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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/

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The monastic community of São Geraldo Abbey in São Paulo, Brazil, has elected Dom Geraldo González y Lima, OSB, as its fourth abbot. The election took place on 15 January 2026, coinciding with the liturgical memorial of Saints Maurus and Placid, the first disciples of Saint Benedict. Dom Geraldo succeeds to the abbatial chair of this community, a member of the Hungarian Congregation, after two decades of distinguished service to the wider confederation in Rome. Born in Havana, Cuba, to a family of Spanish and Chinese heritage, Dom Geraldo’s life has been deeply intertwined with the Benedictine charism from his youth. A former pupil of Colégio Santo Américo, the abbey’s renowned educational institution, he later graduated in law from the University of São Paulo, specialising in corporate law. His transition from the legal profession to the cloister followed a period as a secular oblate, eventually entering São Geraldo in 1983. He made his solemn profession in 1987 and was ordained to the priesthood on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul in 1991. Within his own community, Dom Geraldo’s leadership was established through a diverse range of responsibilities. He served as novice master, procurator and sub-prior, and was a founding member and superior of the Cella Saint Joseph in Itapecerica da Serra. His commitment to the Benedictine educational apostolate was particularly evident during his tenure as rector of Colégio Santo Américo and his work with the Pax Movement, which fosters spiritual growth among students, alumni and their families. In 2005, Dom Geraldo was called to Rome to serve in the Curia of the Abbot Primate at Sant’Anselmo. Over the ensuing 20 years, he became a familiar and esteemed figure within the international Benedictine family. His roles were as varied as they were demanding: he served as secretary to Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, secretary general of the Pontifical Atheneum of Sant’Anselmo and, most notably, as the treasurer of the Benedictine Confederation. His expertise in administration and his measured, fraternal presence made him a mainstay of the Curia’s operations. His influence extended well beyond the walls of the Aventine Hill. Dom Geraldo has been a pivotal figure in the International Commission on Benedictine Education (ICBE), currently serving as its Vice President, and has contributed significantly to the Alliance Inter-Monastère (AIM) in Paris. Furthermore, his appointment as procurator for several Benedictine congregations—including the American-Cassinese, Swiss-American, Cono-Sur and Solesmes congregations—underscores the trust placed in him by the global monastic community. The election of Dom Geraldo marks the return of a seasoned administrator and a respected monk to the community that formed him. After a period of transition at Sant’Anselmo to conclude his responsibilities in Rome, he will return to Brazil to begin his abbatial ministry. In this new chapter, he will oversee the Abbey of São Geraldo and its extensive network of social, educational and pastoral works, including the Morumbi parish and the Saint Joseph Cell. The community at Sant’Anselmo, while feeling the loss of a beloved colleague and friend, joins the monks of São Geraldo in prayer as Dom Geraldo takes up the abbatial staff, bringing his vast experience of the universal Order back to the service of his local community. osb.org https://www.asg.org.br/

Twice a year, three Benedictine finance experts meet in Rome to oversee and evaluate Sant’Anselmo's financial situation, offering feedback and recommendations. On 2 February, the outgoing Finance Commission met with the new members and our in-house administrative staff. Abbot emeritus Norberto Villa of Praglia (Italy) and Br. Ansgar Stüfe of Münsterschwarzach (Germany) took their leave after many years of service on the commission. Fr. Luke Turner of Atchison (USA) will remain to provide continuity. The new members are Archabbot Tutilo Burger of Beuron (Germany) and Fr. Andrea Serafino of Novalesa (Italy), who is also the bursar of the Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation. The meeting happened during a time of transition. Our former economo, Geraldo Gonzalez, was recently elected abbot of his monastery of São Geraldo in Brazil and thus was present for the last time. His designated successor, Archabbot emeritus Korbinian Birnbacher, Salzburg (Austria), also participated, as did the interim bursar, Fr. Rafael Dos Santos, from São Bento at São Paulo (Brazil), and our administrative director, Dr. Fabio Corcione. Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder

On 31 January 2026, under the chairmanship of the Abbot General and in the presence of the superiors of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception, the community of Lérins (France) elected Dom Jean-Marie Gervais as its new abbot. Dom Gervais thus becomes president of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception. Born in 1960, Father Jean-Marie entered the monastery of Lérins in 1981 and has held various positions of responsibility in the service of monastic life. In 1997, he was sent as prior to Sénanque Abbey, a house dependent on Lérins. In May 2025, he was called back to Lérins to take on the duties of prior and cellarer. ocist.org https://www.abbayedelerins.com/

