The year of Our Lord 2022 opens with an array of significant events for the monastery. Most notably, Abbot President Christopher Jamison is expected to arrive in mid-January to preside over the community’s long-anticipated abbatial election. While all such planning is subject to the unpredictable vicissitudes of the pandemic, the community is confident that it can move forward with this election. The current superior, Prior Administrator Michael Brunner, is required by the Constitutions of the congregation to step down for the duration of these deliberations, leaving the visiting abbot who is presiding over the proceedings as temporary acting superior. An abbatial election is an important affirmation of the stability and potential growth of the monastic community, to be led once again by an abbot. The community requests your prayers as it moves to these foundational deliberations.

On Friday, January 7, Brother Benedict Maria will travel to Florida to begin his theological studies in preparation for ordination. The program involves three years of studies at Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. The seminary identifies its primary mission as being “to foster the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation of candidates for the Roman Catholic priesthood so that as ordained ministers they share the joy of the Gospel with all.” As a secondary mission, it provides “graduate theological education for permanent deacon candidates, clergy, religious, and laity as well as to offer ongoing clergy formation programs so that the evangelizing mission of the Church may continue and broaden its reach.” It is blessed with an impressive administrative staff led by Rector Alfredo Hernandez, and an extensive and expert group of full-time and adjunct faculty.

An accumulation of various other events provides for a full schedule. Brothers Joseph Byron and Sixtus Roslevich will depart for Saint Anselm’s Abbey in Washington, D.C. for the weekend of January 7-9 [UPDATE: postponed due to snowstorm!] to assist in their preparation for the summer’s General Chapter. The two will serve as facilitators for discussions in connection with the Continuing Formation Commission of the congregation, whose task is “discerning how a culture of continuing formation can grow.” As the search for the School’s headmaster continues apace, the Board of Regents of the School will meet in Florida in February, joined in-person by Prior Michael and Brother Joseph. The monastery and School will also be blessed by another visit from members of the Manquehue Apostolic Movement. Francisca Berger and James Rudge, a married couple who are both deeply involved in the movement, will reside here from January 11 to February 6, working  with the School’s lectio groups and directing the Confirmation retreat. While complications from the pandemic factor into their more limited time at Portsmouth, the community looks forward to their ever inspirational engagement in evangelization within our School. James is an alumnus of Ampleforth College in England who later moved to Chile. Francisca is a native Chilean, and a graduate of San Anselmo in Santiago. The two have also spent a good deal of time at the movement’s retreat center in Patagonia. The Portsmouth Institute is developing a full slate of activities for 2022, including its Humanitas Summer Symposium, “The Blessings of Liberty,” currently scheduled to be fully in-person from June 10-12. In the meanwhile, the schedule includes a January 21^st lecture for the School offered by of Harvard University’s James Hankins, and an “Institute Day” featuring the McGrath Institute at the University of Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 6^th. The Portsmouth Institute’s website provides information on these and other Institute events.