The lockdowns and most of the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic were over, but Benedictine monasteries across the United States were left with a new problem. They could gather in groups inside their monasteries again, but travel and gathering in larger groups with sisters from other monasteries was still not safe, so they needed to hold hybrid meetings, where some participants were face-to-face and others joined by video conferencing. The pandemic made almost all of us able to use technology such as Zoom, especially for one-on-one communications, but hybrid meetings involving dozens or even hundreds of people are another matter, especially when the vast majority of participants are over the age of 70. These four Benedictine sisters, from four different monasteries in four different states, now travel the country — in matching polo shirts — setting up and running the technology for Benedictine gatherings, whether in person, online or hybrid. Benedictine Tech Ministries team members include, from left, Sr. Raphaela Cady, Sr. Tamra Thomas, Sr. Michelle Sinkhorn and Sr. Stefanie Macdonald. (Courtesy of Benedictine Tech Ministries) https://bentechministries.wixsite.com/ben-tech-ministries Sr. Michelle Sinkhorn, from Ferdinand, Indiana, said that once the team got started and, thanks to a Leadership Conference of Women Religious grant, bought the needed equipment, the interest in their services was immediate. "We just had this one set of equipment, and the demand was incredible. Within the first year and a half, we were having to turn down requests — we just couldn't cover everything," she said. "Having just the four sister technicians was OK, but we couldn't get the equipment from one place to another in time." So they applied for another LCWR grant and not only bought a second set of equipment, but in March also held a conference to train more sisters on how to use it and adapt the equipment for their monasteries. They're not at all worried about putting themselves out of business, as the idea was to employ more sisters to nurture their own technological abilities to help their monasteries and possibly help Benedictine Tech Ministries in the future. "We're not competitive," she said. "We very much want other sisters to be able to learn and do what we do so they can take care of their own monasteries when needed." The ministry rose out of a gathering of younger Benedictine sisters called 55 & Under. At the gathering in 2023, Sinkhorn said, they created a list of the sisters with an interest in technology, and out of that list came Benedictine Tech Ministries. Now, they affectionately call themselves "tech geeks." A year later they had the LCWR grant and a website and got to work. Benedictine Sr. Jeanne Weber, from the monastery in Yankton, South Dakota, and president of one of the federations Benedictine communities belong to, said there were many attempts by monasteries to hold hybrid meetings after the pandemic, but only limited success. "We didn't have the equipment or the knowledge to set up an effective hybrid meeting," Weber said, so Benedictine Tech Ministries "is incredibly helpful." "To have it be a quality experience, especially for the people online, that's the challenge," she said. Weber said Benedictines are focused on collaboration, so the 55 & Under attendees are encouraged to form interest groups across monasteries and come up with projects the group as a whole can consider. She said the projects are debated like the television show "Shark Tank," but since they're all Catholic sisters and far gentler than the harsh criticism that marks the TV series, they call it the "Manatee Tank." Other projects that have come out of the process are a leadership training series that is up and running, and a service project to Mission House, a ministry of the Benedictine monastery in Boerne, Texas, that serves immigrants coming into the United States and the poor and disenfranchised on both sides of the Mexican border at Eagle Pass, Texas. She said the team hopes to grow the ministry because the need is greater than they can currently fill — there have even been requests to create similar teams for areas outside the U.S. Right now, Sinkhorn said, they don't work internationally except for one global Benedictine event in Rome. "We don't like to take our equipment out of the country," she said. "It's very stressful." The services are not free, but the fees the team charges only cover their costs and a stipend for their community to cover the work and time away from their own monasteries, Sinkhorn said. "It's a ministry, not a business." By Dan Stockman https://www.globalsistersreport.org/how-benedictine-tech-geek-nuns-help-religious-communities-connect-again https://fedstben.org/