On behalf of the Benedictine Confederation, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder congratulates Bishop Manuel Nin Güell on his appointment as Exarch of the Territorial Abbey of Grottaferrata. Grottaferrata is the only monastery of the Order of Basilian Monks in Italy. It is a territorial abbey and an exarchical monastery—that is, the superior holds episcopal rank. The monks follow the Rule of Saint Basil the Great, who was greatly admired and quoted by Saint Benedict. Pope Leo XIII involved the Benedictines in the matters of this small, somewhat isolated community. Bishop Nin is the third Benedictine with responsibility for this monastery in recent times, following Abbot Michel van Parys, OSB, and Abbot Francisco de Feo, OSB. Simultaneously, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro has served as Apostolic Administrator of the abbey since 2013. Bishop Manuel Nin is a monk of the Abbey of Montserrat in Catalonia and a former rector of the Greek College in Rome. Since 2016, he has served as Bishop for the Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Greece. He is also a professor at the Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo. osb.org Grottaferrata

On 12 and 13 January 2026, the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat in Manila (Philippines) celebrated the centenary of the consecration of its abbey church. The solemn Mass on Tuesday 13 January was presided over by the Abbot President, Father Ignaci M. Fossas. https://www.benedettinisublacensicassinesi.org/ https://montserratmanila.org/

On 26 January, 2026, during a solemn Mass celebrated by the diocesan bishop Most Reverend Stephen Lee, and in the presence of Dom Paul Kao, Abbot of our Lady of Joy, Lantao, Father Immediate, and of Mother Cornelia Ellis Lisnawaty, abbess of Gedono, the founding monastery, the foundation of Our Lady, Star of Hope, Macau was officially elevated to the rank of simple priory , according to the decision of the General Chapter 2025. On 27 January, 2026, Mother Caterina Mazzarelli was elected the first prioress of Our Lady Star of Hope, Macau for a six-years term. Mother Caterina was born in Milan, Italy in 1957. She entered Vitorchiano in 1980, went to Gedono in 1987, and was sent to Macau as one of the foundresses in 2009. She has been the superior of the community of Macau since 2012. ocso.org

