BELMONT — Belmont Abbey recently hosted for the first time the General Chapter of the American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine Monasteries. Meeting every three years, the General Chapter is the governing body for the 19 abbeys of the American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine Monasteries – most of which, including Belmont Abbey, trace their histories back to the first permanent Benedictine monastery in the United States, St. Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania.
Although Benedictine abbeys are self-governing and largely autonomous, most of them are members of congregations, which enable them to offer each other mutual assistance and safeguard the integrity of their monastic life. Among other things, the General Chapter is responsible for drawing up the constitutions for the member monasteries; electing the president of the congregation and his council, who coordinate the mutual support among the member monasteries; and discussing other matters which strengthen their monastic communities.
The superiors and one elected delegate from each monastery, a total of 47 people, attended the June 19-24 meeting, as did the president of the congregation and his council; and the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation from Rome, Benedictine Abbot Notker Wolf.
At the meeting, Benedictine Father Elias Lorenzo of St. Mary's Abbey in Morristown, N.J., who had served as prior of the international Benedictine Collegio Sant'Anselmo in Rome, was elected president of the congregation. He succeeds Abbot Hugh Anderson of St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Ill.
— Photo provided by Rolando Rivas, Belmont Abbey College