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We hereby offer you a short course on prayer. Through brief videos by Dom Olivier Quenardel, former abbot of Citeaux, the program presents questions for personal and/or group reflection. Our thanks to Dom Olivier and the KTOTV team. https://www.ocso.org/uploads/general-news/documents/prayer-is-the-joy-of-life-en.pdf OCSO Formation Commission ocso.org

The community of Brialmont (Belgium) has been aware for some time of its situation of fragility. The superior, M. Marie-Pascale Dran, and the sisters, with the help of the Father Immediate (Dom Xavier Frisque13, superior ad nutum of Orval) and the Commission for the future, after serious consideration, have judged that it is not possible for the community to recover from this situation, and that it must be closed. The Abbot General and his Council have followed the situation closely. Following the process described in the Statute on the Accompaniment of Fragile Communities and the Suppression of a Monastery, on 13 February 2026, the Abbot General and his Council, in the name of the General Chapter, voted to ask the Holy See to suppress the community of Brialmont. On the same date the Abbot General and his Council named a Commission for Closure to implement the suppression process, under the presidency of Dom Xavier, abbot of Orval. Please pray for the Sisters of Brialmont in gratitude for their given lives in this place. ocso.org https://www.brialmont.be/

In my homeland, Carnival is quite important; in Rome, it plays no role, and even in the Holy Land, where I spent last weekend, Valentine's Day seems to be more important across religious lines than our Catholic pre-Lenten traditions. My days in Israel were intense. I met with the seven Benedictine communities and the Trappist monks. Five monasteries have a French background, two a German one, and then there are the Benedictine nuns from the Philippines – so English and French are the languages of communication. All the communities are rather small, with between three and thirteen members. They all recruit from abroad. The brothers and sisters are either pilgrims and seekers who have put down roots in the Holy Land, often with adventurous biographies, or they have been sent from monasteries in Europe, Africa or Asia. Economically, most communities depend on tourists and pilgrims; the monastery shops play a significant role. They all employ local Arabic-speaking Christians, thus helping the Christian minority to survive. The horrific events of recent years—the attack of 7 October 2023, the Gaza war still simmering despite the ceasefire, the conflict with Iran, and immense internal tensions—hang heavy in the country's atmosphere, a poisoned normality. But in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel also showed me a sign of hope: renovation, overdue for centuries, has finally begun, and the often-divided denominations have managed, with astonishing unity, to launch a large and ambitious project. In the face of the bloody conflicts, Christians have been able to focus on what they have in common. The era of the "fighting monks" seems to be over. _____________________________ In recent years, our house here at Sant’Anselmo has always been quite full. During the spring, we will know who is leaving and how many places we will have available for the next academic year. We kindly ask all abbots considering sending someone to Sant’Anselmo starting in the winter semester of 2026/27 to send a message to our prior (priore@anselmianum.com) by the end of March so that we can plan accordingly. There are also a few scholarships available. The application deadline for these is also 31 March. I would also like to draw your attention to our two English-language summer courses: Monastic Aggiornamento – a sabbatical program for Benedictine monks and nuns from 5-25 July. In addition, there is the Oblate Monastic Summer Studium, from 4-24 July. More information is available on our website. _____________________________ A few days ago, a fellow brother wrote to me: “I am grateful and happy when someone appreciates art and beauty. That helps us to save our little worlds. And many others that we may not even know about.” The talk of a small world got me thinking. In Israel, the major issues of world politics were omnipresent. On Wednesday, we welcomed Pope Leo for the traditional Ash Wednesday Mass on the Aventine Hill, and on this first Saturday of Lent, the Benedictine China Commission is meeting, which, among other things, has to deal with great power politics. None of this sounds so small. But when you look closer, it turns out that what we're really concerned with are the small, modest, even humble realities. There are the small, often fragile communities in the Holy Land. And our Chinese houses, too, have a rather understated presence – not exactly a proud city on a hill, but perhaps the salt of the earth? The latest news from Cuba is distressing. The country is being economically strangled. The Benedictines are also suffering, but the witness of their continued presence speaks powerfully. I recently met an old friend from university who later became a professor and is now nearing retirement. He spoke about his students with a kind of benevolent irony, but also with a certain detachment: "They're a different species!" He attributed this to their digital learning and working style. I know what he means, and at the same time, I find myself quite torn: a self-confessed book lover, and simultaneously a victim of screens that consume far more of my daily work and reading time than I'd like. Saint Benedict largely left the observance of Lent to the individual's discretion. However, he organized the Lenten reading communally and entrusted the allocation to the abbot. This is handled differently in our monasteries, as is almost everything, but I find the emphasis on actual books to be a very good recommendation, one I intend to follow faithfully this year.* It's a way to cultivate the small world of our souls. And then, of course, there are our monasteries, each a world unto itself. For a year now, we have been working intensively on preparations for the Benedictine Jubilee of 2029 – 1500 years since the founding of Monte Cassino. In about four weeks, for the Feast of Saint Benedict in March, we plan to launch the website that will stimulate and coordinate jubilee initiatives worldwide. The motto is “Places of Hope since 529.” That the great is reflected in the small is very Benedictine: the cosmos in the layout of our monasteries, cloisters, and gardens; the globe in Benedict's vision; the love of God in our compassionate fraternity; and eternal hope in a joy of life that moves toward Easter. I wish you all the same from Rome and remain warmly connected. Yours, Jeremias Schröder, OSB Abbot Primate *For those interested: Richard Southern's book about Anselm of Canterbury (or “of Aosta”, as he is known in Italy), a quarter of a century old but still not outdated. osb.org

