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On May 7, 2025, Dom Roberto de la Iglesia completed his second term of six years as Abbot of Cardeña (Archdiocese of Burgos, Spain). On the same day, Dom Roberto was re-elected Abbot of the Community for a new six-year term. ocso.org https://www.monasteriosanpedrodecardena.com/

Communication concerning the Pontifical Commissariation of the Monastery of Saints Gervasius and Protasius in San Giacomo di Veglia, Vittorio Veneto (Italy). 1er May 2025 Following various news items that have been disseminated in recent days, the Cistercian Order feels compelled to clarify the following: Because of certain measures taken by former Abbess Aline Pereira Ghammachi against four nuns without respecting the Law of the Church and the Order, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life asked Abbot General Mauro-Giuseppe Lepori to make an extraordinary Canonical Visitation. Following this Visitation, the Dicastery decreed the Pontifical Commissariat of the Monastery on 12 January 2023. Accepting the abbess's appeal against this measure, the Dicastery decided to suspend and annul the Decree, and to begin an Apostolic Visitation entrusted to persons not belonging to the Cistercian Order. At the conclusion of this Visitation, which essentially confirmed the problems noted by the first Visitation, the Dicastery deemed it necessary to renew the Decree of Pontifical Commissariation of the community, appointing Mother Martha Driscoll OCSO, abbess emeritus of Gedono Monastery in Indonesia, as Commissary. When the Decree was notified on 21 April 2025, Mother Martha became the full superior of the community. The former abbess asked to be absent from the monastery for a period with the agreement of the Commissioner. On 29 April 2025, three solemnly professed nuns, a simple professed nun and a novice sneaked out of the monastery. It was later reported in the newspapers that they must have reunited with the former abbess at an unknown location. Their statements to the media, which are not faithful to the reality of the facts, may lead many to get a completely distorted idea of the real situation of the community of San Giacomo di Veglia. We would therefore like to point out that while five nuns have left the monastery, twenty others have remained faithful to their vocation and have gratefully accepted the decree of commissariation, continuing on their way in obedience to the Holy See and the Commissary. The former abbess had the right to appeal against the Decree by turning to the Dicastery. Now she says she prefers to lodge a civil complaint, but it is not clear against whom and on what grounds, since everything was done in accordance with Church law, which is the only one authorised to regulate monastic life. The community, therefore, sincerely wishes to continue its journey with fidelity to Christ and the Church, in truth and freedom, without being involved in unfounded polemics. ocist.org

This morning, 30 April 2025, as the State of Israel commemorated its fallen soldiers, a succession of fires broke out across the country. At around 10:00am seven fires were reported on the hill of Neve Shalom, opposite the monastery. Due to the force of the Khamsin, a powerful southerly wind, the fire spread rapidly, threatening the firefighters at the scene. At noon, following a police decision, the brothers of Latroun were forced to evacuate the monastery. Travelling to the town of Abu Ghosh, some were immediately welcomed by the Sisters of Saint Joseph, while the rest were received by the Benedictine monks. The monks of Latroun express their gratitude for the generosity of the brothers and sisters who took them in, as well as for all those who expressed their support through messages throughout the day. We were touched by this outpouring of solidarity. During the afternoon, a group of six monks managed to return to the monastery, avoiding the roadblocks. They noticed that the fire had been partially brought under control. After surrounding the monastery, it had spread to the other side of the road. A large number of the olive trees were burned, as well as a small part of the vineyard. As this is the mowing season, all the surrounding fields were ravaged by the fire. The fire stopped a metre from the buildings, which were completely preserved. As the monks were unable to remain on site, the damage has not yet been fully assessed. Once again, the support and prayers of the monastery’s friends, combined with the tireless and ceaseless work of the firefighters, enabled the monastery and its brothers to hold firm. The Mass for the Dedication of Latroun Abbey will be celebrated tomorrow, 1 May 2025, at 10:30am in the Church of Latroun. The fire reduced a large part of the monastery’s production to ashes, and it is on these ashes that the brothers of Latrun, with the support and solidarity of all their friends, will rebuild this place, whose importance the neighbours have shown today. From the Community of Latroun ocso.org

On April 27, 2025, Divine Mercy Sunday Sister Eutropia Firmin Sukum s made solemn profession at the monastery of Vico (Spain). Sister Eutropia was born in 1980 in Morogoro (Tanzania). She entered Vico in 2015 and made first profession in 2020. ocso.org https://www.monasteriodevico.org/

On 9 April, Abbot Szymon Hiżycki of the Abbey of Tyniec (Congregation of the Annuntiation) resigned. Fr Bernard Alter, emeritus abbot of Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem, of the same Congregation, was appointed administrator of Tyniec for 1 year. In April, the CIB Administrative Council met in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the abbey of Santa Maria. On 25 March, Abbot President Geoffroy Kemlin of the Solesmes Congregation appointed Fr Alfredo Maroto new prior administrator of the Abbey Santa Cruz in Valle de los Caídos, near Madrid. The predecessor Fr Santiago Cantera Montenegro had completed three terms as administrator of the monastery. The monastery was established in 1958 and has from time to time come under political pressure. On 21 March, the Monastery of Sao Bento di Fortaleza in Brazil was incorporated into Brazilian Congregation and comes directly under the Abbot President. It had hitherto been a house of diocesan right. D. Marcos Gomes was confirmed as simplex prior of the the monastery which has 11 members. On 17 March, Abbot President Geoffroy Kemlin of the Solesmes Congregation accepted the resignation of Abbot Adriaan Lenglet of Vaals for reasons of age and health. On 14 March, the Abbot Primate appointed Fr Patrick Carter OSB, of Clear Creek Abbey of the Solesmes Congregation, General Procurator of the Benedictine Confederation at the Roman Curia. On 12 March, the community of St Gregory’s of the English Benedictine Congregation, formerly at Downside and for the last three years at Buckfast, announced a move to Belmont where they will start a two-year period of living together with the monks of that community. osb.org Photo : Carlos M. García Nieto, used with permission of Abadía de la Santa Cruz

