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Since 1884

Congregatio Ottiliensis O.S.B.

Missionary monasticism on four continents
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Die Missionsbenediktiner

Die Benediktinerkongregation von St. Ottilien ist eine weltweite Ordensgemeinschaft mit 19 selbständigen Klöster und insgesamt 56 Niederlassungen. Sie gehört zur Benediktinischen Konföderation. Die knapp 1000 Mönche leben und arbeiten in Afrika, Amerika, Asien und Europa nach benediktinischer Tradition in weitgehend autarken Klostergemeinschaften. Der Lebensrhythmus dieser Klöster ist geprägt vom Stundengebet und der Arbeit zum Lebensunterhalt. Die Klöster erfüllen den missionarischen Auftrag der Kirche. Schwerpunkte des Missionsdienstes sind Seelsorge und Evangelisierung, Bildung, Krankenfürsorge und Armutsbekämpfung.

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Congregration

As Missionary Benedictines we are part of the monastic tradition of the Catholic church. We are on of the 19 constituent Congregations of the Benedictine Confederation. The monks commit themselves through vows to the life in a community of one of our abbeys or autonomous priories.

The leadership of the Congregation rests with the abbot president and an elected Council of the Congregation. A Congregation procurator is responsible for the finances and for the supervision of missionary projects. Supreme authority is exercised by the General Chapter which meets every four years and gathers abbots, conventual priors, community delegates and council members (picture: 2012).

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Monasteries

In the monasteries of our Congregation the monks lead a monastic life according to the Rule of St Benedict. Important elements of this rule are community life, common prayer as divine office, work for the maintenance of the community and our missionary tasks, and a continous endeavour for personal spiritual growth.

The autonomous monasteries of our Congregation are lead by an abbot or a conventual prior, assisted by an elected council of seniors. The most important decisions are made in chapter, an assembly of all the monks with voting rights of a community.

Mission

We are sent to announce to all humans the salvation which has been worked through Jesus Christ, and to gather them into a community of believers, the church. We endeavour to do this by carrying the good news of salvation to those people who do not know Christ, to work towards a deepening of the faith in the local churches, and to raise missionary responsibility for the whole world wherever we live. As Benedictines our missionary activity is based on communities. Implantation and development of benedictine monasticism in younger churches is an integral part of our mission.

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Continents

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Countries

55

Monasteries

1008

Monks

News

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56 monasteries worldwide

From its foundation in Bavaria in 1884 the Congregation has spread across four continents, creating a global network of monastic brotherhood and missionary solidarity

History

In 1884 Andreas Amrhein, an ex-monk of Beuron, established a ‚St Benedictus Mission Society’ at Reichenbach in North-East Bavaria. This first mission house in Germany was transferred to a hamlet called Emming in 1887. The place was later renamed ‘Sankt Ottilien’ in honour of St Odilia to whom a local shrine was dedicated. In that same year of 1887 the fledgling community was entrusted with its first mission territory in East Africa.
The first years until the departure of Amrhein in 1895 where marked by crises and setbacks in Germany and Africa. In 1896 Sankt Ottilien was formally constituted as a Benedictine Conventual Priory and the East-African missions became the Apostolic Prefecture of Daressalaam.
After further consolidation St Ottilien was raised in 1902 to an abbey and the mission to an Apostolic Vicariate with a bishop at its head. Already in 1901 another German foundation had been started which later became Münsterschwarzach Abbey. Two more German abbeys at Schweiklberg and Meschede, Uznach abbey in Switzerland and the transfer of St Georgenberg-Fiecht to the congregation added to the European base of the congregation which today consists of six abbeys (including St. Ottilien, an archabbey since 1914 and see of the congregation curia), 2 dependent priories and 2 smaller monasteries.

