Our members now have a Spiritual Director and Counselor

The Rt. Revd. Richard Kalbfleisch

I have been asked by the Abbot General to serve as the Chaplain Bishop of the Order. This I humbly accepted on December 17, 2017. I have been asked to serve the Order’s clerics as a temporary bishop should the Abbot die prematurely. I will assist the Vicar General in a smooth transition in voting for a new Abbot General pursuant to the Constitutions of the Order. Once a new Abbot has been duly elected, I will have the honor to consecrate and install the elected Abbot for the Cistercian Order. I have also been appointed to serve as a member of the Abbot General’s Council and to perform any other Sacramental or spiritual development service as directed by the Abbot General. I will do my very best to dispense these duties with all diligence and, by the grace of God, to the best of my ability.

Position of Chaplain

  1. Should the Abbot/Bishop die while in office, the Chaplain will serve the Order’s clerics as a temporary Bishop so that they may continue their vocations uninterrupted.
  2. The Chaplain will assist the Vicar General in a smooth transition in the voting process of a new Abbot General. If there is no Vicar General, then the Chaplain will contact the members and get consensus in nominating and then electing a new Abbot General as the Constitution directs. The Chaplain is encouraged to seek the advice of the Abbot General’s Council.
  3. The Bishop Chaplain will install the new Abbot General and consecrate him a Bishop for and in the Cistercian Order.
  4. The Chaplain will aid the current Abbot General in the spiritual development of the members of the Order as the Abbot General directs.
  5. The Chaplain will perform Sacramental services for the Cistercian Order as the Abbot General directs.
  6. The Chaplain is a member of the Abbot General’s Council.