On Saturday 17 May 2025, Sister Mary Placid Joseph and Sister Maurice Mary Kamari will make their perpetual profession at the priory in Windhoek (Namibia), in the congregation of the Benedictine Missionary Sisters of Tutzing. On the same day, Sister Angel Bock and Sister Theresia Kasiona will celebrate their jubilee of 60 years of religious profession, Sister Juliana Munkwetele their jubilee of 50 years of profession, and Sister Genovefa Nampira their jubilee of 25 years of profession. osbtutzing.org

Dom Thomas Georgeon, abbot of La Trappe and Father Immediate of the community of Tre Fontane (diocese of Rome, Italy), has appointed Father Maximilianus Slamet Widodo , monk of Rawaseneng, as superior ad nutum of Tre Fontane, effective 27 April 2025. Dom Maximilianus was born in 1978 in Indonesia. He entered Rawaseneng in 2001, made his solemn profession in 2007 and was ordained a priest in 2015. He was until recently prior and cellarer at Rawaseneng. By this appointment, the service of Dom Emanuele Jablezynski, superior ad nutum of Tre Fontane since 2019, comes to an end. The brothers of Tre Fontane and the sisters of Acque Salvie are grateful to the communities of Rawaseneng, Novo Mundo, Awhum and Illah who have each sent one of their monks to Tre Fontane. ocso.org

At the end of an Apostolic Visitation, the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life issued on 7 April 2025 a Decree of Pontifical Commissariat of the Monastery of Saints Gervasius and Protasius in San Giacomo di Veglia, Vittorio Veneto, of the Congregation of Saint Bernard in Italy. From the moment of the notification, 21 April 2025, Mother Martha Driscoll, OCSO, Abbess Emerita of Gedono (Indonesia) and until now Superior of the Monastery at Acque Salvie (Tre Fontane) in Rome, assumed "all the competences that the particular norms of the Institute and the universal norms of the Church attribute to the Mother Abbess" (Decree). Mother Luciana Pellegatta, OCist, Abbess of Cortona, and Prof. Donatella Forlani, CFS, were appointed as her Assistants. ocist.org https://www.gervasioeprotasio.it/it/monastero

Dear brothers and sisters, On Easter Monday, early in the morning, we were all surprised by the death of Pope Francis. His Easter wishes and blessings for the city and the world, given the day before, turned out to be a sign of farewell. Today, I think back to the moment in September 2022 when we as General Chapter were received by Pope Francis. His words to us are still worth reading and meditating on: “Let the grace of your Baptism bear fruit in a journey of holiness. Let everything be open to God and to this end choose Him, choose God again and again. Do not be discouraged, for you have the power of the Holy Spirit to make it possible, and holiness, after all, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life.”   At the suggestion of the two liturgical commissions of O. Cist and OCSO, I kindly ask you to celebrate the Holy Eucharist on Monday 28 April 2025 as Cistercian communities for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis and to pray especially for him in the Divine Office during that day. In great gratitude we remember Pope Francis and the way he brought the Church back to Christ, the joy of the Gospel. May this good shepherd rest in peace! ocso.org

Here is the new newsletter published by the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO) on training: https://ocso.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Newsletter-38-EN.pdf ocso.org

So for the monk it an always be Easter, just as it is also always Lent. Of the new man, born of the Passover of Jesus, prayer is the keystone, as it were. For like death, and even above an beyond death, praying is ‘love to the utmost’ (Joh 13:1)… In it man is able to reach his complete and supreme fulfilment. (Dom André Louf ocso, Teach us to pray , p. 48) ocso.org

Roman Summer Study Program in English for monks, nuns, religious, oblates, clergy, laity. Join us for personal enrichment.
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 Study. Encounter. Discover. Pray. Summertime provides unique opportunities for learning, relaxing and engagement with new ideas and people. The International Monastic Summer Studium at Sant’Anselmo offers participants an experience of the treasures of the church in Rome while meeting people from around the world and earning graduate credit (3 ECTS per week). Join us for one, two, or three weeks of prayer, study, and discovery of Rome in the Jubilee Year! Summer 2025 : Three One-Week Sessions June 30-July 4 Monastics and Religious in the Liturgical Movement Fr. Eusebius Martis, O.S.B. July 7-11 The Book of Psalms Fr. László T. Simon, O.S.B. July 14-18 Monasticism, Catholicism and Non-Christian Religions Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, O.S.B. Cam. For more information: Fr. Eusèbe Martis OSB Program Coordinator mss@anselmianum.com Limited housing is available at Collegio Sant’Anselmo. Click the link below to visit the Atheneum web site for course descriptions, housing and financial information, registration and contact information: https://www.anselmianum.com/it/26-facolta/facolta-di-teologia/1102-mss osb.org https://osb.org/event/monastic-summer-studium/