A few months ago, I shared some photos of our new monastic infirmary. This season, full of colds and flu, has quickly given us the opportunity to make great use of this space! I imagine that winter has also brought some difficult moments for many of you. Click here to keep reading.

November brought the usual fall colors to the monastery—along with fall colds! We like to joke that in the monastery we are very generous when it comes to sharing our health—since we sleep in a dormitory, a cold spreads quickly! With the new monastery complete, we’ve been able to transform part of the old structure into a proper infirmary, equipped with a hospital bed and an examination table. We are deeply grateful to the benefactors from Texas who made this room possible. Click here to continue reading the newsletter.

We often wonder how St. Benedict’s monks truly lived. St. Gregory’s Life of our holy patron adds invaluable depth and clarity to the Rule he wrote. For instance, the Rule states that a monk should always receive a special blessing when leaving the monastery overnight, but it does not explain why he might leave. It is in the Life that we learn the reasons monks occasionally left: to visit family or to offer spiritual assistance to the local faithful (cf. Ch. 19). Despite their location high on the mountain, the monks maintained a near-continuous interaction with the world around them. Click here to keep reading.

September is usually a quiet month for us as the one-meal-a-day fast for the monks resumes. Click here to continue reading.

We thank God for extraordinary blessings in recent months: the completion of the monastery and its elevation to an Abbey. Click here to continue reading.

The last month here in Norcia has been marked by events and celebrations of historic significance. Without letting too much time pass, we wanted to write to you to express our gratitude to all of you for being part of the life of our monastic community. Click here to keep reading.

In a May 25, 2024, decree for the Feast of St. 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 Order, Dom Gregory Polan, O.S.B. and his council, the Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia, Renato Boccardo, and especially the founding prior, Dom Cassian Folsom, O.S.B.  Click here to continue reading.

A blessed Easter to you all! Click here to continue reading.