THE ABBEY BANNER - St. John's Abbey

Abbot Timothy Kelly, OSB,
re-elected Abbot President of the
American-Cassinese Congregation
Timothy Kelly, former abbot
of Saint John’s Abbey, was
re-elected for a six-year
term as Abbot President of the
American-Cassinese Congregation
of Benedictine Men on June 22 at
the General Chapter of the congregation
held at Saint Benedict’s Abbey,
Atchison, Kansas.
As Abbot President, Timothy is
to promote the authenticity of the
monastic life of the 900 members of
the congregation’s twenty monastic
communities. He conducts the election
of an abbot, accepts the resignation
of an abbot, appoints an administrator
of a community unable to
choose an abbot and visits that community
annually.
Lee Hanley
Since his July 1st three-year
appointment by Abbot John
Klassen, OSB, as rector of
Saint John’s Seminary, Father Michael,
52, is concentrating on three
major aspects of his recruitment of
new students.
He also appoints visitators to conduct
the official review of a community’s
life every three to five years,
and observes the financial health of
each community. He is advised by a
five-member council and four financial
counselors.
Additionally Timothy supports
the special initiatives of the
international confederation of
Benedictines, namely, the Alliance
for International Monasteries, the
Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, the
Benedictine Commission on China
and the International Association of
Benedictine Secondary Schools.
In reporting Abbot Timothy’s reelection,
Abbot John Klassen, OSB,
BANNER BITS
Daniel Durken, OSB
remarked, “The General Chapter
thereby recognized the excellent
work that Abbot Timothy has done
in developing leadership and stability
within precarious communities,
working to strengthen the congregation’s
financial structure, and his
commitment to Benedictine engagement
in the international environment.
We can be very proud of the
contribution that Abbot Timothy is
making as Abbot President.” +
Michael Patella, OSB, appointed
Rector of Saint John’s Seminary
■ With the seminary’s
emphasis on preparing
monks for the priesthood,
Michael has begun
contacting potential
speakers and facilitators
for a Collegeville
conference in the summer
of 2009 on the subject of
the monastic priesthood.
■ He has begun and will
continue to visit the abbot
and director of formation of
Benedictine and Trappist
communities in this country
and abroad to acquaint them
with the seminary’s academic
program and faculty.
■ Finally, he has designed
the summer studies
with Saint John’s Holy
Land program to be an
essential component
of the seminarian’s
spiritual formation.
In addition to teaching classes in
biblical studies, Michael chairs the
Committee on Illuminations and Text
for The Saint John’s Bible and is a
faculty resident in student campus
housing. He holds the rank of associate
professor of theology with the
doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the
Ecole Biblique et Archeologique in
Jerusalem. +
The Abbey Banner Fall 2007 page 31