On 14 February, Richard Moth was installed as Archbishop of Westminster, England. He is an Oblate of Pluscarden (Subiaco Cassinese Congregation). On 2 February, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder established an International Secretariat for the Benedictine Secular Oblates and appointed Dr. Roberto Lomolino, Oblate of Sant’Anselmo, as its Secretary General. He works closely with Abbot Jean-Pierre Longeat, the Abbot Primate's Delegate for the Oblates. The Secretariat's main tasks are to promote international cooperation among the Oblates and to prepare for the next International Oblate Congress, scheduled for 2030. The Secretariat will also support preparations for the Benedictine Jubilee  in 2029. On the same day, it was announced that P. Juan Pablo Rubio, monk of the Abbey of Valle de los Caidos in Spain (Solesmensian Congregation), had been appointed the new Procurator General of the Solesmes Congregation. 31 January: Bishop Manel Nin Güell, monk of Montserrat (Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation) and previously Exarch for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Greece, based in Athens, was appointed Exarch of the Monastery of Grottaferrata . On 15 January, Fr. Geraldo González y Lima was elected abbot of his monastery, São Geraldo, in São Paulo (Hungarian Congregation). He served at Sant'Anselmo for over 20 years, first as secretary to Abbot Primate Notker and then as bursar of Sant'Anselmo and treasurer of the Confederation. He acted as procurator for several congregations in the Curia and was an active member of the AIM's International Team. In the autumn, Archabbot Emeritus Korbinian Birnbacher of Saint Peter's in Salzburg (Austrian Congregation) will assume the role of bursar of Sant'Anselmo. Until then, Fr. Rafael dos Santos will serve in this capacity. Abbot Geraldo González y Lima and Archabbot Emeritus Korbinian Birnbacher 28 January: P. Richard Multerer was elected for a third term as Prior Administrator of Schweiklberg (Congregation of Saint Ottilien). 27 January: Abbot Clement Ettany of Kappadu (Congregation of the Annunciation) was elected the new president of the India-Sri Lankan Benedictine Federation. Prioress Asha of Saint Lioba is his deputy, and Prior John Kaippallimyalil of Kumily (Saint Ottilien) is the secretary. The “Fondazione Benedettina Pax et Sapientia” began its activities at the beginning of January. This foundation, established under Italian law, supports the cultural and academic activities of Sant’Anselmo and will also enable it to obtain public subsidies for these activities. osb.org

Diocese press release (17 February 2026) Since 1969, at the Merci-Dieu monastery in Saint-Jean-d'Assé, near Le Mans (France), sisters have been living a life of prayer, hospitality and craftsmanship, weaving and making liturgical vestments (chasubles, stoles, albs, etc.). Their life is governed by the Rule of Saint Benedict. The nuns have realised that the buildings are now unsuitable due to their age and condition. Therefore, after a year of communal discernment, in consultation with Bishop Vuillemin of Le Mans, it was decided that the Institut de la Merci-Dieu would not be dissolved, but that five nuns would join a nursing home, integrate into a more suitable religious community, or continue to live their monastic vows in other ways. In conjunction with the Diocese of Le Mans, discussions are underway regarding the future of the Merci-Dieu buildings. The Merci-Dieu community and the diocese warmly thank all those who, near and far, have helped the community to remain faithful to its mission. For 2,000 years, the life of the Church has always been marked by countless changes! Mgr Jean-Pierre Vuillemin fraternally invites friends, volunteers and all the faithful of the Diocese of Le Mans to give thanks for all that has been experienced at Merci-Dieu in the name of Christ and his Gospel. Monsignor Jean-Pierre Vuillemin will preside over a Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday, 27 June 2026, at 4 p.m. in the Chapel of Merci-Dieu in the presence of the Sisters. The Mass will be followed by a reception. https://www.sarthecatholique.fr/communique-merci-dieu-17-02-2026/ https://www.merci-dieu.com/vetements-lithurgiques.html

