Olivetans
The Olivetans are a centralized Catholic monastic congregation within the Benedictine tradition, based at Monte Oliveto Maggiore in Italy.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Olivetans, formally the Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet, are a Catholic monastic congregation belonging to the Benedictine Confederation. They originated in 1313 when Bernardo Tolomei, a Sienese nobleman who had taken the religious name Bernardo, withdrew with Patrizio Patrizi and Ambrogio Piccolomini to the remote Accona area of Tuscany. Their initial life was eremitical, but the community developed into an organized Benedictine foundation. The name Olivetan derives from Monte Oliveto, the name given to the original hermitage in reference to the Mount of Olives and the Passion of Christ. The motherhouse subsequently became known as Monte Oliveto Maggiore, or “greater Monte Oliveto,” as additional foundations appeared elsewhere. A major early institutional step came on 26 March 1319, when Guido Tarlati, bishop of Arezzo, approved the charter for construction of the monastery at the original site. The community adopted the Rule of Saint Benedict and received papal recognition from Clement VI in 1344. In 1408, Gregory XII entrusted the congregation with the former monastery of St. Justina at Padua, which the Olivetans occupied until that institution became associated with another Benedictine reform. These developments helped transform the original Tuscan hermitage into a durable religious congregation. The Olivetans differ from many Benedictine congregations through their centralized organization under an abbot general based at Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Their most recognizable visual distinction is the white monastic habit, in contrast to the black habit commonly associated with Benedictine monks. Members may use the post-nominal designation OSB Oliv. The congregation's activities center on monastic prayer, worship, community life, hospitality, retreats, spiritual direction, education, pastoral service, and the preservation of religious and cultural heritage, although the precise apostolate varies by monastery. The congregation has maintained or re-established communities beyond Italy. Its history includes the restoration of Bec Abbey in France after Olivetan monks returned there in 1948, following the monastery's destruction and abandonment during the French Revolution. In the United States, Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey at Pecos, New Mexico, became part of the Olivetan congregation in 1985 and developed a retreat and spiritual-direction ministry. The Monastery of Christ Our Saviour was established at Turvey Abbey in Bedfordshire in 1980, alongside the Priory of Our Lady of Peace, an Olivetan Benedictine women's community. Other abbeys and prioral churches have been associated with the congregation in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Women associated with the Olivetan tradition are described as either nuns or sisters. Nuns generally emphasize enclosure and the Divine Office under the Benedictine rule, while sisters may undertake external apostolates such as education and pastoral care under an adapted form of the rule. In the United States, Benedictine sisters from Maria Rickenbach arrived in Missouri as teachers in 1874, and the Arkansas community affiliated with the Olivetans in 1893. That community later opened St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro in 1900. The Olivetans are a religious institution rather than a consumer-facing commercial brand. Their public identity is expressed through monasteries, liturgy, hospitality, retreats, spiritual direction, religious formation, and historic sites. Their connection with the alleged Prophecy of the Popes is indirect: after Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, some commentators linked the prophecy's phrase Gloria olivae with Benedictine associations, including the Olivetans. The order itself has no special connection to that prophecy, which modern scholars generally regard as a late-sixteenth-century forgery.
History
The Olivetan story begins in the Tuscan territory known as the Accona wilderness. In 1313, Bernardo Tolomei joined with Patrizio Patrizi and Ambrogio Piccolomini, all from prominent Sienese families, to pursue an eremitical form of religious life. Their settlement was called Monte Oliveto in a deliberate reference to the biblical Mount of Olives and the Passion of Christ. The community's first phase was therefore marked by withdrawal, asceticism, and solitary or semi-solitary practice rather than by an immediately developed network of monasteries. The foundation acquired a more permanent institutional form after Guido Tarlati, bishop of Arezzo, approved the charter for the monastery's construction on 26 March 1319. As additional followers joined, the community adopted the Rule of Saint Benedict. Pope Clement VI recognized the congregation in 1344, giving its way of life formal standing within the Catholic Church. The original house later became known as Monte Oliveto Maggiore because new Monte Oliveto foundations were established in places including Florence, San Gimignano, and Naples. The congregation expanded its institutional influence in the fifteenth century. In 1408, Pope Gregory XII assigned the Olivetans the former monastery of St. Justina at Padua. They remained there until the site entered a different Benedictine reform context. The Olivetan pattern combined Benedictine observance with a distinctive congregational identity and, eventually, a centralized system of governance under an abbot general at the Tuscan motherhouse. This centralization remains one of the congregation's distinguishing characteristics. Olivetan