In 1909 the Congregation accepted a missionary call to Korea and the result was the establishment of an abbey in Seoul. This was later transferred to Tokwon (present day North Korea) and it covered a part of North Korea and North-East China. In 1922 Yenki (Yanji, Yongil) Abbey was erected with its extensive mission area. This mission success in East Asia was later destroyed by the communist regimes of China and North Korea. In the process, about 40 monks and sisters were martyred. Those monks who survived did not lose heart though. In 1952 they founded a new monastery of Waegwan (South Korea) which is at the moment the biggest Abbey in Asia.
As the consequence of the First World War, the East African Mission was badly affected and hence limited itself in the southern part of the present day Tanzania in the territorial abbeys of Ndanda and Peramiho. 7 Dioceses were born out of these major missionary centers. As the result of the war, missionaries of German origin were driven out of their stations and this resulted to the taking over of the Zulu Mission (between 1921-1924) as well as founding of new monasteries in the USA and Venezuela. The foundation in Colombia came later.
Nazi policies with its eventual Second World War in Europe as well as destroying monasteries in East-Asia had very negative effect to the Congregation. However, after the War the old mission territories started to prepare themselves to become independent under their own local bishops. At the same time Hanga Abbey – a community with more African tone – was founded in Tanzania. Hanga Abbey founded another community in Mvimwa which become an abbey later. In the following years the mission-oriented monasteries started to recruit local vocations which later led to a gradual africanization of monastic life in Africa, a process which still goes on.
The 1980s was characterized by founding other different monasteries. Communities in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Togo as well as on the Philippines were founded. In 1985 new efforts were made to renew the old missionary ties in North-East China in order to work with the local church there. Thanks to many religious vocations in Korea which made several foundations within the Peninsula possible. In 2002 the Korean Benedictines took over Newton Abbey in USA which had suffered a serious lack of new vocations. Other smaller communities emerged in Spain, North Korea, Kazakhstan and Cuba.
From the very beginning of the Congregation, the missionary work has been always been supported by Sisters. Amrhein grounded a women’s branch known today as Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing. Other sisters’ communities whose existence directly or indirectly goes back to Amrhein’s foundation or the work of the Missionary Benedictines are the Benedictine Sisters of St. Agnes and Ndolo Sisters in Tanzania; the Congregation of St. Alban with houses in Germany and South Africa; the Sisters’ Congregation of the Eucharistic King on the Philippines and the Olivetine Sisters of Pusan in South Korea as well as the Oshikuku Sisters in Namibia and the Secular Institute of St. Boniface in Detmold.

 

12

Hospitals

24

Schools

55

Parishes

400000

Patients p.a.

Projects

Our monasteries realize their mission through institutions and projects. These are means for announcing the gospel - sometimes by word through preaching and instruction, more often by deeds, so that men and women, young and old can experience the meaning of salvation in mind and body.

Evangelization and Pastoral Work

From the beginning our mission was primary evangelization. The old mission territories entrusted to the Missionary Benedictines have given rise to 11 dioceses. In some places primary evangelization continues to be an important task, also in Europe. The monasteries look after more than 50 parishes. According to the Benedictine tradition they maintain numerous guest houses as well as centers for retreats and conferences. Six publishing houses and several workshops for arts and crafts help to express the life of the church. Many monks serve as confessors, spiritual directors and retreat givers.

Education

Benedictines have had a mission in education since the early middle ages. Most of our monasteries maintain schools, covering kindergartens, primary and secondary schools,  vocational training centers and teacher training colleges. Scholarship programs provide access for poor children. Several monks teach at universities in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Health and Welfare

In Southern Tanzania our hospitals provide essential health care for an entire region and administer preventive programs for AIDS, Malaria and TB. Elsewhere we provide specialized health care, e.g. through Aids hospices, an eyeclinic, a psychiatric ambulance and other projects.

Missionary Benedictines maintain old age homes, orphanages, counselling centers for refugees and immigrants, day care centers for poor and neglected children.

Unser Netzwerk

Die Klöster nehmen den Missionsauftrag durch Einrichtungen und Projekte wahr, in denen das Evangelium verkündet wird. Das geschieht manchmal mit Worten als Predigt und Unterweisung, und oft eher mit Taten, um den Menschen das Heil an Geist und Leib erfahrbar zu machen.

Medien

Die Missionsblätter aus St. Ottilien sind die älteste Missionszeitschrift der Kongregation. Sie erscheinen inzwischen im 106. Jahrgang und werden von St. Ottilien und der Abtei Schweiklberg herausgegeben. Vier Hefte im Jahr, 24 Seiten, auch online abrufbar.

Seit der Aufhebung der Klöster in Deutschland 1941 publizieren die Mitbrüder in der Schweiz eine eigene Zeitschrift: Die Missionsblätter aus St. Otmarsberg erscheinen fünf Mal im Jahr und sind ebenfalls online abrufbar.

In der Abtei Münsterschwarzach erscheint quartalsweise der ruf in die zeit. Auch hier stehen frühere Hefte zum Download bereit.

Die Abtei Königsmünster in Meschede gibt ebenfalls vierteljährlich den Gruss aus der Abtei Königsmünster heraus.

Typisch benediktinisch ist, daß alle diese Zeitschriften weitgehend unabhängig voneinander herausgegeben werden und jeweils eigenständige Inhalte haben.

Blogs

Ein Mescheder in Tansania
Erfahrungen in Peramiho (Im Südwesten Tansanias)

Links

Die Märtyrer von Tokwon

Katholische Kirche

Benediktinerorden

Katholische Bibelföderation

China-Zentrum e.V.

BEGECA Beschaffungsgesellschaft

Tangaza College – Nairobi

Raptim Reisebüro

Las Torres e.V.

DOK TV & Media GmbH

LUMEN CAECIS

Trivia

More or less useful information on our Congregation.

