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The Order of Saint BenedictWhat Was NewOctober, November, and December 2010 |
December 2010
News from the Congregations
The General Chapter of the Cassinese Congregation, meeting at the monastery of S. Giacomo di Pontida from 26 to 30 July 2010, voted in favor of beginning the formal procedure for union of the Cassinese Congregation with the Subiaco Congregation. This is in a sense a "re-union" since Subiaco Congregation began in the 19th century as a reformed "Province" within the Cassinese Congregation. Dom Pietro Vittorelli OSB, Abbot of Montecassino, has been an ardent advocate of union since his election in 2007, and there has already been a notable degree of collaboration between the Cassinese and the Italian Province of the Subiaco Congregation.
Dom Giordano Rota OSB of Pontida Abbey was elected on 28 July 2010 as the new Abbot President of the Cassinese, and on 4 October 2010 made a formal request for aggregation on behalf of the entire Congregation. This request was discussed by the Council of Visitors meeting at Mahitsy in November and given a favorable reception. The two Congregations are now in consultation with the Holy See about the practicalities involved in such a union. It is to be hoped that a formal motion can be prepared for presentation to the next General Chapter, September 2012.
Also reported in Sant'Ambrogio, NS 5 (December 2010), circular letter of the Abbot President of the Subiaco Congregation, is the impending closure of Siegburg Abbey, Germany. The community voted by a two-thirds majority to close the monastery and disperse. The decision has been confirmed by the Extraordinary Visitors, and an announcement has already appeared in the German press that Michaelsberg will close in June 2011.
Vatican Radio Interviews Monk on Interreligious Dialogue
On Friday, 10 December, Vatican Radio broadcast an interview with Father William Skudlarek OSB, General Secretary of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. MID is an organization of Benedictine and Trappist monks and nuns committed to fostering interreligious and intermonastic dialogue at the level of spiritual practice and experience between Catholic monastic women and men and devout practitioners of diverse religious traditions. Several regional commissions have been formed by Catholic monastic communities throughout the world to promote interreligious dialogue. The interview is available online at <www.radiovaticana.org/>.
S. Joan Reports from Cancun Climate Conference
Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister is attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December. You can view video podcasts of her reports on her YouTube channel.
AIM's Golden Jubilee
On 30 November and 1 December 2010 the annual meeting of the AIM Council took place in the Archabbey of St. Ottilien, Germany. In addition to accomplishing their routine work, the members of the Council began preparations for the 50th Jubilee of the Alliance for International Monasticism that will take place 10-11 November 2011 at Abbey Saint Martin of Ligugé graced by the presence of Abbot Primate Notker Wolf OSB, Abbot General Mauro-Giuseppe Lepori OCist., and Abbot General Eamon Fitzgerald OCSO.
Fu Jen University Celebrates 85 Years
In 1925 American Benedictines from Saint Vincent Archabbey founded Fu Jen Catholic University. It moved from Beijing to Taiwan in 1949. Celebrating its 85th anniversary, the university has opened two new institutes, one for Education and the other for Social Communication. Fu Jen’s graduates number nearly 120,000 from all over the world. Fu Jen has also brought about and continues to pursue dialogue between Chinese culture and Christian faith. Fu Jen website in English.
November 2010
Website Updates
On 23 November 2010, the Oblates of Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, launched an attractive and informative new website at <www.svaoblates.org/>.
The Trappists and Trappistines have created a new website for the United States Region at <www.trappists.org/>.
The latest issue of The American Monastic Newsletter records changes in leadership and reports on the 2010 Conference of The American Benedictine Academy.
+ P. Ludger Ernst Bernhard OSB
Having lived as a monk for 76 years and as a priest for 72 years, Father Ludger Bernhard OSB, monk of Maria Laach Abbey, Germany, died on 4 November 2010 in his 99th year. He was born 25 August 1912. The monks celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday, 9 November. Herr, gib ihm die ewige Ruhe und das ewige Licht leuchte ihm.
October 2010
Olivetans Elect Abbot General Dom Diego M. Rosa OSB
During the course of the General Chapter, 8 through 23 October 2010, the capitulars of the Olivetan Congregation elected Abbot General Dom Diego M. Rosa OSB, 57, abbot of Monastero di S.Maria del Pilastrello (Lendinara) since 2000.
On
Monday, 18 October, the Holy Father appointed Abbot Diego territorial abbot of
Monte Oliveto Maggiore. He succeeds Dom Michelangelo
Riccardo Tiribilli OSB, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same
abbey the Holy Father accepted in accordance with the statutes of
the Benedictine Olivetan Congregation.
+ Abbot Timothy Kelly OSB
Abbot Timothy Kelly OSB, ninth abbot of Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota, died among his monastic family, 7 October 2010. He led Saint John's Abbey from 27 November 1992 until 23 November 2000. The funeral Mass in the abbey church will be on Wednesday, 13 October 2010, 3:30 p.m.; inurnment will be at a later date.
Elected in 2001, Abbot Timothy served as President of the American-Cassinese Congregation until illness forced him to resign, mid-way through his second term as president, at the time of the General Chapter, June 2010. He was 76. May choirs of angels welcome him to Paradise.
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