On behalf of the entire Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, I joyfully celebrate the good news of the election of Reverend Brother Brendan Seipel, O.S.B., as the next Abbot of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman.

The abbey and the diocese enjoy a privileged collaboration in ministry throughout our diocese. Bishop Baker and I were present for the announcement and the praying of Midday prayer (Sext) and the singing of the Te Deum with the Benedictine Community, the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, along with some clergy, religious, and faithful of the wider Cullman and diocesan community.

Abbot Brendan’s election is a reminder of God’s tender care and the gifts of God that continue to support us and surprise us. I ask the Lord to bless Abbot Brendan’s new ministry as we gratefully acknowledge the ministry of his predecessors, Abbot Marcus and Abbot Cletus.

The formal installation of an abbot will occur in a few months. In the meantime, may we surround Abbot Brendan and the Benedictine community with our prayers.

In my own reflection as I was present at St. Bernard Abbey, I ask that God graciously pour out upon him the gifts of wisdom, humility, courage, and charity.  As St. Benedict exhorts in his Holy Rule, may he always “listen with the ear of the heart,” discerning Your voice before speaking his own. Rooted in the Benedictine way of ora et labora (prayer and work), may his life of prayer and work inspire this community to seek Christ above all things.

As we celebrate this good news on the feast of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, we are reminded that authentic discipleship embraces both contemplation and action. May this monastery continue to reflect Mary's attentive listening, Martha's generous hospitality, and the faithful friendship of Lazarus, a place where every guest is welcomed as Christ Himself and where all who enter find peace, hope, and the joy of the Gospel.

In my own prayer, I am also reminded of the cherished gift of unity. As the Lord prayed on the night before His Passion, "that they all may be one," I pray that the Lord unite this community ever more deeply in mind and heart, faithful to the vision of St. Benedict and to the mission entrusted to this abbey. May Abbot Brendan strengthen the bonds of fraternal charity among his brothers, fostering a communion that radiates far beyond these cloister walls. May St. Bernard Abbey continue to stand in the heart of Alabama as a living sign of unity with Christ, with His Church, and with all who seek Him.

On behalf of the priests, deacons, consecrated women and men, and all the faithful of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, I again offer our heartfelt esteem, our gratitude, and the assurance of our prayers. We give thanks for the enduring witness of this monastery, whose life of prayer has quietly sustained our local Church for generations. May we deepen the bonds of friendship and communion between the abbey and our diocesan family, so that together we may bear joyful witness to the Gospel.

And may the Lord Who has begun this good work in our midst bring it to fulfillment through the intercession of our Holy Father St. Benedict, St. Bernard, and Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

For the abbey's press release, please visit here.