Dear Oblates, Dear brothers and sisters in the Benedictine family, Warm greetings from Rome! For us monks, the last few decades have been outwardly quite stable. Among the Benedictine nuns, however, there have been significant developments, and we expect further steps toward consolidation in the near future. The oblate movement also has developed considerably. Impressive oblate communities have emerged in Asia and Africa, and five World Congresses since 2005 have fostered an international awareness of Benedictine Oblates. Last September, at the Synod of Abbot Presidents, we addressed this topic. The synod adopted a recommendation that the abbot primate should establish a structure for planning and conducting these congresses. To this end, last November I appointed Abbot Emeritus Jean-Pierre Longeat of Saint Martin in Ligugé as the Abbot Primate's Delegate for the Oblates. Abbot Jean-Pierre is also the spiritual advisor to the Service of Benedictine Oblates, the association of Oblates of French-speaking Europe and Israel. As a second step, a few weeks ago we established an International Secretariat for the Benedictine Oblates. I appointed Dr. Roberto Lomolino as its first Secretary General. He is an oblate of Sant'Anselmo and was for many years the secretary of the Italian Oblate Association. Dr. Roberto Lomolino, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder and Abbot Emeritus Jean-Pierre Longeat. Preliminary plans call for a meeting of national oblate coordinators in 2027 and the next World Congress of Oblates in 2030. I hope that the secretary general also will succeed in organizing strong oblate participation in the Benedictine Jubilee in 2029. A small symbolic step in recognizing the importance of the oblates within our Benedictine family is the inclusion, for the first time, of a dedicated section on the oblates in the new Catalogus Monasteriorum, the directory of all monasteries for men. In the foreseeable future, the OSB Atlas, a digital representation of all monasteries, also will offer more information about this important branch of our order. I am writing these lines at the beginning of Lent and would like to warmly invite you all, together with the community to which you belong as an oblate, to approach Easter with the joy of which Saint Benedict speaks in his Rule. You will hear more from Abbot Jean-Pierre and Dr. Lomolino very soon. With heartfelt affection, Yours Jeremias Schröder OSB Abbot Primate osb.org

On the afternoon of Ash Wednesday, 18 February 2026, the Primatial Abbey of Sant’Anselmo welcomed Pope Leo to the Aventine Hill to begin the Church’s “campaign of Christian service.” Received by Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder OSB and the Prior of Sant’Anselmo, Brendan Coffey OSB, the Holy Father joined the two major religious communities residing in Rome for the commencement of the Statio prayers. In the late afternoon, the assembly began its penitential procession to the Basilica of Santa Sabina, accompanied by the schola cantorum of Sant’Anselmo, for the celebration of Holy Mass and the Imposition of Ashes. This ancient Roman tradition, restored by Pope John XXIII in 1959, serves as more than an historical reenactment. It is a sacramental expression of the Christian life because such an assembly is a body called together and united in a singular purpose. A procession is an assembly on the move. Walking together, the Church symbolizes its pilgrimage from this world to our true homeland, the Heavenly Jerusalem. As citizens of heaven, Christians’ time on earth is temporary; we dwell here as foreigners. Liturgical ritual helps to remind us of our ultimate destiny; it expresses our faith in ritual action. The presence of the Benedictine community at the heart of this Roman tradition underscores the monastic witness to hospitality, to liturgical prayer and to a heavenly future. As the pilgrim church on earth moves toward its final goal, the rites celebrated at Sant’Anselmo continue to nourish the Christian life and prepare the faithful for the paschal mystery. Such events are reminders to the wider Benedictine Confederation of the vital role the Aventine community plays in the life of the universal Church. Fr. Eusebius Martis OSB Professor, Pontifical Institute of Liturgy Ateneo Sant’Anselmo Monk of Marmion Abbey osb.org

