Benedictines 'adopt'

Swedish province
THE Benedictine monks of Fort Augustus Abbey, Inverness-shire, have adopted an area of Sweden about half the size of Scotland in an attempt to reintroduce the monastic life there.
The 29 priests and 13 lay brothers at the Abbey are to raise finance to help a former Abbot of Fort Augustus who is already working in the province of Varmland, and will send additional personnel. The first monk is expected to leave soon.
Three monks with Fort Augustus connections have been involved in the project. Ten years ago Bishop Ansgar Nelson of Stockholm appealed for more priests for Sweden. A
Dane who became a naturalised American, he is a Benedictine from Rhode Island, America. He was formerly at Fort Augustus and is now back in the US recovering from illness.
Abbot Oswald Eaves, former Abbot of St. Benedict's Abbey, Fort Augustus, offered to go. He was appointed parish priest of Karlstad, the chief town of the province of Varrnland.
Now Fort Augustus Abbey, under the present Abbot, Abbot Nicholas Holman, have adopted the province.
Abbot Holman said this week: "The Vatican Council urged monastic orders to found houses in other lands. In obeying that we are returning to the land where Benedictines were
the first Christian missionaries."