On 11 July, the Abbot of Le Barroux established a new dependent priory at Bellefontaine Abbey. Bellefontaine was previously inhabited by a Trappist community that has now left the monastery and made it available to the Benedictines. In a message, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder thanked the Trappists for their generosity and emphasised the clear witness of the monks of Le Barroux, who live out their attachment to the traditional liturgy in clear fidelity and obedience to the Holy See. On 8 July, the General Chapter of the English Benedictine Congregation elected Abbot Robert Igo of Ampleforth as the new Abbot President. He succeeds Abbot Emeritus Christopher Jamieson of Worth, who had held this office since 2018. During the first week of July, Abbot Primate Jeremias, together with the abbots of Montecassino, Pannonhalma and Einsiedeln, the Abbess of Bastia Umbra and monks and nuns from Vienna, Berlin and Dumenza, visited several Russian Orthodox monasteries in the Moscow region. The visit follows the tradition of Benedictine ecumenical commitment and represents an effort to build a monastic bridge between the Churches during a difficult time. On 30 June, the osbatlas website was taken offline. The site was the fruit of the work of Fr. Stefano Visintin OSB, former Rector of Sant’Anselmo and current Abbot of Praglia. For many years, it was the only internet platform where all the monasteries of our Order could be found. This role has now been taken over by the jubilee website jubilee.osb.org/monasteries, which already includes all monasteries for men and will soon incorporate monasteries for women as well. On 29 June, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder signed a cooperation agreement with representatives of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. The museum's researchers are investigating the background to the persecution and rescue of Jews in Rome during the German occupation of the Eternal City. They discovered around 1,000 pages of documents on these subjects in the archives of Sant’Anselmo. The agreement regulates the access, digitisation and use of these materials. On 28 June, Abbot Melvin Valvano of Newark passed away. He served as Abbot of the monastery for 47 years and was also Abbot President of the American-Cassinese Congregation from 1989 to 2001. On 25 June, Sister Maura Zatonyi was appointed Pro-Coordinator of the Monastic Institute at Sant’Anselmo. Sr. Maura belongs to the community of Eibingen Abbey (Beuron Congregation) and is an expert on Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church. 24 June: The earthquake in Venezuela, which claimed the lives of several thousand people, also damaged the former Benedictine Abbey of San José in Caracas. The current monastery in Güigüe (Congregation of Saint Ottilien) was shaken, but sustained no damage. The collapse of another former Benedictine building near Caracas airport resulted in the deaths of 147 people who had recently been deported from the USA. On 21 June, the General Chapter of the Swiss-American Congregation voted in favour of the provisional admission of Weston Priory (Vermont), which had previously been directly subject to the Abbot Primate. On 11 June, new regulations for the officials of Sant’Anselmo came into force. The service of the confreres in our Roman house regularly ends upon reaching the age of 75. On 29 May, Saint Mauritius Priory in Bakonybél (Hungarian Congregation) attained independence. On 1 June, Father Izsák Baán Zsolt OSB was elected as the first Conventual Prior. Prior Izsák also serves as a professor at Sant’Anselmo. osb.org

On the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, a significant step forward was taken in building our global network for the Jubilee via a shared Zoom call. For the first time, Regional Promoters (monks and nuns leading the process) and Coordinators (monks, nuns, or laypeople in support roles) gathered to align on their shared mission: “To animate, connect and support regional contribution to the Benedictine Jubilee 2029, helping monasteries, congregations and Benedictine-inspired communities to enter freely into a decentralized process of spiritual renewal.” Abbot Jeremias Schröder opened the session, inspiring the group with a vision of the Jubilee as a profound time of renewal and hope. The rest of the meeting was a time of sharing information with the Regional Promoters to enable them to pass on the same information in their regions. A website to welcome the world – jubilee.osb.org We shared the fundamental purpose of the Jubilee website which is to encourage people to join in. The website is there so that the world can discover our monasteries, plan pilgrimages and learn about Benedictine life. As doors open, the role of our monasteries remains what it has always been: to welcome people as if they were Christ Himself. Branding assets: We shared the Jubilee logos and digital assets which are available to all Benedictine monasteries free of charge. We would love to see these appearing on your local websites, books, and souvenirs. Access to branding. Need another language? The logos are already available in 6 languages. If you need a different language, please email me and we will help create it. Update your details. An email was sent out to all monasteries (male only at this stage) at the start of May to check their details on the new Jubilee website. Around 50 of 400 have responded. Please check that the details about your monastery on the Jubilee website are correct and email me if you need help. The four-year spiritual journey We shared the Jubilee themes. The Jubilee is designed as a progressive spiritual journey following the life of Saint Benedict, rooted in gratitude, penitence, renewal and hope. Over the next four years, our focus will move through four distinct themes: Awaken (Norcia) Listen (Rome) Grow (Subiaco) Flourish (Montecassino). Articles and reflections will be posted regularly on the website to guide communities along this path. Connect with the worldwide network We shared our social media and newsletter plans. Since June 2026, our social media channels have taken on a fresh new look with consistent, regular posting. Follow us: Find us at @osbdotorg on Instagram, X, and Facebook. Tag us: Use the hashtags #placesofhope and #benedictinejubilee in your local posts so we can share your updates Newsletter: Look out for the launch of the new Jubilee newsletter this July. Get involved We are building a worldwide social media network. If you are responsible for social media or public relations in your monastery or congregation, or if you have an event to share for the Jubilee website, please contact me. An article has just appeared in OSV, a worldwide Catholic news agency, which is the type of coverage which will help to promote the Jubilee. Adam Simon 2029 Project Coordinator adam.simon@anselmianum.com P.S.: This article was written in the guest house in Montecassino. On 10 July, Cardinal Pizzaballa is coming to Montecassino to receive the Pacis Nuntius award which was announced in March. In the next edition of Nexus, I will be able to share how things are progressing with events that are being organised and the new events space on the website where these will be shared. osb.org

