The Benedictine Confederation joins a sizable global community in wishing Brother David Steindl-Rast OSB a very happy 100th birthday. To mark the centenary, the community at Europakloster Gut Aich in Sankt Gilgen, Austria, presented him with a sparkling cake, celebrating a century of life dedicated to monasticism, scholarship and the pursuit of interfaith understanding.

Born in Vienna, Austria, Br. David studied art, anthropology and psychology, earning an MA from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and a PhD in experimental psychology from the University of Vienna. In 1953 he emigrated to the United States and joined Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York, beginning a monastic journey that would eventually resonate across the globe.

During the 1960s, Br. David emerged as a pioneer in Buddhist-Christian dialogue. He was among the first Catholic monks to receive Vatican approval for such interfaith exploration, studying Zen under masters including Shunryu Suzuki and Soen Nakagawa. His efforts in building bridges between religious traditions earned him the Martin Buber Award in 1975 and forged lasting spiritual friendships with figures such as Thomas Merton, Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Beyond interfaith dialogue, Br. David is widely recognised as the “grandfather of gratitude”. His teachings position gratefulness as the source of lasting happiness. He popularised this message through numerous books, a prominent global network called Grateful Living and a TED Talk that has garnered millions of views. Through these platforms, he has shared his wisdom alongside contemporary thought leaders and engaged with broadcasters such as Oprah Winfrey and Krista Tippett.

While maintaining a demanding schedule as a global lecturer, author and hermit, Br. David remained deeply connected to his Austrian roots. in 2010, he relocated to Europakloster Gut Aich.

Centenary celebrations have spanned both local and international spheres. Kremsmünster Abbey in Austria hosted a colloquium in his honour and the Austrian Catholic press agency Kathpress assembled a comprehensive dossier reflecting on his life and work. Concurrently, the Grateful Living organisation released a celebratory video featuring tributes from special guests. The Confederation shares in this widespread gratitude, wishing Br. David many more “continuation days” with which to bless the Benedictine world.