Benedictines

The Latest

Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.

Argentine nuns now living in Vatican monastery that was Pope Benedict’s last residence

Vatican City has new tenants: seven nuns from Argentina who, at the request of Pope Francis, will live in Mater... Read more

Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City State, where a group of Benedictine nuns from Argentina will take up residence in January 2024 at the invitation of Pope Francis.

After Benedict XVI’s death, Vatican monastery to be home to Benedictine nuns

Nov 13, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Benedict XVI spent his retirement at Mater Ecclesiae Monastery until his death on Dec. 31, 2022. Read more

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Monk shot, body thrown in river following kidnapping at Nigerian monastery

Oct 24, 2023

By Agnes Aineah

A diocese in Nigeria announced that Brother Godwin Eze, a monk who was kidnapped with two others from a Benedictine... Read more

Saint John’s Abbey organ console. Martin Pasi did a project expanding the abbey organ beginning in 2019 and after coming to know the monks, came up with the idea of moving his organ-building operation there.

Benedictines in the U.S. return to organ building

Jul 15, 2023

By Jim Graves

Saint John’s Abbey Woodworking will join forces with Abbey Organ Builders to build organs and serve as a school for... Read more

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Pilot who offered women flights to abortion-friendly states fired from job teaching at Catholic seminary

Apr 24, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

A professor at a Catholic seminary in Louisiana lost his job after it was discovered that he had gone on... Read more

Jerrid Farnam, 32, has been charged with several felonies in connection with a violent vandalism at Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas, on Jan. 5, 2023. He said he was about to begin breaking open the tabernacle where the consecrated bread is kept, but something stopped him in his tracks: a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Police say church vandal was about to break into tabernacle — until he saw the statue of Mary

Feb 6, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

The suspect started to take a sledgehammer to the tabernacle where the consecrated bread is kept, but something stopped him... Read more

Father Oleksandr Repin among the church ruins

Benedictine nun from Ukraine: The church building is in ruins, but the Church is alive

Nov 18, 2022

By Justyna Galant

“It was hard to imagine that not so long ago, this had been a church where people had gathered every... Read more

Credit: oasisamuel/Shutterstock

Will an Italian convent be closed for opposition to COVID-19 vaccines?

Mar 28, 2022

By Andrea Gagliarducci

The Vatican carried out an inspection of the Monastery of Santa Caterina in Perugia. Read more

Sister Catherine Wybourne, also known as the "Digitalnun."

Beloved social media nun dies

Feb 25, 2022

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

Messages from around the world have flooded Twitter as the beloved “Digitalnun,” Sister Catherine Wybourne, died of cancer Feb. 24,... Read more

The Benedictine Monastery of San Jose in Costa Rica's Diocese of Cartago, which was canonically closed Nov. 7, 2021.

Costa Rican diocese orders canonical closure of Benedictine monastery

Nov 10, 2021

By Walter Sánchez Silva

The Diocese of Cartago has ordered the canonical closure of the San José Benedictine Monastery, a diocesan foundation that had... Read more

Fr. Kolumban Reichlin, O.S.B., the new chaplain of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

Pope Francis appoints Benedictine priest as Swiss Guard chaplain

Sep 1, 2021

By Hannah Brockhaus

Fr. Kolumban Reichlin studied at Saint Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. Read more

A Benedictine monk at the Barroux Abbey’s Via Caritatis winery.

Monks of France’s first papal vineyard sell wine to help local community

Jun 5, 2021

By Courtney Mares

The monks hope to sell 15,000 bottles of their wine this month to help support the pandemic-hit community. Read more

Downside Abbey in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, England.

Abbot: monks are leaving historic Benedictine abbey in ‘very positive spirit’

Sep 1, 2020

An English Benedictine community’s decision to leave their home for the past two centuries will allow members to focus on... Read more

Ampleforth Abbey and College in North Yorkshire, England.

Vatican rules that Benedictine abbot should not return to his community

Aug 26, 2020

The Vatican has ruled that the abbot of Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire, England, should not return to his community,... Read more

The altar bread department at St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde. Courtesy of St. Cecilia’s Abbey

Nuns put altar bread production on hold as they weather pandemic

May 29, 2020

When it is working at full capacity, the altar bread department at St. Cecilia’s Abbey produces millions of hosts a... Read more

The Benedictine Monks of Norcia process with relics of the True Cross. Courtesy photo.

Monks of Norcia praying with 'greater intensity' during coronavirus

Apr 30, 2020

By Hannah Brockhaus

In the central Italian countryside, at the edge of the Umbrian woods just outside Norcia, a group of Benedictine monks... Read more

Silverstream Priory Benedictine Monks.

Meet the monks who spend their lives praying for Ireland's priests

Oct 24, 2017

By Kevin J. Jones

Prayer, reparation, and praising God are the focus of a new Benedictine priory in Ireland, which focuses especially on reparation... Read more

Pluscarden Abbey.

BBC mini-series captures daily life of Benedictine monks

Oct 19, 2017

A new BBC series will depict the daily life of Benedictine monks in a few UK monasteries, taking camera crews... Read more

Buckfast Abbey.

England's Buckfast Abbey to celebrate 1,000 years of foundation

Oct 18, 2017

By Elise Harris

In 2018 one of England's historic monasteries will celebrate the millennium year of its foundation, offering a prime example of... Read more

The monks of Norcia sing from their 2015 album Benedicta: Marian Chant for Norcia.

Monks of Norcia announce special edition beer to help them rebuild

Jun 13, 2017

By Mary Farrow

It was God and beer sales that helped sustain the Benedictine monks of Norcia, and it is God and beer... Read more