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Great joy for the Sisters of the Servants of the Poor in Brive-la-Gaillarde (France): On 16 September 2025, Bishop Eric Bidot of Tulle came to bless the first stone of the chapel! After three years in Brive-la-Gaillarde, this blessing further roots the Servants of the Poor in this beautiful diocese of Tulle. They give thanks to God and pray with great gratitude for the benefactors who made the construction of this chapel possible. In addition to the members of the clergy who came to surround their bishop, many faithful from the Brive missionary area were present for this happy event, as well as patients cared for by the sisters and representatives of the companies involved in the construction. This blessing of the first stone is a response to Dom Camille Leduc's request to begin by building a chapel in each of their foundations. ‘The presence of the Blessed Sacrament at the heart of the house reminds the Servants of the Poor that Our Lord is both the Master of the house, their first Superior and their constant confidant.’ As living stones of the Church, the sisters will be faithful in visiting him and will pray to him especially for the sick. https://servantesdespauvres-osb.org/benediction-de-la-premiere-pierre-de-la-chapelle-a-brive/

Benedictines from across East Asia and Oceania gathered this October at Thien Binh Monastery near Ho Chi Minh City for their biennial meeting. The event brought together leaders and delegates from monasteries in Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam—representing a thousand monks, nuns and sisters from across the region. The Benedictine presence in this part of the world stretches back nearly two centuries. It began in 1835 when Bishop John Bede Polding OSB arrived in Sydney. The first monastery was established in 1848. From these beginnings, monastic life gradually took root across the Pacific and East Asia, often through bold missionary endeavours, and sometimes through profound suffering and martyrdom. The BEAO meetings, held roughly every two years, serve to deepen collaboration between these diverse communities, particularly in formation and education, and to strengthen the bonds of fraternity within the wider Benedictine family. At this year’s gathering, Sr. Meg Kahler of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in Australia was elected to succeed Br. Nicholas Koss of Wimmer Priory in Taiwan, who has guided the network with commitment and insight since its beginnings 30 years ago. The meeting’s programme combined presentations from member communities with times of prayer, reflection and shared discussion on the challenges and opportunities common in Benedictine life. Among the contributors were Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder OSB, who spoke about the relationship between the male and female branches of the order and promoted the 2029 jubilee, and Fr. Cyprian Consiglio OSBCam, Secretary General of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart, President of the Alliance for International Monasticism, also addressed the assembly, as did Fr. Joseph Nguyễn Văn Ấm SDB on the life of the Church in Vietnam. Two abbot presidents of international congregations—the Subiaco-Cassinese and Ottilien—, made the journey from Europe to take part. The Apostolic Nuncio to Vietnam, Archbishop Marek Zalewski, presided at the opening Mass. Throughout the week, participants shared in the daily rhythm of prayer with the monastic community of Thien Binh. The gathering concluded with a day in Ho Chi Minh City, former Saigon, where participants visited the cathedral and the archdiocesan pastoral centre, home to an impressive formation institute for the laity. The day ended in characteristically fraternal style, with a seafood lunch and a lively cultural evening that celebrated the diversity and unity of the Benedictine family in East Asia and Oceania. osb.org

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 associations with which it could share its living space. Various obstacles arose, forcing it to abandon this project. It was a great disappointment and also a great trial for the brothers, as well as for the two associations with which the community had worked so closely. The Trappist brothers are joining other communities and some are moving to a retirement home run by the Sisters of the Congregation of Saint Mary of Torfou. But the abbey will continue to live on! Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Barroux (France) will be able to take up the torch of monastic life and settle in Bellefontaine in 2026. So, on 13 November, the feast of All Saints' Day, Bellefontaine Abbey will temporarily close its doors. There will no longer be services open to the public, but two brothers from the community will continue to live on site. With the help of the employees present on the site, they will maintain economic activities, in particular the production of apples and kiwis. They will also, of course, ensure the smooth running of the shop, while awaiting the arrival of a new monastic community at the end of spring. http://bellefontaine-abbaye.com/ ocso.org

