On July 29, 2026, the Right Reverend Brendan John Seipel, of the Order of Saint Benedict, was elected as the Abbot of Saint Bernard Abbey. Abbot Brendan becomes the 11th Abbot in St. Bernard’s 135-year history. Immediately following the election chapter, the monks gathered for a service of thanksgiving in the Abbey Church, at which Abbot Brendan presided. Abbot Brendan assumes responsibility as spiritual and temporal leader of St. Bernard immediately. Abbot Brendan, a native of Lanesville, Indiana, entered St. Bernard Abbey in 2002 and professed vows as a Benedictine monk on March 21, 2004.