The DIMMID Board met in Rome from 9-12 January for an in-person session. There have been few in-person meetings of the Board of Directors of DIMMID (Monastic Interreligious Dialogue) throughout our history, the last one being in the Netherlands in 2019. We do meet four times a year online, as is required of us by our corporate charter, but from the beginning of my term I had really wanted to gather as many of us as possible at Sant’Anselmo for an in-person meeting. My goal for such a gathering was at least two-fold. First of all, simply to meet each other face-to-face for some mutual encouragement and enrichment, in an almost retreat-like setting, away from everyone’s normal affairs. But an ulterior motive was to draw the attention of the student body at Sant’Anselmo to the existence and work of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, perhaps to stimulate some interest among some of the younger monastics. I have learned that bringing together an international group is a daunting enterprise, for financial reasons and scheduling conflicts as well as dealing with visa restrictions. In the end though, we were able to get seven of us to Rome, which is about half of the board, the weekend of 9-12 January, from as far-flung places as Korea and South Africa (Frs. Anselmo Park and Victor Chavungo), as well as my predecessor Fr. William Skudlarek from Minnesota, USA. Abbots Cosmas Hoffman from Germany and Bernard Lorent, former abbot of Maredsous in Belgium and current president of AIM, were also there, as well as Fr. Markus Muff from Switzerland, who serves the Benedictine Confederation as the Director of Development for Sant’Anselmo and has agreed to be the treasurer for DIMMID as well. I have a dear friend and collaborator named Aaron Maniam from Singapore, who is now a professor at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and a Senior Fellow for Advanced AI at a Brussels-based think tank called the Centre for Future Generations. He and I did a lot of interfaith work together some years back in Singapore, and after visiting me yearly at my home monastery in Big Sur, California, he has the notoriety of being the first Muslim Camaldolese Benedictine oblate. (I received his oblation at a mosque in Singapore!) He also serves on my own interfaith advisory board for DIMMID. I invited him to come and lead us in some discussions since one of his specialties is in group work and future planning. The first evening we did a simple round table of introductions, and it was very moving to hear everyone’s story and background in interreligious dialogue. The next morning I gave a presentation, what I refer to as my “stump speech” that I have been offering around the world to various groups, mostly monastic ones such as Benedictine regional meetings. I use it to introduce folks to DIMMID, our history and our work, as well as my own vision for who we are and what we have to offer the world right now. It is entitled “Our Role and Response” and I am always glad to present it, especially so for this group, to give them some sense of my own aspirations for our ministry within the Benedictine Confederation and in the world. Then we turned it over to Aaron for the rest of Saturday and a session on Sunday. I wanted someone from outside of our circle to unite us not only in our common Benedictine heritage, but with a view of the global village. Having also worked as a civil servant in the upper ranks of the government of Singapore and still traveling around the world as a presenter doing very much what he did for us, Aaron has an impressive global view. He titled his presentation “Developments in the World and their connections to Monastic Life,” with one of his first sub-topics serving as a pretty good subtitle: “From 3D to multi-D world.” His presentation included discussion about diversity and demography, AI and technology, and “multi-directional responsibilities,” for instance. Then on Sunday, after a beautiful celebration with the community of Sant’Anselmo, Aaron led us in a profound discussion about “Building Belovedness and a Beloved Community,” inspired by the fact that we were meeting on the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. And of course, he also led us through some practical steps such as the typical SWOT exercise––identifying our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. One element that stuck out for me in terms of strengths is how much specialized knowledge there is between us who have dedicated time and energy to delving into other traditions––not just surface facts and outward appearances, but deep immersion into spiritual experience. Among other themes that were raised and stayed with me were friendship and hospitality, Fr. William especially came back to this several times; and interreligious work as missionary efforts. (Though if we begin with friendship and hospitality, it may change what it means to be a missionary in our day and age!) We all recognized the issue of aging communities, which leads to fewer monks and nuns being available for extracurricular activity; and also a more cautious and conservative attitude that has evolved over the last two decades that makes some of our younger brothers and sisters extra hesitant if not outright suspicious of interreligious dialogue, in spite of the fact that it is sanctioned, called for and supported by the Church. We did have two more light-hearted moments. Sunday night Fr. Markus treated us to a wonderful sumptuous Roman meal at a local trattoria. And Monday morning we had a visit to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue just down the street from St. Peter’s Basilica, where we were warmly welcomed by Monsignor Indunil Kankanamalage, who is its secretary and has been a good friend of DIMMID for many years, and Cardinal George Koovakad, the new prefect for the Dicastery who is quickly becoming a good friend and partner as well. After we recounted some of the contents of our discussions to them, His Eminence expressed his desire to find some way for their office and us to collaborate more. They then treated us to a lovely spread of coffee and delicacies from Sri Lanka, Monsignor Indunil’s homeland. It was a very warm friendly visit, and I was glad for the two groups to meet each other. (Serendipitously, Aaron and Msgr. Indunil had actually met once before at a conference in Singapore.) I came away from our gathering with a renewed sense of mission. No matter what numbers or lack of which thereof, and even in spite of feeling a certain absence of support at times, I know that this is very important work we are doing, not only for the Church but for the world torn by “the wounds of sin and division” that Christ comes to heal. And we certainly have a great support in Pope Leo XIV who seems to bring up interreligious dialogue often in these early days of his pontificate. I am very grateful to my board members who traveled such distances to spend some days together, and to the community of Sant’Anselmo for being so very welcoming, especially the guest master Fr. Benoit who went out of his way to accommodate our every need. In everything may God be glorified through Jesus Christ, and by God’s grace may we be ever more a sign of unity and an instrument of peace. osb.org https://dimmid.org/

On January 25, 2026, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, Sister Agata Sidoti made solemn profession at the monastery of Vitorchiano (Italy). Sister Agata was born in 1993 in Rome (Italy); she entered Vitorchiano in 2017 and made first profession in 2021. ocso.org

On January 26, 2026, the Solemnity of our Founders, Brother Moses Jeon and
 Brother Peter Stefanski made solemn profession at Tarrawarra Abbey (Australia). Brother Moses was born in 1968 in South Korea; he entered Tarrawarra in 2019 and made first profession in 2022. Brother Peter was born in 1972 in Poland; he entered Tarrawarra in 2020 and made first profession in 2022. ocso.org

On 25 January 2026, following the resignation of Father Jean-Pierre Flachaire, the community of Midelt (Archdiocese of Rabat, Morocco) elected Dom Mikaël Ziolo as prior for a six-year term. Dom Mikaël was born in 1961 in Tarnobrzeg (Poland). He entered the Tibhirine annex house in Fez (Morocco) in 1996, completed his monastic formation at Aiguebelle, the mothernouse, where he made his solemn profession in 2000. Then he returned to Midelt in 2022 where he transferred his stability in 2023. ocso.org