The Pontifical Atheneum Sant’Anselmo begins the new academic year with a fresh chapter of leadership. Father Jákó Örs Fehérváry OSB became rector on 9 September 2025, Fr. Laurentius Eschlböck OSB takes up his new post as dean of the Faculty of Theology, and Fr. Stefan Geiger OSB, who became president on 1 September 2024, leads the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy. Each brings wide-ranging experience, linguistic skill and scholarly distinction, strengthening Sant’Anselmo as a place where tradition and renewal meet.

The new rector, Fr. Jákó Örs Fehérváry OSB, combines pastoral commitment with deep liturgical expertise. A monk of Pannonhalma, he served five years as rector of Sapientia College in Budapest,16 years as pastor at Saint Sabina Benedictine Chapel in Budapest and as a superior of Pannonhalma Saint Benedict Study House. His research spans the history of penance, the liturgical life of early monasticism, liturgy and architecture. As a coordinator he oversaw the renovation of the Pannonhalma Archabbey Church and the transformation of its liturgical space. Fluent in Hungarian, Italian and French, and with international teaching experience from Paris to Cluj-Napoca, he brings both academic rigour and a collaborative spirit to the task of guiding Sant’Anselmo into its next chapter.

Fr. Laurentius Eschlböck OSB of the Schottenstift in Vienna now assumes leadership of the Faculty of Theology. His wide-ranging formation encompasses canon law, history and monastic spirituality. A canonist of international standing, he has served as judge, teacher, prior, parish priest and consultant at the highest levels of Church governance, including the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. With German as his mother tongue and proficiency in English and Italian, he is well-placed to foster academic exchange and build bridges within Sant’Anselmo’s international faculty.

At the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy, Fr. Stefan Geiger OSB of Schäftlarn Abbey brings scholarly depth and a global horizon. An associate professor at Sant’Anselmo, he is widely recognised for his contributions to liturgical theology and anthropology, exploring the profound links between ritual and the human person. His teaching and publications extend to Leuven and London, while his work on international liturgical congresses highlights a gift for collaboration across borders. Fluent in German, Italian and English, he represents a new generation of Benedictine liturgists with global reach.

Together, Frs. Jákó, Laurentius and Stefan embody the Benedictine union of monastic life, intellectual formation and pastoral vision. Their leadership strengthens Sant’Anselmo as a centre where the study of theology and liturgy engages the reality of the Church today, drawing students from every continent. As the academic year is inaugurated on 6 October, their arrival marks not only continuity but a genuine renewal, setting the tone for a “Back to School” season full of promise for the Ateneo and for the wider Benedictine Confederation.