In some

religious orders A religious order is a subgroup within a larger confessional community with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Religious orders often trace their lineage from revered teachers, venerate their founders, and have a d ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, a congregation is a group of religious houses. In monastic orders, this would be

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

; in orders of

canons regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into Religious order (Catholic), religious orders, differing from both Secular clergy, ...

, this would be chapters. Each congregation operates as an autonomous or independent subdivision of the religious order, and is presided over by a superior with a title such as

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

general, arch-abbot, abbot president, president, abbot ordinary, provost general or

superior general A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of an 'order' of religious persons (nuns, priests, friars, etc) or, in other words, of a 'religious institute' in the Catholic Church, and in some other Christian denominations. The super ...

List

Canons Regular

The ''Annuario Pontificio'' lists the following as the congregations of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, whose abbot primate lives in Rome: : Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Most Holy Saviour of the Lateran (abbot general in Rome) : Canons Regular of the Austrian Lateran Congregation (1907 – abbot general in Klosterneuburg, Austria) : Canons Regular of the Hospitalary Congregation of Great Saint Bernard (11th century – provost general in Martigny, Switzerland) : Canons Regular of the Swiss Congregation of Saint-Maurice of Agaune (1128 – abbot ordinary in Saint-Maurice, Switzerland) : Canons Regular of Saint Augustine of the Congregation of Windesheim (1386 – provost general in Paring, Germany) : Canons Regular of the Congregation of Saint Victor (1968 – abbot general in Champagne-sur-Rhône, France) : Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception (1866 – superior general in Rome) : Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Brothers of Common Life (14th century – superior general in Weilheim, Germany)

Benedictines

The ''Annuario Pontificio'' lists the following congregations of the

Benedictine Confederation The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict () is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict. Origin The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monastic congregations that nevertheless retain their own aut ...

, whose Abbot Primate lives in Rome: :

English Benedictine Congregation The English Benedictine Congregation (EBC) is a congregation of autonomous Abbey, abbatial and Priory, prioral monastic communities of Catholic Church, Catholic Benedictine monks, nuns, and oblate (religion), lay oblates. It is technically the o ...

(1336 – Abbot President in Radstock, England) : Hungarian Congregation (1514 – Archabbot in Pannonhalma, Hungary) : Swiss Congregation (1602– Abbot President in

Bolzano Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The ...

, Italy) : Austrian Congregation (1625 – Abbot President in Stift Göttweig, Austria) : Bavarian Congregation (1684 – Abbot President in Kloster Schäftlarn, Germany) : Brazilian Congregation (1827 – Abbot President in Salvador, Brazil) : Solesmes Congregation (1837 – Abbot President in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France) : American-Cassinese Congregation (1855 – Abbot President in Collegeville, United States) : Subiaco Cassinese Congregation (1867 – Abbot President in Rome) : Beuronese Congregation (1873 – Abbot President in Maria Laach, Germany) : Swiss-American Congregation (1881 – Abbot President in Saint Meinrad, Indiana, United States) : Ottilien Congregation (1884 – Archabbot President in St. Ottilien Archabbey, Germany) : Congregation of the Annunciation (1920 – Abbot President in

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

, Germany) : Slav Congregation (1945 – Prior Administrator in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, Czech Republic) : Cono-Sur Congregation (1976 – Abbot President in Los Toldos, Argentina)

Previously independent monastic orders which have joined the Benedictine Confederation

: Camaldolese Congregation (980 –

Prior The term prior may refer to: * Prior (ecclesiastical), the head of a priory (monastery) * Prior convictions, the life history and previous convictions of a suspect or defendant in a criminal case * Prior probability, in Bayesian statistics * Prio ...

General in Camaldoli, Italy) : Vallombrosian Congregation (1036 – Abbot General in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, Italy) : Sylvestrine Congregation (1231 – Abbot General in Rome) : Olivetan Congregation (1319 – Abbot General in

Asciano Asciano () is a ''comune'' and hill town in the province of Siena in the Italy, Italian region Tuscany. It is located at the centre of the Crete senesi between the river Ombrone and the torrent Copra, some southeast of the town of Siena by rail. ...

, Italy)

Cistercians

The ''Annuario Pontificio'' lists the following congregations of

Cistercians The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, 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 Benedict, as well as the contri ...

, whose Abbot General lives in Rome:''Annuario Pontificio 2012'', pp. 1419–1422 : Castilian Cistercian Congregation (1425 – Abbot General acts as pro-President) : Cistercian Congregation of St Bernard in Italy (1497 – abbot president in San Severino Marche, Italy) : Cistercian Congregation of the Crown of Aragon (1616 – abbot president in Poblet, Spain) : Mehrerau Cistercian Congregation (1624 – abbot president in Bregenz, Austria) : Austrian Cistercian Congregation (1859 – abbot president in Heiligenkreuz, Austria) : Cistercian Congregation of the Immaculate Conception (1867 – abbot president in Ile Saint Honorat, France) : Zirc Cistercian Congregation (1923 – abbot president in Zirc, Hungary) : Casamari Cistercian Congregation (1929 – abbot president in Casamari, Italy) : Cistercian Congregation of Mary Queen of the World (1953 – abbot president in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, Poland) : Brazilian Cistercian Congregation (1961 – abbot president in Itaporanga, Brazil) : Cistercian Congregation of the Holy Family (1964 – abbot president in Thành-Phô Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam)

References