsoord.org/

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 30 September 2025, Mother Katharina Michiels completed her six-year term as Abbess of Nazareth (Diocese of Antwerp, Belgium). On the same day, she was re-elected Abbess of the Community for a new six-year term. ocso.org

The Holy Father has officially confirmed the election by the monastic chapter of Einsiedeln Abbey of the Reverend Fr. Urban Federer , OSB, as ordinary Abbot of the Territorial Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The election took place on 30 August 2025, and Fr. Federer was chosen for a second term, also of 12 years. This marks a historic moment: for the first time in the Abbey’s history an incumbent abbot has been re-elected. Born 17 August 1968 in Zürich-Fluntern, in th

On August 23, 2025, Sister Clotilde Gennet made solemn profession at the monastery of N.-D. de La Coudre (France). Sister Clotilde was born in 1987 in Saint-Malo (France). She entered Laval in 2017 and made first profession in 2020. ocso.org https://www.abbaye-coudre.fr/

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

On August 20, 2025, Solemnity of Saint Bernard, Sister Jitka Pacíková made solemn profession at the monastery of Naši Paní (Czech Rep.). Sister Jitka was born in 1988 in Znojmo (Czech Rep.). She entered Naši Paní in 2017 and made first profession in 2020. ocso.org https://www.trapistky.cz/

On August 18, 2025, Brother Alberic Henry made solemn profession at the monastery of Gethsemani (USA). Brother Alberic was born in 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio (USA). He entered Gethsemani in 2020 and made first profession in 2022. ocso.org https://monks.org/

On August 17, 2025, Mother Maria Francesca Righi completed her term of six years as Abbess of Valserena (Diocese of Volterra, Italy). On the same day, Mother Maria Francesca was re-elected Abbess of the Community for a new six-year term. ocso.org https://www.valserena.it/

On August 09, 2025, Feast of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Sister Anne-Elisabeth Janicot made solemn profession at the monastery of Notre-Dame de La Coudre (France). Sister Anne-Elisabeth was born in 1970 in Tulle (France). She entered La Coudre in 2017 and made first profession in 2020. ocso.org

During the fire in April 2025, thanks to the determined efforts of the firefighters, the fire was stopped 2 meters from the abbey buildings. 1,500 olive trees were burned to the ground (33% of the total) – it takes seven years for an olive tree to produce olives. Five hectares of vineyards were burned (33% of the total) – it takes three years for a vine to produce grapes. The monks launched an appeal for help to replant the vines, mobilizing a handful of volunteers who came t

On 06 August 2025, the community of Guimaras (Diocese of Jaro, Philippines) elected Dom Kevin John Lipasan as abbot for a six-year term....

On 26 July 2025, the community of Miraflores (Diocese of Rancagua, Chile) elected Dom Lucas Marckmann Soto as Abbot of the Community for...