Glenstal to elect a new abbot

Dom Patrick Hederman’s period of office as Abbot of Glenstal has drawn to a close after eight years of service. The community is grateful to him for his leadership during that time. We pray that he will enjoy many years of fruitful retirement.

In the evening of Friday 12th August, the community will begin the process of choosing a successor to Abbot Patrick. The Abbot is elected by all of the monks who have made their solemn (ie lifetime) profession of vows and the process will probably take two or three days. The election will be overseen by Dom Ansgar Schmidt, the Abbot-President of the family of monasteries to which Glenstal belongs, the Benedictine Congregation of the Annunciation. In our congregation, abbots are elected for a period of eight years.

According to Saint Benedict, the Abbot ‘is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery, being called by a name of His, which is taken from the words of the Apostle: “You have received a Spirit of adoption …by virtue of which we cry, ‘Abba — Father’”.’

Please join the monks in prayer as they seek God’s guidance for the important choice they have to make:
God, our Father,
you are present among us in your Holy Spirit.
Take from us everything that hinders us in our journey towards you.
In this election of an Abbot,
direct the minds and hearts of your servants
to do only what is in accordance with your will.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.