Fortaleza Monastery Joins the Benedictine Congregation of Brazil
- Isabelle DESARNAUD
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
The Monastery of São Bento in Fortaleza is now officially part of the Benedictine Congregation of Brazil. Founded by Dom Beda Pereira de Holanda in 1993, it was previously part of the Diocese of Fortaleza.
The Monastery of São Bento in Fortaleza has officially become part of the Benedictine Congregation of Brazil. This decision was authorized by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Previously of a diocesan nature, the monastery was founded in 1993 through the personal initiative of Dom Beda Pereira de Holanda (+2014), who was then the Abbot of the Monastery of Olinda. Dom Beda, who passed away in 2014, also served as the parish priest of Nossa Senhora da Imaculada Conceição de Messejana and identified Paupina as a suitable location for the monastery. The foundation took place on 25 March 1993, with the approval of Cardinal Aloísio Lorscheider.
The Monastery of São Bento in Fortaleza will now be a simple priory, directly dependent on the Abbot President of the Brazilian Congregation. Currently, the monastic community includes seven solemnly professed members, one temporary professed member, three novices, and two postulants.
The official announcement of this happy occasion was made on the Feast of the Transit of São Bento, 21 March, when Prior D. Marcos Martins Gomes, who was already serving in this role in the diocesan monastery, was appointed. A solemn thanksgiving Mass was celebrated to mark the event. The Mass was presided over by the Archbishop Emeritus of Fortaleza, D. José Antônio Aparecido Tosi Marques, who oversaw the monastery when it was first founded. Concelebrating were the current Archbishop of Fortaleza, D. Gregório Ben Lâmed Paixão, OSB; President of the Benedictine Congregation of Brazil and Archabbot of the Monastery of Salvador, D. Emanuel D'Able do Amaral; and Abbot of the Monastery of Olinda, D. Luiz Pedro Soares.
This incorporation is a joyous occasion for the Benedictine Congregation of Brazil, which now comprises eight male monasteries and 16 female monasteries, with a total of 137 monks and 247 nuns. The dedication and vision of Dom Beda Pereira de Holanda in establishing this foundation are truly commendable.
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