Hildebrand de Hemptinne

Hildebrand de Hemptinne (10 June 1849 - 13 August 1913) was a Belgium Benedictine monk of Beuron Archabbey, the second Abbot of Maredsous Abbey, and the first Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict and the Benedictine Confederation. Biography Félix de Hemptinne was born in Ghent, Belgium on 10 June 1849, the second of the seven children of Joseph de Hemptinne and Pauline Gonthijn. His parents were very devoted Roman Catholics and his father was a wealthy industrialist of Ultramontane views. Félix had heard the call of Pope Pius IX to defend the papal states, but he was too young to join the cause. At the age of 16 he finally obtained his father's permission to enlist in the Papal Zouaves, serving until experiencing a vocation to monastic life. On 3 February 1869 Félix entered Beuron Archabbey in Germany, made his religious profession on 15 August 1870, and received the name "Hildebrand." He had been drawn to this newly founded monastery led by Archabbot Maurus Wolter with the hope of one day restoring a monastic presence in his home country of Belgium. After persevering through many health concerns, he was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest on 11 June 1872. On 15 October of that same year he would return to his home country as a founding member of a new foundation that would later become Maredsous Abbey. He later returned to Beuron the following year where he began service as the Master of Novices. Due to the Kulturkampf, he would flee to Austria and later to England where he was appointed as the Prior in 1876 of a new monastic community in Erdington. In 1881 he would return to Maredsous Abbey where he would serve as Prior under Abbot Placidus Wolter. From 1886 to 1890 he was secretary to Archabbot Maurus Wolter at Beuron Abbey. At the death of Archabbot Maurus in 1890, Abbot Placidus at Maredsous was elected as the new archabbot of Bueron Abbey. On 10 August 1890 Hildebrand was elected as the second abbot of Maredsous Abbey in succession to Placidus, who had succeeded Maurus. He received his abbatial blessing at the Abbey of Monte Cassino on 5 October 1890 with the officiating prelate being Cardinal San Felice, O.S.B. the Archbishop of Naples. Hemptinne set about to not only serve his own abbey, but also completed a new residence for nuns near his monastery, sent monks to establish foundations in Brazil, and founded a house of studies for monks to attend the Catholic University of Louvain.