On 15 and 16 June 2026, the newly appointed Advisory Board of the Pontifical Atheneum Sant’Anselmo gathered in Rome for its inaugural meeting. Established in accordance with the Statutes of the Atheneum, the board serves as a vital instrument through which the Benedictine Confederation exercises its care for the institution.

Comprising monks and sisters and a layman from three continents, the new board brings a distinct perspective to the Atheneum. Abbot Primate Jeremias noted that while past boards focused heavily on administrative affairs and institutional reform, the current group is defined by its deep roots in the monastic tradition.

"The special quality of the Advisory Board is its monastic nature," the Abbot Primate observed. "Almost everybody comes from a monastery and all of them have long experience of monastic life and monasteries. Three of them represent female monasticism whose presence in Rome we want to increase. They should help us to really tailor our offerings and our institution to the actual needs of monastic families all over the world, and we look forward to achieving great things together with them."

As Sant’Anselmo’s Grand Chancellor, Abbot Jeremias, along with Rector Jákó Örs Fehérváry OSB and Vice Rector Laurentius Eschlböck OSB, participated in the meetings. Secretary of the Abbot Primate Patrick Carter OSB facilitated the proceedings.

Board Members

Abate Ignasi Fossas OSB
Recently elected Abbot President of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation and a monk of Montserrat. His leadership over one of the largest global networks of Benedictine monasteries provides critical strategic oversight and administrative guidance for the Confederation’s central academic institution. He received his doctorate in liturgy from Sant’Anselmo and currently teaches at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy.

Abbot Olivier-Marie Sarr OSB
Abbot of Keur Moussa in Senegal and an active professor at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute at Sant’Anselmo. As both an alumnus and a faculty member, he bridges deep institutional memory with the vibrant, growing perspective of African monasticism.

Prioress Hannah van Quakebeke OSB
Prioress of the Benedictine Priory of Bethany in Loppem, Belgium. She brings a vital perspective from Northern European monastic communities and possesses practical governance experience from conducting canonical visitations of other abbeys. She graduated with a doctorate from the Monastic Institute and was an Invited Professor during academic years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.

Sr. Scholastika Häring OSB
A distinguished canon lawyer and co-founder of the Institute of Canon Law for Women Religious at the Abbey of Burg Dinklage. She serves as an official at the ecclesiastical court of Münster, providing the board with specialized legal expertise and a strong structural voice for female Benedictine communities.

Abbess Noemi Scarpa OSB
Abbess of the Monastery of Sant’Anna in Bastia Umbra, where she leads an actively engaged, community-focused monastic presence. Her unique background—which includes leaving a professional basketball career for the cloister—and dynamic leadership offer a grounded vision of modern Italian monastic life.

Prof. Andreas Bieringer
Professor of Liturgical Studies, Hymnology, and Christian Art at Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt, Germany. His extensive academic research on the intersection of liturgy, literature, and culture adds robust, specialized academic rigor that aligns perfectly with Sant’Anselmo’s renowned liturgical faculties.

Fr. Edward Mazich OSB
Rector of Saint Vincent Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he serves as director of liturgy and professor of Sacred Scripture. Holding degrees from both the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Gregorian University in Rome, he contributes invaluable expertise in seminary administration and biblical scholarship.

S.E. Mons. Eric Varden OCSO
Bishop of Trondheim, Norway, and a Trappist monk who formerly taught theology at Sant’Anselmo. Holding a doctorate from Cambridge and having recently preached the 2026 Lenten Spiritual Exercises for the Roman Curia, he brings profound theological insight and an international spiritual perspective.

Drawing upon their expertise and personal knowledge of Sant’Anselmo, the board members helped the leaders of the Atheneum to identify present challenges and explore ways to make the academic offering more fruitful at the service of global monasticism.

Abbot Primate Jeremias and Rector Jákó would like to thank the members of the previous Advisory Board and wish the new ones “buon lavoro” in their task to accompany the Atheneum in its mission to serve the Church, the Benedictine Confederation and the wider culture.