Photo: Johannes Fragner, new Abbot of Seckau | from Benediktinerabtei Seckau web page | link |

Graz, March 10, 2020 (KAP) Johannes Fragner is the new Abbot of Seckau. The convent of the Styrian Benedictine abbey elected the 56-year-old Graz native to the new abbot on Tuesday. Fragner had been the prior administrator of the convent for the past nine years. The current election was chaired by Father Albert Schmidt, Abbot President of the Beuron Congregation. An appointment for abbot editing will be announced.

Fragner was born on May 19, 1963. He grew up with his older brother, who is now also a monk at Seckau Abbey, with his parents in the homeland parish of Graz Don-Bosco. After elementary school he attended the Oeversee high school in Graz. He then also studied theology in Graz and entered the Graz seminary in 1987. In 1991, Fragner was ordained diocesan priest by Bishop Johann Weber of Graz. After three years as a chaplain in the parish of Heiligenkreuz am Waasen, he worked as a chaplain in the parish of Fohnsdorf for three more years.

In 1997 Fragner entered the Benedictine Seckau Abbey and in 2002 made his eternal profession. From 1999 he worked as a chaplain, then from 2003 to 2017 as pastor of Seckau.

After Abbot Johannes Gartner, as the 7th Abbot of Seckau (2000-2010), had resigned from the leadership position at the age of 70 in accordance with the statutes of the Beuron Congregation and had returned to his home monastery in Seitenstetten, in June 2010 Father Johannes became the Prior Administrator elected and subsequently re-elected twice for a term of three years.

The former Augustinian canons’ convent of Seckau, founded in 1142, was repopulated in 1883 by Beuron Benedictine monks. On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the diocese of Graz-Seckau, the basilica as a former cathedral was extensively renovated. The convent currently has eleven monks with perpetual profession and two novices.