A new community of strict observance in the Benedictine tradition was born on July 2nd 2008 in Villatalla, a small Italian village located in Liguria on the heights of Imperia, very near to Ventimiglia and the French border (see map).
This community was founded by two monks originally from the abbey of Le Barroux (France), at the request made to them by His Excellency Mario Oliveri, bishop of Albenga-Imperia. Here you will find information on this monastic project and some of the events which marked their recent installation.
This information is above all an appeal to the charity of your prayer and, for those who can, a request for material help. Heartfelt thanks.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

The reception of Mgr Mario Oliveri

The bishop of Albenga-Imperia

On Wednesday of Ashes
Albenga, on February 6th, 2008

Reverend Father Jehan de Belleville,

Many meetings which we had and the various mails which you have sent me for several months apparently made understand to me the reasons which encouraged you to search a new canonical and disciplinary situation in which, with serene soul and in the full fidelity to your religious consecration, you could live your monastic life in coherence with principles and rules which led the Holy Seat to approve the foundation of the monastery and therefore of the abbey Saint-Madeleine of Le Barroux in France.

Having had opportunity to meet and to listen to the Reverend Father Abbot of Le Barroux, having also been in contact with Pontifical Secretary of the Commission Ecclesia Dei, having informed and listened to the Presbyterian Council of this diocese of Albenga-Imperia, and reflected coram Domino and asked insistently the help of divine favour,
I inform you, Reverend Father Jehan, that I am willing to welcome you under my fatherhood and my pastoral responsibility, to live extra-claustra in this particular diocese of Albenga-Imperia and, to begin, ad experimentum, during a period of one year.

If, during this first year, it is possible to reach to a stable and acceptable organisation so much for what looks at the place that for the future plan of monastic life, it will be undoubtedly possible to put down the necessary acts for your incardination in the diocese of Albenga-Imperia, in the perspective of a monastic life diocesan Benedictine. In another way, it will be possible to prorogue the extra-claustra for at all times essentials.

Intense and already deep is my spiritual communion with you, and it will still grow if it is always fed by prayer and contemplation of all what God reveals us and announces us by and in his Church and what the Father reveals us and announces us by and in his Son really loved.

Let us pray particularly so that across your presence, Reverend Father Jehan, exaggerate, in this local Church of Albenga-Imperia, research and love of “divine things”, of all what God gives us in his infinite mercy.

I bless you and ask you to invoke for me Divine blessing.

With my feelings of deep and religious respect, I declare myself your very devoted in the Lord.


+ Mario Oliveri
Bishop of Albenga-Imperia
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