Some new projects training: https://www.aimintl.org/en/our-projects/category-formation construction: https://www.aimintl.org/en/our-projects/category-constructions development: https://www.aimintl.org/en/our-projects/category-d%C3%A9veloppement livelihood: https://www.aimintl.org/en/our-projects/category-gagne-pain meetings: https://www.aimintl.org/en/our-projects/category-meetings-et-assembl%C3%A9es supported financially by AIM are featured on the website. You can support AIM’s work with communities by making a donation via the "Support Us" tab at the top right of the pages. AIM is only able to assist communities thanks to donations received from religious communities and benefactors. Thank you for your support.

There are 2 Liturgical Courses coming in July and September this year: 1. Liturgical inculturation: definitions, guiding principles, models and criteria (This is a reminder of the news published on May 4) Online course, one day Speaker: Abbot Olivier-Marie SARR OSB, Abbot of Keur Moussa Abbey in Senegal, Professor at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Sant’Anselmo in Rome. Time: July 27, 2026, 8:30-12:00 and 14:00-17:30 (Rome time). Format: Online via ZOOM with simultaneous translation in Vietnamese, English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Polish, and Portuguese. Participation in the study day is free of charge. The study day is open to everyone, both inside and outside our order. Registration via email to: liturgia@ocist.org Please provide your NAME, LANGUAGE, and EMAIL ADDRESS. You will receive the participation link in due course. 2. Introduction to Cistercian Chant based on the new Gradual Cisterciense Course Director: Prof. Dr. Franz Karl Praßl Arrival day: September 21, 2026 (7:00 PM introduction) Departure day: September 26, 2026 This course is for anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of Cistercian chant and the new Graduale Cisterciense. Some prior experience in singing and Gregorian chant is helpful but not required. The course alternates between theoretical and practical elements. Franz Karl Praßl, 1954, Dr. theol., former cathedral organist in Klagenfurt, emeritus professor of Gregorian chant at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, emeritus professor at the Pontifical Conservatory of Music PIMS in Rome, co-editor of the Graduale Novum, contributor to the new Gotteslob (hymnal), contributor to the new Graduale Cisterciense, numerous publications. Course fee including materials: €170 Overnight stay including full board: €300 Registration and information: P. Nikodemus, +49-234-77705-14, gastamt@kloster-stiepel.de ocso.org

Mass on 8 May 2026 at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (France) to mark the 30th anniversary of the murder of the seven Trappist monks of Thibirine, presided over by Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers. Mass on 10 May 2026 at Aiguebelle Abbey (France) to mark the 30th anniversary of the murder of the seven Trappist monks of Thibirine, presided over by Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers. ocso.org

The InterMonasteries Alliance is expanding In 2025, the AIM updated its ecclesiastical statutes by broadening its partnerships and emphasising the reality of a structure shared by the three major orders that follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. In line with these changes, the AIM is embarking on a significant turning point in its development, adopting new civil statutes, a new name and a new visual identity to promote its identity, highlight its international dimension, and unify and simplify its communications. One name, one language, one message The acronym AIM has had several meanings over the course of its history. The most recent name, “Alliance Inter Monastères”, had become a hindrance to international communication and was no longer conducive to the association’s current development. Instead of having to translate—no easy task given the acronym—presentations and letterheads into every language, we now have a single name, a single logo, a single identity—for all languages and all countries. The Latin name Associatio Internationalis Monastica addresses these challenges with clarity. As the universal language of the Church, Latin is immediately recognised throughout the Catholic world. It highlights the institutional dignity of the AIM in harmony with its role of coordination among the major monastic families. The acronym AIM remains unchanged as a strong and internationally recognisable symbol: a united monastic fraternity, at the service of the Church’s mission in the world. A development rooted in heritage After many years of using a logo that was beginning to show its age, the AIM decided to undertake a complete overhaul of its visual identity. The aim is clear: to modernise the association’s image whilst ensuring consistency across its communication materials in all languages, serving the three orders it brings together. Far from being a break with the past, this change is part of a wider trend towards a return to classic styles seen in many cultural and institutional spheres. AIM responds to this with a visual identity that is at once reassuring, universal and conveys its spiritual message: combining ora and labora at a single glance. A logo steeped in history At the heart of this new identity sits the Medal of Saint Benedict, reinterpreted as an institutional seal that is perfectly suited to an international coordinating organisation and immediately conveys the legitimacy and long-standing history of the AIM. A colour palette that conveys messages The new brand identity is built around three carefully chosen colours: Green, a liturgical colour, symbolising generosity, hope and life; gold, present throughout the iconography, which distinguishes AIM from the world of generalist NGOs; and parchment, evoking naturalness and simplicity, and conveying kindness. The Cinzel typeface, classic and legible, completes the ensemble. A brand identity designed to raise the profile of AIM This development addresses a strategic challenge: to raise awareness of AIM far beyond its usual circles, to engage the general public and partners, and to attract and retain international donors. The new branding will be rolled out gradually across all of the association’s communications channels.