monastic identity is also visible in its white habit. The white clothing distinguishes Olivetan monks from the black-habited Benedictine image more commonly encountered elsewhere. The congregation's members belong to the wider Benedictine Confederation but retain their own governance, traditions, houses, and post-nominal designation, OSB Oliv. The modern geographic history of the Olivetans includes both continuity and restoration. In France, the medieval Bec Abbey had been left in ruins after the French Revolution. Olivetan monks from communities at Mesnil-Saint-Loup and Cormeilles-en-Parisis re-established the monastery in 1948. In England, the Monastery of Christ Our Saviour was founded at Turvey Abbey in 1980, while the adjacent Priory of Our Lady of Peace provided a related Olivetan Benedictine women's presence. The communities share worship at the site, although their forms of public engagement differ. The congregation also developed a presence in the United States. The former Trappist monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey at Pecos, New Mexico, was taken over by Benedictine monks from St. Benedict's Abbey in Wisconsin in 1955 and became affiliated with the Olivetan congregation in 1985. The abbey offers retreats and spiritual direction. A separate women's history developed from Swiss Benedictine sisters who arrived in Missouri as teachers in 1874. The Arkansas community affiliated with the Olivetans in 1893 and opened St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro in 1900. Olivetan communities and affiliated houses have also been maintained in Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Israel, South Korea, Mexico, Guatemala, and Brazil. In 1960, the congregation formed the Olivetan Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation, reinforcing its modern identity as a recognized Benedictine body with a centralized structure. The Olivetan tradition includes both male and female religious communities. Nuns normally give primary attention to the Divine Office and the contemplative demands of the Benedictine rule. Sisters may undertake external work, including religious education and pastoral care, and therefore follow a modified form of the rule. Across these forms, the congregation's institutional work is based on prayer, communal worship, monastic discipline, hospitality, spiritual accompaniment, education, and the care of religious sites. A minor aspect of the order's public image arose from the alleged Prophecy of the Popes. Following the 2005 election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, supporters of the prophecy associated him with its penultimate motto, Gloria olivae, partly because of his papal name and the existence of Olivetan Benedictines. There is no specific historical or institutional link between the prophecy and the Olivetans. Church historians generally treat the document as a sixteenth-century forgery, and the supposed association is not part of Olivetan doctrine or governance.
- 1985
Pecos abbey joins the congregation
[1]Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey at Pecos, New Mexico, became part of the Olivetan congregation.
- 1980
Monastery of Christ Our Saviour founded
[1]The Monastery of Christ Our Saviour was founded at Turvey Abbey in Bedfordshire, alongside the Priory of Our Lady of Peace.
- 1960
Olivetan Congregation formed
[1]The Olivetan Congregation was formed within the Benedictine Confederation.
- 1948
Bec Abbey re-established
[1]Olivetans from French communities helped restore monastic life at Bec Abbey after its post-Revolutionary abandonment.
- 1900
St. Bernard's Hospital opens
[1]The Arkansas Olivetan-affiliated sisters opened St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro.
- 1893
Arkansas community affiliates
[1]The Arkansas Benedictine women's community affiliated with the Olivetans.
- 1874
Benedictine sisters arrive in Missouri
[1]Benedictine sisters from Maria Rickenbach came to Maryville as teachers, beginning a later Olivetan-affiliated women's history in the United States.
- 1408
Transfer to St. Justina at Padua
[1]Gregory XII entrusted the former monastery of St. Justina at Padua to the Olivetans.
Foundation at Accona
[1]Bernardo Tolomei, Patrizio Patrizi, and Ambrogio Piccolomini began an eremitical community in the Accona wilderness, creating the origin of the Olivetan tradition.
Monastery construction approved
[1]Guido Tarlati, bishop of Arezzo, approved the charter authorizing construction of the monastery at Monte Oliveto on 26 March.
Products and positioning
A white-habited, centralized Benedictine monastic congregation combining contemplative religious life with hospitality, spiritual formation, pastoral activity, and stewardship of historic monasteries.
Religious practice
Monastic worship
The central activity of Olivetan houses is communal Benedictine prayer, including celebration of the liturgy and observance of the Divine Office. The order's monastic rhythm is shaped by the Rule of Saint Benedict and is expressed through the distinctive Olivetan tradition and governance.
Hospitality and pastoral service
Retreats and spiritual direction
Several Olivetan communities welcome guests for retreats, reflection, and spiritual accompaniment. Pecos is specifically associated with retreats and spiritual direction, while other monasteries provide hospitality as part of their Benedictine service.
Education and ministry
Religious education and pastoral care
Olivetan sisters and affiliated communities may undertake external apostolates such as teaching, religious education, pastoral care, and healthcare. The historical example of St. Bernard's Hospital illustrates the broader service role of Olivetan women's communities.
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