Pius Maurer, new Abbot President of the Austrian Cistercians
Abbot of Lilienfeld Abbey succeeds Heiligenkreuz Abbot Heim as head of the Austrian Cistercian Congregation - Seven monasteries in Austria and the Czech Republic belong to the Cistercian Congregation.
Pius Maurer, Abbot of Lilienfeld Abbey, was elected on Tuesday as the new Abbot President of the Cistercians in Austria. The Austrian Cistercian Congregation announced this in a press release. The Congregation, led by the Abbot President, includes seven monasteries: the abbeys of Rein, Heiligenkreuz, Zwettl, Wilhering, Lilienfeld, Schlierbach, and Vyssi Brod in the Czech Republic. Maurer succeeds Heiligenkreuz Abbot Maximilian Heim. The members of the Congregational Chapter met at Wilhering Abbey on Tuesday for the election.
The newly elected Abbot President thanked the members of the Congregational Chapter for their trust. He intends to "lead and accompany the monasteries of his Congregation in a collegial and prudent manner," as stated in the press release. The Abbot President's regular main duties include regularly visiting these monasteries and providing support. He also presides over abbot elections in these monasteries. In addition to Abbot Maurer, the governing body of the Austrian Cistercian Congregation also includes Wilhering Abbot Reinhold Dessl as First Assistant and Father Meinrad Tomann from Heiligenkreuz Abbey as Second Assistant. They previously held these positions.
In an initial statement, President Maurer thanked the previous President, Maximilian Heim, for his great commitment, his collegiality, and the spiritual inspiration he provided to the communities during his nine years as Abbot President. The Austrian Cistercian abbots understood that Heim had to relinquish a burden of responsibility due to his health problems and therefore resigned from his position as Abbot President in August 2025. At the same time, they were pleased that Abbot Heim was on the road to recovery.
Abbot Pius Maurer (born 1971) comes from the parish of Unterdürnbach in the municipality of Maissau (Weinviertel). After graduating from high school in Hollabrunn, he entered the Cistercian Abbey of Lilienfeld in 1989. He studied in Heiligenkreuz, Rome, and Jerusalem. He has been a priest since 1996 and Abbot of Lilienfeld Abbey since 2019. He is a visiting professor at Heiligenkreuz University and, in collaboration with his fellow monks, serves as parish pastor in Lilienfeld, Eschenau, Traisen, and Wilhelmsburg. Since 2022, he has been a member of the Council of the Abbot General of the Cistercian Order.
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