The annual pre-Lenten “Abbots Workshop” was held at Tepeyac Abbey in Mexico City. From 2-6 February, 25 superiors of monastic communities met to hear presentations by David Schellenberger, president and chief executive of the Saint John Vianney Behavioral Health Center in Pennsylvania on “Caring for Yourself as You Care for Your Brothers”. Mr. Schellenberger provided a series of presentations that engaged those present on perspectives regarding the care of spirit, mind and body for the membership of their communities and the superiors themselves. Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder was present and gave an update on life at Sant’Anselmo and some developments in its administration, including the new appointments of rector of the Pontificio Ateneo and economo for the house. Sant’Anselmo guest area renovation is an immediate need and financial assistance is welcome. Ongoing communication with the Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum , (CIB), has continued and the Benedictine Confederation will be able to provide a community residential space for Benedictine women who wish to study at Sant’Anselmo through the nearby convent at Tor de' Specchi in Rome. Abbot Jeremias related the planning taking place for the 2029 Jubilee of Monte Cassino. A steering group meets monthly, headed by Adam Simon. An academic committee has been established and a new website for the Jubilee will be up by 21 March. Abbot Marion Nguyen of Saint Martin’s Abbey was selected to be the American Abbots’ representative for contact with the Jubilee Committee. Abbot Jeremias urged the superiors to cultivate events for the Jubilee on the local level. Under the emblem of “Places of Hope”, the Jubilee will commemorate places in Saint Benedict’s life for each year: Norcia (2026), Rome (2027), Subiaco (2028) and Monte Cassino (2029). Abbots and priors of communities of North America combined with communities of Mexico and Central America, sharing the hospitality of the monastic community of Abadía del Tepeyac. All the participants took part in the Divine Office and Eucharistic Liturgy of the abbey each day and were treated to outings that visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Pyramids of Teotihuacán and other nearby sites. Rt. Rev. Joel Rippinger, OSB Abbot, Marmion Abbey Aurora, Illinois, USA osb.org

On February 11, 2026, Dom Malachias Huijink, abbot of Echt and Father Immediate ad interim of Nunraw, (Scotland) appointed Fr. Benedict Okakpu , monk of Nsugbe, as superior ad nutum of Nunraw. Dom Benedict was born in Abatete, Nigeria in 1966. He was a diocesan priest in Onitsha, Nigeria before entered the community of Nsugbe in 2006, where he made his solemn profession in 2012. This appointment brings to an end the service of Dom Mark Caira, abbot of Nunraw from 2009 and superior ad nutum since 2022. ocso.org

On February 13, 2026, Sister Maria Caritas Pham Thi Sen made solemn profession at the monastery of Our Lady of Imari (Japan). Sister Caritas was born in 1992 in Vinh (Vietnam); she entered Imari in 2014 and made first profession in 2019. ocso.org https://www.imari-trappistines.org/

On Sunday, 15 February 2026, on the anniversary of the dedication of the church of the monastery of Our Lady of Koubri (Burkina Faso), Sister Nok-Wende Judith Maria Laetitia will make her solemn profession during the Eucharist presided over by Archbishop Prosper Kontiebo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ouagadougou, at 9 a.m.

The monastic community and the metropolitan city of Turin are celebrating the 1,300th anniversary of the founding of Novalesa Abbey (Italy). It was on 30 January 726, in the middle of winter, when Abbone launched the foundation of the abbey: 1300 years have passed, and the Benedictine monastery has experienced periods of varying importance in the history of the Alps, until 1972, when the province of Turin bought it from Convitto Umberto I in order to prevent it from falling into ruin. This important gesture has given new life to a unique and special place over time and has required significant financial investment for restoration work, some of which has been ongoing in recent months. On 30 January 2026, a solemn ceremony with the recitation of the votive vespers of Saints Peter and Andrew, presided over by Cardinal Roberto Repole, Bishop of Turin and Susa, marked the 1300th anniversary of the foundation of the Abbey of Novalesa, in the Val Cenischia. The Benedictine monastic community and the metropolitan city of Turin, owner of this jewel of art, faith, history and culture, chose to organise a symbolic ceremony, concelebrated by dozens of abbots and priests, in the presence of Metropolitan Mayor Stefano Lo Russo, Deputy Mayor Jacopo Suppo, with councillors Sonia Cambursano and Caterina Greco, Councillor Andrea Gavazza and all the mayors of the Susa Valley. During the ceremony, the commitment to preserve the abbey, maintaining it as a place of peace and welcome, was renewed: Cardinal Repole, Mayor Lo Russo, Prior Michael David Semeraro, Abbot President of the Benedictine Congregation Ignasi Fossas and Don Gianluca Popolla signed a charter of refoundation. Metropolitan Mayor Stefano Lo Russo presented a souvenir to the prior of the abbey, whom he described as a ‘beacon of spirituality in the heart of the Alps, a tireless guardian of the ora et labora rule’, paying tribute ‘to the mission that the monastic community has accomplished and continues to accomplish with humility and constancy, preserving the thousand-year-old tradition that reigns here’. The Benedictine monastic community has prepared a rich and meaningful programme for the 1300th anniversary of its foundation, with the presence of illustrious personalities throughout 2026, until the end of the centenary on 15 October, the day of the consecration of the abbey church, when another Piedmontese cardinal, Monsignor Giorgio Marengo, will arrive from Mongolia to close the celebrations. https://www.abbazianovalesa.org/wp/