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On 14 September 2024, Abbot Jeremias Schröder OSB, of St. Ottilien Archabbey in Eresing, Germany, was elected abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation at the Congress of Abbots meeting in Rome. The Congress usually is held every four years. He is the 11th abbot primate to be elected. As abbot primate of the Catholic Church’s Benedictine Confederation, Abbot Primate Jeremias will be the unifying head of the world’s 6,000 Benedictine monks and become the abbot of the monastery of Sant’Anselmo in Rome, where he will reside. Abbot Jeremias Schröder, born in 1964 in Bavaria, joined the St. Ottilien Archabbey in Eresing, Germany in 1984. He pursued studies in philosophy, theology, history, and archivistics at Sant’Anselmo and St Benet’s Hall, Oxford. After returning to St. Ottilien in 1994, he held various roles, including assistant novice master and abbot’s secretary. Elected archabbot and president of the St. Ottilien Congregation in 2000, he became its first abbot president in 2012 after separating the roles. Over his career, Abbot Jeremias has overseen growth, decline, elections, and interventions across monastic communities. Currently residing at St. Georgenberg in Austria, he is actively involved in global monasticism, having held numerous leadership roles and consultative positions, including vicar of the abbot primate. The office of abbot primate was created by Pope Leo XIII in 1893 to serve the Benedictine community as its liaison to the Vatican Holy See and civil authorities, to promote unity among the various autonomous Benedictine monasteries and congregations, and to represent the order at religious gatherings around the globe. As primate, Abbot Jeremias also will serve as the Grand Chancellor of the Benedictine Pontifical Atheneum of Sant’Anselmo located in Rome, an institution for liturgical, theological and philosophical education. The Benedictine Confederation is a loose association of autonomous monasteries that follow the 1500-year-old Rule of Saint Benedict. The abbot primate is elected by the abbots of the Benedictine Confederation and usually serves for an eight-year term. His election emphasizes his role as a “servant-leader”, rather than one with direct governing authority. osb.org

Dom Pierre-André Burton, abbot of Cîteaux and Father Immediate of Bricquebec, has appointed Father Simon-Marie Nguyen as superior ad nutum of Bricquebec (Diocese of Coutances, France). This appointment will be effective on September 14th, 2024. Dom Simon-Marie was born in 1989 in Thanh Chương (Vietnam). He entered Bricquebec in 2011, made his solemn profession in 2017 and was ordained a priest in 2021. At the time of his appointment, he was novice master. http://abbayebricquebec.fr/ ocso.org

During the Sept. 5 plenary session of the XXI General Chapter, Dom Ignasi M. Fossas, monk of Montserrat, has been elected as the new abbot president of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation. Dom Ignasi M. Fossas will take the place of Abbot Guillermo A. Tamayo, who led the congregation from 2016 to the present. https://www.benedettinisublacensicassinesi.org/news/21st-general-chapter-election-new-abbot-president/

Saint Benedict Monastery elected its twelfth Prioress, Sister Andrea Westkampf. The election process was facilitated by Sr. Elaine Fischer of Mount St. Scholastica and Sr. Lynn McKenzie the President of the Monastic Congregation of St. Scholastica. https://www.monasticcongregationss.org/ https://osbva.org/

On Aug 14, 2024 Frater Basilius was invested with the novice habit. On Aug 20, 2024 Fraters Anselm Lampelsdorfer, Abraham Maria Steuer Joachim Schraut, Johannes Maria Schoisengeier and Viktorinus Dolinar made their temporary profession. And, finally, on August 15, 2024 Father Guerricus Karl made his solemn profession. Let us pray for these men and for vocations in our Order! https://www.stift-heiligenkreuz.org/ ocist.org

The Subiaco-Cassinaise congregation is meeting for its 21st General Chapter from 30 August to 7 September 2024 at Montserrat Abbey. See the summaries of these meetings: https://www.benedettinisublacensicassinesi.org/news/21st-general-chapter-%c2%b7-day-to-day-%c2%b7-day-1/

Beginning Friday, 6 September, about 215 abbots, priors, and superiors from the worldwide Benedictine Confederation will gather for two weeks at Sant’Anselmo for their quadrennial congress, Congressus OSB 2024. Joining them will be 22 representatives from the C ommunio Internationalis Benedictinarum , representing the monasteries and institutes of Benedictine women. A meeting of the Synod of Abbots President, a 19-member council representing the congregations within the confederation, will be held at the opening of the congress. At the opening session, Abbot Primate Gregory Polan will present his report, followed by reports from the individual congregations. On Saturday, 14 September, the abbots will elect a new abbot primate, who will assume leadership of the OSB Confederation for the next eight years. osb.org

At the First Vespers of St. Bernard on August 19,2024, Our Lady of Dallas welcomed seven new novices: Jerome, Gerard, Elijah, Anselm, Gideon, Charbel, and Michael. Along with the new novices, we also had two brothers, Kolbe and Nahaniel, make their temporary profession. Please pray for these men and for the Order, that we may continue to draw others to our way of life! https://abbey.cistercian.org/ ocist.org

On August 22, 2024, on the Patronal feast of the Blessed Virgin, Mary Queen of Heaven, in the abbey of Wąchock, the Congregation of Polish monasteries had their general chapter. Among the items discussed were a modifications to the Constitutions, translators for Cistercian texts and many practical questions regarding their monasteries. ocist.org

On 1st September 2024, the community of Kasanza (Diocese of Kikwit, R. D. Congo) elected Dom Léonard Zibula as Titular Prior of the community. Dom Léonard had been Superior ad nutum of the community since 2019. ocso.org

A group of nuns of the Congregation of Castille participated in the XXXIX week of the program of Monastic Studies, which was celebrated in Valladolid, Spain, from August 26-29. The week was dedicated to reflecting upon the remnants of the 21st century for monastic communities. ocist.org

By decree of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Abbot General presided over an election at the Abbey of Sept-Fons (Diocese of Moulins, France) on 23 August 2024, in the presence of Dom Pierre-André Burton, abbot of Cîteaux and Father Immediate of Sept-Fons, and Mother Anne-Emmanuelle Devêche, Abbess of Blauvac. Dom Emmanuel Cottineau, councillor to the Abbot General, acted as secretary of the election. The community elected Dom Thomas Getti  as abbot for a term of six years. Which was determined by the Dicastery. Dom Thomas was born in 1965 in Rouen (France). He entered Sept-Fons in 1991, made his solemn profession in 1996 and was ordained a priest in 1999. https://www.abbayedeseptfons.com/fr ocso.org