The Benedictine Congregation of the Annunciation gathered for its General Chapter at Tyniec Abbey in Kraków, Poland, in the first days of September 2026. Representatives of Benedictine monasteries from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas met to reflect on the life and mission of the Congregation, elect its leadership, and welcome new communities into the Congregation. The General Chapter is the highest governing body of the Congregation and is held every four years.

During the Chapter, Abbot Maksymilian Nawara OSB was re-elected Abbot President for a new four-year term on 5 September 2026. The monks and nuns of the Congregation entrusted him with continuing the work he began during his first term, strengthening cooperation among the Congregation’s monasteries and supporting new monastic foundations, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa.

The Chapter also elected and appointed a renewed council to assist the Abbot President. According to the Chapter’s decisions, the council includes Fr. Brendan Coffey OSB, Abbot Bernard Lorent OSB, Sr. Immaculée Umubyeyi OSB, Abbot Clement Ettaniyil OSB, Br. Kleophas Labeur OSB, and Abbot Damien Toilolo OSB, reflecting the international character of the Congregation.

An important moment of the Chapter was the admission of new monasteries into the Congregation of the Annunciation. The expansion of the Congregation underscores its continuing vitality and its commitment to fostering Benedictine life across different cultures and continents. The new members join an international family of monasteries that share the Rule of Saint Benedict while supporting one another through common formation, visitation and collaboration.

Hosted by the historic Abbey of Tyniec, the oldest Benedictine monastery in Poland, the General Chapter combined prayer, liturgical celebration and deliberation. Delegates discussed the future of Benedictine communities, vocations, formation and the challenges facing monasteries in different parts of the world. Tyniec’s long monastic tradition provided a fitting setting for these conversations and for the celebration of the Congregation’s unity.

The re-election of Abbot Maksymilian Nawara marks a continuation of the Congregation’s international vision and its efforts to strengthen communion among Benedictine monasteries while welcoming new communities into its shared monastic family.