St. Otmarsberg Abbey

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The St. Otmarsberg Abbey is the only monastery of the Mission Benedictines in Switzerland . It is located in Uznach (Canton St. Gallen) and is therefore often referred to as Uznach Monastery . The abbey belongs to the international Benedictine Congregation of St. Ottilien with branches in Europe, East, West and South Africa, South America, Cuba, the USA, India, Korea, China, Kazakhstan and the Philippines.

history

The St. Otmarsberg Monastery was created in 1963 from the merger of two Benedictine community houses opened in the first half of the 20th century. An official foundation did not take place, however, since at that time the founding of monasteries and dioceses was constitutionally forbidden. The founder of the Benediktusheim Uznach monastery was Father Adelrich Mühlebach († 1960), the first conventual prior was Father Notker Mannhart (1947–1960; † 1981). He was later followed by Father Benno Hegglin (1964–1980) as prior of the monastery.

The monastery of St. Otmarsberg achieved the status of an abbey on January 6, 1982 , which means it had achieved the ideal shape of a Benedictine monastery. The new convent seal and the Abtskreuz brought the abbot of Ottilien Congregation Notker Wolf at the elevation of the priory to the Abbey. The first abbot of St. Otmarsberg was the previous prior (since 1981) Father Ivo Auf der Maur (1982–1999). In 1999 the convent elected Father Marian Eleganti as the second abbot of the monastery (1999–2009). In 2009 Abbot Marian was appointed auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Chur , whereupon he resigned from the office of ruling abbot of St. Otmarsberg.

On March 9, 2013, Father was Emmanuel Rutz elected abbot third after P. Adelrich dust in February 2010 and Prior - administrator had worked on an interim basis.

The convent of St. Otmarsberg currently consists of 21 monks (as of 2013). Three confreres work as missionaries in Africa, especially in Tanzania and Kenya. Two confreres have been working in Osornoe (Kazakhstan) since 2006. The convent is supported by 30 Benedictine oblates (as of 2013).

The patronage is November 16 ( St. Otmar ).

Monastery church

The church of the monastery was designed by the Rapperswil architect Herbert Oberholzer. In 1988 it was completed. The church is used to celebrate choral prayer and the Eucharist. The chancel of the church is semicircular. There is the altar and on the right side the tabernacle. The cross is on the other side of the sanctuary. The arms of Christ open to the room of those who pray, especially the monks. The chancel was designed by the Lucerne sculptor Anton Egloff. On the front wall of the choir is a modern version of the Benedictine medal specially created for this church. To the left and right of the organ gallery, on the back wall of the church, there are the crossroads created by Fra Roberto from Brigorio. In this part there is also a figure of Mary with a child. There the monks come at the end of each day after Compline to ask the Blessed Mother for her protection. In the basement of the church there is the crypt and another oratory .

Lourdes pilgrimages

On behalf of the Swiss bishops, the monastery maintains the pilgrimage office of the interdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes in German and Rhaeto-Romanic Switzerland. Every year there is a pilgrimage to Lourdes with several thousand sick and healthy pilgrims . The sick often hope for a miracle cure , as was granted to their late brother Leo Schwager (born May 19, 1924 - April 24, 2004) on April 30, 1952 in Lourdes.

mission

The brothers from St. Otmarsberg are directly active as missionaries, trainers and in development aid in the following locations:

Close relationships are also maintained with monasteries in the following locations:

The Abbey publishes the magazine "Missionsblätter" five times a year. These go back to an initiative by Father Andres Amrhein at the end of the 19th century. They have been published regularly since 1897. They were printed in St. Ottilien until the beginning of the Second World War. When this was closed by the National Socialists, the editorial office moved to Uznach.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Mission sheets of the Benedictine missionaries Uznach , 117th year 2013, 2 / May – June
  2. ↑ Mission sheets of the Benedictine missionaries Uznach , Volume 117, 2013, 2 / May – June, p. 25

Coordinates: 47 ° 13 '42.8 "  N , 8 ° 59' 10.3"  E ; CH1903:  seven hundred and seventeen thousand one hundred and ninety-four  /  232003