Gregory Polan

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Gregory Polan, O.S.B.

Abbot Primate
a Benedictine monk of Conception Abbey
DSC 0054 portrait.jpg
Orders
Ordination26 May 1977 Conception Abbey
RankAbbot Primate
Personal details
Birth nameJohn "Jack" Polan
Born (1950-01-02) 2 January 1950 (age 72)
Berwyn, Illinois, U.S.A.
NationalityU.S.A.
DenominationRoman Catholic
ResidenceSant'Anselmo all'Aventino Rome, Italy
ParentsEdward Polan & Martha Kasperski
Previous post(s) Abbot of Conception Abbey
EducationPh.D. Sacred Scripture 1984 Saint Paul University

Gregory Polan (born January 2, 1950) is an American Benedictine monk, priest, abbot, scripture scholar, musician, and author. He is a member of Conception Abbey located in Conception, Missouri, which is part of the Swiss-American Congregation and the Benedictine Confederation. He was previously elected and served as the ninth abbot of Conception Abbey. He presently serves as the tenth Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict with residence in Rome, Italy, at Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino.

Biography[]

Early life[]

John Polan (known by his family as "Jack") was born on 2 January 1950 in Berwyn, Illinois, USA, to Edward and Martha Rita (née Kasperski) Polan as one of three boys.[1] He began attending St. Mary's grade school in Riverside, Illinois, followed by the minor seminary of Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. Polan would then make a visit to Conception Abbey in Missouri to explore a call to the Benedictine monastic way of life.[2][3]

Monastic life[]

Polan entered the novitiate of Conception Abbey in 1970 and made his religious profession as a monk on 28 August 1971 being given the name of "Gregory." He continued further studies in Philosophy and Theology and completed his M.A. in Theology 1975 at St. John's School of Theology with the following graduate papers: "The Development of the 'Hymn' in Western Liturgical Prayer from Apostolic Times to the Beginning of the Seventh Century,"[4] "The Eucharist as a Confession of Faith in John 6,"[5] and "The Parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13: A Study in Redaction-Criticism."[6] He would be ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on 26 May 1977. After returning to his home abbey for a short period of pastoral work and teaching, he was later assigned to Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, to complete further studies in biblical exegesis. In 1984 he would receive his Ph.D. in Sacred Scripture with his dissertation entitled "In the ways of justice toward salvation: a rhetorical analysis of Isaiah 56-59."[7][8]

Upon returning to Conception Abbey, he would begin a period of teaching in the Abbey's College Seminary (Scripture, Hebrew, Greek, Liturgy, Music) and would serve for ten years as President-Rector of the College Seminary. On 6 November 1996 he would be elected as the ninth abbot of Conception Abbey. During his time as abbot he continued work in teaching, offering retreats, assisting with translations of the New American Bible, and serving as a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.[9][10]

Polan was brought to the larger public attention on 11 June 2002 when he had to serve as the spokesperson for the Abbey following a tragedy. A gunman carrying an assault rifle entered the abbey killing two monks and injuring another two monks. The gunman subsequently killed himself in the encounter with police never finding a motive for the gunman's actions.[11][12]

Latin-rite Catholics in the English-speaking world will know of Polan's work with the revised translation of the 1963 Grail Psalms which is used in parish liturgical services. This project began in 1998 and received final approval from the Vatican in 2018.[13] In additional to this work, he was also involved with the revised Liturgy of the Hours, the Lectionary, the New American Bible, and the Roman Missal.[14][15]

On 16 September 2016 Polan would be elected the Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict and the Benedictine Confederation. The office of Abbot Primate was created by Pope Leo XIII in 1893 to serve the Benedictine monastic community as its liaison to the Vatican and civil authorities, to promote unity among the various autonomous Benedictine monasteries and congregations, and to represent the order at religious gatherings around the globe. He serves as abbot of the Primatial Abbey of Sant'Anselmo, the grand Chancellor of the Pontifical University of Saint Anselm, and oversees the College of Sant'Anselmo in his appointment of its Prior and Rector. Polan is the tenth Abbot Primate and the fourth American to be elected.[16][17][18]

Bibliography[]

In addition to numerous articles, book reviews, conferences, lectures, and videos that can be found, here are Polan's most notable book publications and musical compositions:

  • In the ways of justice toward salvation: a rhetorical analysis of Isaiah 56-59, New York: Peter Lang 1986 (ISBN: 9780820402802)
  • The Revised Grail Psalms: a liturgical Psalter, with Frances E. George, Collegeville: Liturgical Press 2012 (ISBN: 9780814634837)
  • The Psalms songs of faith and praise: the Revised Grail Psalter with commentary and prayers, Mahwah: Paulist Press 2014 (ISBN: 9780809148820)
  • Die Psalmen: Impulse zu den ältesten Gebeten der Bibel: der Münsterschwarzacher Psalter, with Matthias Hofmann, (in German) Münsterschwarzach: Vier-Türme-Verlag 2020 (ISBN: 9783736503069)
  • Compositions of Gregory J. Polan at Hymnary.org [19]

References[]

  1. ^ "Polan". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. 16 February 2001. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Abbot Gregory Elected Abbot Primate". www.conceptionabbey.org. Conception Abbey Monastery News. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  3. ^ Marek, Sabina (20 September 2016). "Conception Abbey Abbot Elected Abbot Primate". www.vocationblog.com. Vocation Blog. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Graduate Paper of Gregory Polan, O.S.B." www.csbsju.edu. Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Graduate Paper of Gregory Polan, O.S.B." www.csbsju.edu. Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Graduate Paper of Gregory Polan, O.S.B." www.csbsju.edu. Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  7. ^ Senèze, Nicolas (10 September 2016). "Un Américain à la tête des bénédictins". La Croix (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Gregory Polan". www.worldcat.org. WorldCat. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  9. ^ Kraft, Sara (23 September 2016). "Abbot Gregory Polan, O.S.B. elected Abbot Primate". The Catholic Key. Kansas City, MO. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Gregory Polan neuer Abtprimas der Benediktiner". KNA-Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur (in German). Bonn, Germany. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  11. ^ Dillon, Sam (11 June 2002). "Man, 71, Kills 2 at Missouri Monastery and Then Himself". New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. ^ Dillon, Sam (12 June 2002). "Monastery Gunman Ignored Pleas for Mercy From Monk". New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  13. ^ "USCCB Purchases Translation of Psalms and Canticles from Conception Abbey". www.usccb.org. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  14. ^ "2019 Frederick R. McManus Award" (PDF). www.fdlc.org. Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions. 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  15. ^ Hays, Charlotte (18 March 2011). "Bible Gets Linguistic Makeover". National Catholic Register. Kettering, OH. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  16. ^ Wooden, Cindy (12 September 2016). "American elected new abbot primate of Benedictine order". Crux. Scottsdale, AZ. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Gregory Polan". National Catholic Reporter. Kansas City, MO. 23 September 2016.
  18. ^ "The Benedictine Confederation marks 125 years". Vatican News. Vatican City. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Gregory J. Polan". www.hymnary.org. Hymn Society of the United States and Canada. Retrieved 11 October 2021.

External links[]

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