New Major Superior

The Abbot President of our Congregation, Dom Ignasi Fossa, with his Council of Assistants, has appointed Father Simon Piątkowski as Prior Administrator of Pluscarden (and St. Mary's), until Pluscarden's next canonical Visitation: that is, June 2027. This decision was recommended to the President by our Abbot Visitor, Dom Cuthbert Brogan of Farnborough Abbey, who reached it together with his Provincial Council.

At the Abbatial election held at Pluscarden on November 14-15, 2024, no candidate emerged with sufficient votes to become Abbot. According to our Constitutions, in an Abbatial election only four ballots are held. In the first three ballots, a two-thirds majority is required for election. In the fourth ballot, only a simple or absolute majority is required. If no candidate at the fourth ballot gains sufficient votes, it is for the Abbot Visitor to propose to the Abbot President a Prior Administrator to govern the community for a set term.

Prior Simon is the youngest member of the Pluscarden Community in solemn vows. He was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1979. While at University there, he played volleyball to a semi-professional level. He later gained a doctorate from Essex University in England in the field of Ethnology. He also earned an online theology degree from the Dominican University while a monk. He made his first profession of vows in 2011 and was ordained in July of 2024.

Brother Jerome Leo RIP

Our Brother Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB passed away on July 3, 2023 at the age of 74. He was raised in Tampa, Florida. After a twenty year career in nursing and teaching he was a Diocesan Hermit in the Archdiocese of Boston. He joined our community in the mid 1990s and made his Regular Oblation August 3, 2001. For many years he was guest master. He was also oblate master, and his daily web postings on the Rule of St. Benedict has close to 5000 subscribers internationally. Faced with decades of significant health challenges, Brother Jerome was frail for the last few years of his life and in a nursing home for the last few months. He helped many people in many different ways over the years, and had a great devotion to the Divine Mercy and to praying for the souls in Purgatory as well as Benedictine spirituality. Please pray for the repose of his soul.