L’AIM promeut et encourage la coopération et la solidarité entre les monastères ; contribue à la formation humaine, culturelle et spirituelle des communautés ; suscite et soutien les échanges entre communautés ; soutient des projets de financements présentées par les communautés ; édite une newsletter et un Bulletin deux fois par an en six langues FINANCIALLY SUPPORT AIM THE AMTN ASSOCIATION THE BENEDICTUS FOUNDATION PROMOTE COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY BETWEEN THE MONASTERIES of the Benedictine family throughout the world Welcome to Alliance InterMonastères We work for the growth and development of monastic life today around the world The Alliance for International Monasticism (AIM) is an Association of monasteries promoting cooperation, solidarity and mutual aid between communities. AIM contributes to the human, cultural and spiritual training of communities, encourages and supports exchanges between communities and supports the financing of projects presented by the communities. MONASTIC LIFE Monastic formation Regional monastic associations Reference texts: The Mirror of Monastic Life the monastic Dream... Read More >>> COMMUNITIES History of the Benedictine Confederation History of the International Communion of Benedictines Contact details of monasteries by continent and country. Read More >>> OUR PROJECTS Each semester, projects are presented here which are sent to AIM in order to support them. These projects concern: Formation at all levels, constructions, aid for new foundations, lucrative activities and development works (health, education, agriculture.) Lire la suite >>> Request for financing The BEAO is an association of Benedictine monks and nuns from East Asia and Oceania. It includes communities from South Korea, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia, etc. The meeting takes place every two years in a different location in order to discover the cultural and spiritual diversity of the different nations represented. The meetings always include reports from each region providing information on the various communities, as well as reports from other international monastic organisations such as AIM and DIMMID (Interreligious Monastic Dialogue). The next meeting will take place from 13 to 17 October 2025. Two sessions with several workshops are planned. Session 1: the life and problems of a contemplative community, social media and monastic life, mid-life crises. Session 2: Benedictines and education, Benedictine oblates, cooperation between Benedictine communities in East Asia and Oceania. Father Bernard Lorent Tayart, president of AIM, will participate in these meetings. ABOUT RECENT NEWS 1 2 3 4 5 OSB Order of Saint Benedict The news presented here are those of the male and female monasteries belonging to the Benedictine Confederation. Read the news OCSO Cistercian Order of Strict Observance This Order brings together the monasteries of the reform of the Order of Cîteaux by Abbot de Rancé in the 17th century. Read the news OCist. Cistercian Order The monasteries represented here belong to the Cistercian Order. Read the news SPECIAL Special news and events Here you will find news about various communities or specific events. Read the news OTHER NEWS BULLETIN NEWSLETTERS LETTER FROM THE AMTM AIM around the world 1,157 COMMUNITIES WOMEN 1,762 COMMUNITIES AND MISSIONS OSB - OSCO - OCIST - CISTERCIAN FAMILY See more > 605 COMMUNITIES MALE

Organization The statutes of the AIM were established in 1966 (see printed text Ius Proprium Confoederationis Benedictinae, 1985) and revised in 1996, 2002 and 2003 and submitted for approval to the Council and the Congress of Abbots in 2004. Organisation and staff The Statutes of AIM were established in 1966 (see printed text in Ius Proprium Confoederationis Benedictinae , 1985), revised in 1996, 2002 et 2003 and submitted to the approval of the Council and the Abbots’ Congress in 2004. President: Dom Bernard Lorent Tayart, OSB Secretariat : Sister Resmi Thopillan, OSB Council and Executive Committee (representatives of Benedictine Confederation and Cistercian Orders) International Team The AIM Council: – It is kept informed of, discerns with and accompanies monastic communities in their daily life and development. – An annual two-day meeting takes place each year in a different country in order to make the work of AIM known and understood by the monasteries in the region. Members: Abtprimas Gregory Polan OSB; Dom Mauro-Giuseppe Lepori (General Abbot of OCist); Dom Bernardus Peeters (General Abbot of OCSO); Sr Lynn McKenzie OSB (moderatrix CIB); Fr William Skudlarek OSB (Director of DIM); Fr Lluc Torcal OCist; Abt Maksymilian Robert Nawara OSB; Abt Maximilian Neulinger OSB; Sr Metilda George, OSB; Sr Ann Hoffman OSB (Executive Director) AIM USA; Prior Gregor Brazerol OSB; Abbot Guillermo Arboleda OSB; Abbot Armand Veilleux OCSO; Prior Peter Egwrugjakpor, OSB; Mother Anna Brennan, OSB; Mother Franziska Lukas OSB; Dom David d’Hamonville OSB; Fr Javier Aparicio Suarez OSB; Sr Lumen Gloria Dungca OSB; Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart OSB (President of AIM); a sister of Secretariat of AIM. AIM Council in England, 2022. The Executive Committee: – Delegated by the Council to make decisions concerning the requests made by the General Secretariat at and discussed by the International Team. – It meets twice yearly, in May and November. Members: A nun (Sr Lumen Gloria Dungca OSB); a Cistercian monk (Fr Lluc Torcal OCist); a Benedictine monk (Fr Javier Aparicio Suarez OSB); the President of AIM (Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart OSB) and a Secretary. The International Team: – It is a consultative body composed of members chosen by the President. They take a personal interest in the life and development of monasteries on specific continents, know the communities well, visit them frequently and keep in touch on a regular basis. They also encourage collaboration and meetings between monasteries. – 3 meetings are planned each year. Members: Fr Mark Butlin OSB; Fr Geraldo Gonzalez y Lima OSB; Abbot Paul Stonham OSB; Dom Armand Veilleux OCSO; Fr Andrea Serafino OSB; Sr Regina Tesch OSB; Sr Thérèse-Benoît Kaboré OSB; Fr William Fennelly OSB; the Président of AIM, Bernard Lorent Tayart OSB; a sister of AIM Secretary. The International Team, in 2023. 

 The Secretariat: – This is the central body of AIM, coordinating the collection and distribution of funds and all the requests that are made. At its headquarters take place the meetings of the Bulletin Committee, the International Team, the Executive Committee and the Association of the Friends of the Monasteries (AMTM). – The work of the Secretariat lies essentially with the Secretaries who manage the finances of AIM, supervised by a Finance Manager. Secretariat Offices. The President: – He coordinates every aspect of the work of AIM. He represents AIM at all meetings to do with AIM as well as the organizing the Bulletin and the Website. He takes part in most of national and international monastic meetings. He is responsible for all this to the Abbot Primate and the AIM Council. – His mandate is for a period of five years and is renewable. The decision rests with the Abbot Primate after consultation with the other Orders and the Synod of Abbot Presidents.

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