Benedictines: December 2009 Archives

On the solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, a few hours after the Midnight Mass (in which he participated from his room), Father Charles Dumont was born into eternal life. Born in Ixelles (Brussels) on 26 September 1918, he entered Scourmont Abbey on 11 June 1941, he professed solemn vows on 16 July 1946, and was ordained priest on 15 May 1950. He served several times as chaplain at the abbey of Notre Dame de la Paix (Chimay), as well as at Soleilmont. For several years he assisted at Caldey and he filled the office of Novice Master at Scourmont from 1993 to 1996.

I spent a few hours today at Saint Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA, and then later in the day had lunch with a friend, Msgr. Robert Johnson in Worcester. It was beautifully sunny but incredibly cold.

One the subtle joys in life that I relish is the fact that some people respond to the Lord's call to follow and serve Lord and His Church. Among the various ways to respond to the Lord is the monastic way of life under the Rule of Saint Benedict, living side-by-side others doing the same. Some may follow the monastic way as a Benedictine monk (nun) or perhaps as Cistercian monk (nun); AND just for the record, Cistercians are an 11th century reform of Benedictine monasticism. In this country there are few monasteries of Cistercian monks (only 4) but there are 12 houses of the reform of the reform called Cistercians of the Strict Observance (AKA Trappists).

Abbot Dr. Marian Eleganti, 54, until now the Abbot of the Abbey of Saint Otmasberg (Abtei St. Otmarsberg), has been nominated by the Holy Father to be an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Chur, Switzerland. He was elected abbot of his monastery on 15 July 1999 and in 2003 defended a doctoral dissertation on Romano Guardini at the University of Salzburg. Abbot Marian speaks seven languages and is a published author.

The Abbey of Saint Otmasberg belongs to the Congregation of Saint Ottilien, a grouping of missionary Benedictine monks who take vows to a particular monastery as other monks do, but since mission work is their common apostolate, monks are assigned from various monasteries for this mission work in monasteries in other parts of the world. This congregation of monks have a slightly different understanding of the monastic of stability but no less vital for monasticism and for the Church. There are two monasteries of the Congregation of Saint Ottilien in the USA: Saint Paul's Abbey (Newton, NJ) and Christ the King Priory (Schuyler, NE).

Bishop-elect Marian is one of 32 Benedictine monks ordained to the episcopacy worldwide.

May God grant many years to Bishop-elect Marian and may Saint Ambrose sustain the bishop with his prayers. So, we pray for Abbot Marian and for his Benedictine community who will now prepare to elect a new abbot.