Sant’Anselmo continues to serve the Benedictine world as a centre of formation and reflection where contemporary questions meet the depth of monastic tradition. Its summer initiatives for 2027 respond to the needs voiced across the Confederation: practical leadership training, opportunities for renewal and sabbatical rest, and structured formation for oblates seeking to deepen their vocation. Each programme is rooted in the life of the Aventine community and shaped by the academic, cultural and spiritual resources that define Sant’Anselmo’s mission.

Management training for contemporary monastic governance is offered through Leadership and the Rule of Saint Benedict, held from 4 to 16 July 2027. Initiated in 2012 and delivered in cooperation with the University of St. Gallen, the course equips leaders to address unprecedented operational challenges while maintaining Benedictine identity and authenticity. To date, the programme has welcomed 277 leaders from across all five continents, including significant representation from women superiors.

New community leaders may want to follow the LRB course with the New Monastic Superiors Course, running from 19 to 30 July 2027. The course offers practical insights for superiors of priories or abbeys elected since 2024. Its curriculum is structured around three core pillars: the Rule’s teaching on leadership, relevant canon law and psychology for leaders, underpinned by shared practical wisdom among participants. Instructors include Br. John Mark Falkenheim OSB, Professor of Psychology at Saint Meinrad, USA; Sr. Manuela Scheiba OSB, Professor of Monastic Theology at Sant’Anselmo; and Fr. Laurentius Eschlböck OSB, Dean of Theology and Professor of Canon Law at Sant’Anselmo.

Monastic Aggiornamento, scheduled for 3 to 23 July 2027, provides a three-week mini-sabbatical designed for monks and nuns navigating demanding active schedules within contemplative life. Set within the quiet rhythms of the Aventine cloister, this year’s curriculum focuses on renewal through the Divine Office, with distinct weekly themes covering Scripture, Music and Liturgy. The programme combines academic reflection with excursions to major sacred sites, including Saint Peter’s Basilica, Saint John Lateran, Saint Paul’s Outside-the-Walls, the Monastery of Saint Benedict in Subiaco and historic Montecassino Abbey.

Running concurrently from 4 to 24 July 2027, the Oblate Monastic Summer Studium offers Benedictine oblates an immersive experience in prayer, study and community life at the headquarters of the Benedictine Confederation. Participants may attend for one, two or three weeks, exploring the Opus Dei through reflections on Scripture, Music and Liturgy. The course includes personal time for prayer alongside guided pilgrimages to Rome’s sacred landmarks and Subiaco.

Together, these four programmes reaffirm Sant’Anselmo’s role as a gathering point for the global Benedictine family. By bringing superiors, monks, nuns and oblates into conversation with one another in Rome, Sant’Anselmo continues to support monastic communities and strengthen the bonds of the Confederation.