Abbot President Jeremias Schröder

On 13th October 2012 the general chapter elected Archabbot Jeremias Schröder (b. 1964) abbot president of the Congregation for an 8 year term. The new abbot president knows the ropes as he has held this office already since 2000 together with that of archabbot of the Sankt Ottilien community.

The abbot president is “supreme moderator” of the Congregation. His duties are described as fostering the unity and the common missionary responsilibity of Congregation. In addition, several communities are directly placed under his authority: the recent foundation in Cuba, the priories in Tororo/Uganda and Kumily/India, and the International Benedictine Study House in Nairobi/Kenia.

Lumen Caecis

The Latin motto of the Missionary Benedictines translates as “light for the blind”. It is taken from the ancient hymn „Ave Maris Stella“ which goes back to the 8th century and is used for feasts of the Virgin Mary. .

The founder of the Missionary Benedictines used this motto in order to allude to the legend of St Ottilia (or Odilia) who had been born blind and received eyesight at her baptism. Lumen Caecis is also an expression of the missionary task of the Congregation. The gospel brings light into the souls and hearts of the people, and early Christians  unerstood their baptism as a photismos – an enlightenment.

Heraldry

Originally the Congregation and Sankt Ottilien Archabbey shared one coat of arms. 2012, after the separation of the offices of abbot president from the archabbey, a new coat of arms for the Congregation was drawn up. It shows the five-branch candlestick, a traditional symbol of the Missionary Benedictines of St. Ottilien. It refers to the legend of St Ottilia and also to the mission directed to the peoples on all five continents. The red background symbolizes the love Christ to which our life and service should be a testimony. It also hints at the reality of martyrdom which sometimes has crowned our work.

The net in the lower part of the shield refers to the Congregation which essentially is a network of monasteries. At the same time it hints our vocation as fishers of men. The staff behind the shield is surmounted by a disk-cross or flabellum. This points to the many dioceses that have been established through our work. It is inscribed as a cross of St. Benedict, thus indicating the Benedictine tradition in which we stand.

This is the blazon or description of the coat of arms in heraldic terms, courtesy of Dom Henry O’ Shea: “Argent fretty sable on a chief gules a five-branched candlestick or, the whole on a flabellum in pale argent staffed of the same, within an orle a greek cross bearing between its arms the letters CSPB, all sable.”

Abbot Primate Notker Wolf

One of the most well known Benedictines is Notker Wolf. From 1977 to 2000 he was archabbot of St. Ottilien and abbot president of the Congregation of the Missionary Benedictines.  In 2000 he was elected abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation. In this capacity he is the leader ca. 7000 monks and 14.000 Benedictine women. He resides in Sant’Anselmo in Rome, the primatial abbey which houses also a Papal University and an international study house. The abbot primate is the grand chancellor of this university.

He has become well known through a number of books on political, social and spiritual questions and – especially – in German speaking countries – , through interviews and talk shows.

His current period of office will end in 2016. Notker Wolf has made it known repeatedly that in old age he intends to return to St. Ottilien in order to teach Latin or peel potatoes.

A book-length biography was published in 2010. > publisher’s site

Kontakt

  • Haus der Kongregation
  • Erzabtei 13
  • 86941 St. Ottilien
  • Germany
  • Tel. +49 8193 71801
  • www.ottilien.org

The Missionary Benedictines.

Impressum

Benediktinerkongregation von St. Ottilien K.d.ö.R.

  • Abtpräses Jeremias Schröder
  • Erzabtei 13
  • D-86941 St. Ottilien
  • Tel. +49 8193 71801
  • Fax +49 8193 71809
  • www.missionsbenediktiner.de

Haftung für Inhalte und Links:

Für die Richtigkeit, Vollständigkeit und Aktualität der zur Verfügung gestellten Informationen auf dieser Website übernimmt der Betreiber keine Haftung oder Garantie. Dieser Haftungsausschluss gilt ebenso für den Inhalt von Websites, auf die per Hyperlink verwiesen wird.

Datenschutz

Für die datenbezogenen Tätigkeiten der Kongregationsleitung gilt seit dem 24. Mai 2018 die „Kirchliche Datenschutzregelung der Ordensgemeinschaften päpstlichen Rechts in der Fassung des Vorstandsbeschlusses der DOK Deutschen Ordensobernkonferenz, e.V., vom 30. Januar 2018“. Dies bezieht sich ausdrücklich nicht auf die in Europa liegenden selbstständigen Klöster der Kongregation, die jeweils in eigener Kompetenz Datenschutzregelungen erlassen.

Copyright und Urheberrecht:

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Fotos: Hans-Günther Kaufmann, Andre Schösser, Br. Thomas Morus Bertram, Br. Cassian Jakobs
Gestaltung: designwerkgmbh.de
Webentwicklung: pixena.de