In accordance with the decision of the Chapter of the Pannonhalma Archabbey, the General Chapter of the Hungarian Benedictine Congregation elevated the Monastery of St. Maurice in Bakonybél to the status of a conventual priory on 29 May 2026. With this decision, the Benedictine monastery in Bakonybél has become an independent member of the Hungarian Benedictine Congregation. On 1 June 2026, the Convent of St. Maurice Monastery elected Father Dr. Izsák Zsolt Baán as its first conventual prior, who was installed in office by Abbot President Cirill T. Hortobágyi. With the elevation of the priorate in Bakonybél to the status of an independent monastery, the Hungarian Benedictine Congregation now comprises five independent monasteries: the Pannonhalma Archabbey, the Abbey of St. Geraldo (São Paulo), St. Mauritius Monastery (Bakonybél), St. Ányos Benedictine Priory (Tihany), and St. Mór Benedictine Priory (Győr). osb.org

On 22 May 2026, Father Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart, President of the AIM, was at Chevetogne Abbey to attend the meeting of the Encyclopédie bénédictine. This is a Foundation that provides grants for historical research on the Order of Saint Benedict, in particular to the Revue bénédictine, the journal Mabillon and also the AIM Bulletin. The Abbot of Chevetogne, the Prior of Maredsous and Abbot Bernard represent the Benedictines, alongside researchers from the universities of Louvain-la-Neuve (UCL), Leuven (KUL), Liège and Ghent. Chevetogne Abbey

A Jubilee for the Entire Benedictine Family In 2029, the family of Orders living according to the Rule of Saint Benedict will celebrate a jubilee of exceptional significance: the 1,500th anniversary of the founding of Monte Cassino, the cradle of Western monastic tradition. This anniversary, commemorated at the initiative of the Benedictine Confederation on the site jubilee.osb.org, invites every community — Benedictine, Cistercian, and Trappist — to renew its fidelity to the Gospel and to monastic hospitality. The Associatio Internationalis Monastica (AIM), which has served the communion between monasteries throughout the world since 1961, is wholeheartedly joining this jubilee momentum. This milestone coincides with a moment of institutional renewal within AIM itself: revision of its statutes, strengthening of its governance structures, and the deployment of new digital tools in the service of its members. The jubilee of 2029 is therefore not merely a commemoration: it is an invitation to work together to build an international monastic alliance that is even more vibrant and united, so that we may bring together a little of Heaven down to earth.

Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart, President of the AIM, paid a visit to the community of Benedictine nuns at Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi (Sorrento), on the occasion of the First Communion of a young girl whose parents are friends and oblates of the monastery. Abbot Bernard has known the community of nuns since his studies in Rome. The community, currently comprising five sisters, is one of the oldest in Italy (founded in the 9th century). The sisters are highly regarded on the Sorrento Peninsula. Their guesthouse is open and run by the guests themselves. The location is very popular with tourists.

Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart had the opportunity to visit two former Benedictine sites in Belgium and Luxembourg: The former Abbey of Gembloux (Belgium) Founded in the 10th century by Saint Guibert, Gembloux Abbey quickly gained renown thanks to Sigebert, a learned monk of the 11th century known for his many travels. It was a prestigious abbey where the abbots held the title of count: the Count-Abbots of Gembloux. The abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution in 1796. There are depictions of Saint Benedict, his finger to his lips, thus inviting us to cultivate silence—both external and internal—in order to seek the presence of God and peace. The relic of Saint Guibert is also found there. Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart conferred the sacrament of Confirmation in the abbey church. Procession in Guirsch (Luxembourg) On 25 May 2026, Abbot Bernard Lorent Tayart presided over the procession in honour of Saint Willibrord, founder of the famous Abbey of Echternach. The Whitsunday procession was established in 1692 to replace the compulsory pilgrimage to Echternach. The procession has taken place every year since 1692. Each year, neighbouring Belgian and Luxembourgish parishes converge on Guirsch. https://unite-pastorale-arlon.com/2026/05/26/guirsch-au-rythme-de-saint-willibrord-une-tradition-vivante-depuis-1692/