Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder writes from Korea, where his Congregation is meeting at Waegwan Abbey, reflecting on Pope Francis’ Holy Year of Pilgrimage of Hope. Hope isn’t a gift, he says, but a virtue — a practice we must foster. He urges us to keep our doors open for God’s action in our lives and communities. Read the complete reflection here.

During an extraordinary General Chapter in Waegwan, Korea, the Congregation of Saint Ottilien elected a new abbot president on 18 January.

• New abbot president of Ottilien Congregation
• new abbots of Göttweig and Maredsous abbeys
• new papal appointments, congregations, and commissions.
Read the summaries here.

At the Göttweig Benedictine Abbey, Patrick Schöder OSB was elected 8 January as the new abbot. He succeeds Abbot Columban Luser as the 66th abbot of this historic monastery. Abbot Columban held this office for more than 15 years with prudence, spiritual depth, and foresight.

The Benedictine monks of Maredsous have elected Père François Lear as their ninth abbot on 19 December 2024, following the decision of Père Abbé Bernard Lorent to assume the presidency of the Alliance for Inter-Monastic Cooperation. Story and video here.

Fr. Patrick Carter OSB, secretary to the abbot primate, gives us some interesting statistics from OSB Atlas. Story, chart and graphs here.