Dom Benedictus Neefs,

O.Cist. The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint B ...

(french: Benoit Neefs; 19 January 1741 – 7 November 1790) was the 46th abbot of Hemiksem Abbey. Corneel Neefs was born in

Kontich Kontich (, old spelling: ''Contich'') is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Kontich proper and Waarloos. In 2021, Kontich had a total population of 21,260. The total area is 23.67& ...

and entered Hemiksem Abbey in 1762, taking the monastic name Benedictus.

Abbot of Hemiksem

In 1780 he was elected

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

after the death of Abbot Bruyndonckx, and installed after imperial approbation. He sat in the

States of Brabant The States of Brabant were the representation of the three estates (nobility, clergy and commons) to the court of the Duke of Brabant. The three estates were also called the States. Supported by the economic strength of the cities Antwerp, Bruss ...

after the death of the

abbot of Vlierbeek Vlierbeek Abbey ( nl, Abdij van Vlierbeek) is a former Benedictine abbey to the north-east of Leuven in Belgium, in the sub-district Kessel-Lo. History On the abbey site in 1127 a priory was founded by Affligem Abbey, to whom Godfrey I of Louv ...

as a representative of the first estate. His local and economic power reached far beyond the monastery walls, as the territory of the abbey was extensive. He erected multiple buildings and continued to reshape the abbey buildings during his time in office. He commissioned an impressive

calvary Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early me ...

for the abbey church from the painter

Willem Jacob Herreyns Willem Jacob HerreynsName variations: Guillaume Jacques Herreyns, Willem Jacob Herreijns, Willem Jacob Herrijns, Willem Jacob Herryns, Guillaume Jacques Herreijns ( Antwerp, 10 June 1743 – Antwerp, 10 August 1827) was a Flemish painter of histo ...

. Neefs was known for his public opposition to the reforms of Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 u ...

. Together with Godfried Hermans, abbot of Grimbergen, he firmly protested against the reforms. The two of them became significant leaders of clerical resistance and both participated in processions and consulted with

Hendrik Van der Noot Henri van der Noot, in Dutch Henrik van der Noot, and popularly called Heintje van der Noot or Vader Heintje (7 January 1731 – 12 January 1827), was a jurist, lawyer and politician from Brabant. He was one of the main figures of the Brabant Rev ...

. Both abbots financially supported

Pro Aris et Focis ''Pro aris et focis'' ("for hearth and home") and ''Pro Deo et patria'' ("for God and country") are two Latin phrases used as the motto of many families, military regiments and educational institutions. ''Pro aris et focis'' literally translates " ...

. He died in 1790, in his monastery's in Brussels. He was succeeded by Dom

Raphaël Seghers Raphael was an Italian Renaissance painter. Raphael or Raphaël may also refer to: Music *Raphael (band), a Japanese rock band active 1997–2001 * ''Raphael'' (opera), an 1894 opera by Anton Arensky *Raphael (musician), American musician and co ...

who would be the last abbot of Hemiksen. The portrait of Neefs is preserved at

Bornem Abbey Bornem Abbey is the only Cistercian abbey of Common Observance in the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. The current Abbey is the successor of the former St. Bernard's Abbey, Hemiksem, destroyed in the French Revolution. Both are built in honour ...

References

Cistercian abbots Abbots of the Austrian Netherlands Belgian Cistercians Members of the States of Brabant People of the Brabant Revolution People from Kontich 1741 births 1790 deaths {{Belgium-RC-clergy-stub