Norcia becomes an abbey and elects new abbot

In a 25 May 2024 decree for the Feast of Saint Gregory the VII, a great Benedictine pope, the Priory of San Benedetto in Monte was elevated to the status of an abbey. This canonical elevation brought honor and dignity to the monastery as it celebrated its 25th year. The monks are deeply grateful to all those who made this milestone possible, particularly the abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation, Dom Gregory Polan OSB and his council, the archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia, Renato Boccardo, and especially the founding prior, Dom Cassian Folsom OSB.

Today, 28 May 2024, the newly-elevated abbey elected Dom Benedict Nivakoff OSB as Norcia’s first abbot since 1792, when another man who bore the name of Saint Benedict, Abbot Benedetto Cipriani, died. The new abbot and the monks sincerely hope that this important spiritual moment will encourage a deeper longing for God among those in Norcia and those around the world who unite their daily prayers with the monastery.