General Chapter of the Holy Family Congregation
May 13, 2026
From May 5 to 13, 2026, the 20th General Chapter of the Holy Family Cistercian Congregation was held at Our Lady of Phuoc Vinh Abbey, Vietnam, with the participation of 56 membersfrom 13 monasteries in the Congregation. In an atmosphere of prayer, listening, and fraternal discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the General Chapter reflected together on the life and mission of the Congregation, while also setting forth many important orientations for the coming period.
According to the report presented at the General Chapter, the Congregation currently has 1,355 members, a slight increase compared with 2024. The General Chapter noted many positive signs in liturgical life, formation, infrastructure development, and the growth of new communities, while also inviting the monks and nuns to continue deepening their contemplative identity and remaining faithful to a life of prayer, silence, and monastic discipline. The General Chapter also acknowledged much progress in the areas of formation, liturgy, communications, and monastic spirituality.
The General Chapter also expressed its joy at the positive progress in the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of the Founding Father, which is currently continuing to be studied by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome.
In its pastoral and spiritual orientations, the General Chapter emphasized the call to “return to what is essential, namely Christ,” to build a life of fraternal communion, to use communications in a spirit of asceticism and discernment, and to bear witness to the Gospel through a contemplative life in today’s world.
This year, the General Chapter also joyfully welcomed Abbot General Mauro-Giuseppe Lepori, who came to visit and delivered the concluding address to the General Chapter.
May 13, 2026
From May 5 to 13, 2026, the 20th General Chapter of the Holy Family Cistercian Congregation was held at Our Lady of Phuoc Vinh Abbey, Vietnam, with the participation of 56 membersfrom 13 monasteries in the Congregation. In an atmosphere of prayer, listening, and fraternal discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the General Chapter reflected together on the life and mission of the Congregation, while also setting forth many important orientations for the coming period.
According to the report presented at the General Chapter, the Congregation currently has 1,355 members, a slight increase compared with 2024. The General Chapter noted many positive signs in liturgical life, formation, infrastructure development, and the growth of new communities, while also inviting the monks and nuns to continue deepening their contemplative identity and remaining faithful to a life of prayer, silence, and monastic discipline. The General Chapter also acknowledged much progress in the areas of formation, liturgy, communications, and monastic spirituality.
The General Chapter also expressed its joy at the positive progress in the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of the Founding Father, which is currently continuing to be studied by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome.
In its pastoral and spiritual orientations, the General Chapter emphasized the call to “return to what is essential, namely Christ,” to build a life of fraternal communion, to use communications in a spirit of asceticism and discernment, and to bear witness to the Gospel through a contemplative life in today’s world.
This year, the General Chapter also joyfully welcomed Abbot General Mauro-Giuseppe Lepori, who came to visit and delivered the concluding address to the General Chapter.