On 20^th May, Robert Palladino, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America to Hungary visited Pannonhalma.

He saw the sights of the Basilica of Saint Martin, the cloister, the treasury, the riches of the Library and the Archives, and among other items, he had a look at the letters addressed to the Archabbot by the Hungarian monks, who – in the period of the party-state – emigrated to the United States and founded a priory and a school there. These documents were kept hidden in our Archives until the change of regime.

On 11^th April, in the monastery’s impressive reception hall, we had a roundtable talk on patronage. The participants were the decisive agents of our country’s economic and cultural life sponsoring the Archabbey of Pannonhalma for years. Apelso Trust Zrt supporting the restoration of the archival documents was represented by Antall György and Kállay András, members of the board of directors.

On 21st March, the feast of Saint Benedict, an agreement of scholarly collaboration was signed on behalf of Eötvös Loránd University and the Archabbey of Pannonhalma. Based on the document signed by Borhy László, Rector and Archabbot Hortobágyi T. Cirill, among other things, the monastery’s scientific collection of the 19^th century can be arranged and published, and collaboration can be developed in the fields of astronomical research and teacher training.

Between 17^th and 20^th March, the Austrian Bishops’ Conference held their plenary meeting in the Archabbey of Pannonhalma. The main subjects under discussion included the continuation of the synodal process in Austria in addition to the present social and ecclesiastical situation in Austria. The bishops had a discussion with Archabbot Hortobágyi T. Cirill and they met the representatives of the ecclesiastical, social and cultural life in Hungary.

The finals of the 24^th Cultura Nostra History Competition in the Carpathian Basin was organised in the Archabbey on 14^th March. This year, the theme of the contest organised by the Rákóczi Association and the Archabbey of Pannonhalma was Hungary’s history between 1301 and 1526. Seven hundred secondary-school pupils of the Carpathian Basin took part in the competition. In the finals, the ten teams of the best results tested their knowledge; the team of Lévay József Református Gimnázium from Miskolc had the best of it.

On 7^th March, led by Archabbot Asztrik, Benedictine and lay colleagues (our archivists among them) visited the remains of the mediaeval buildings excavated on the Bolt-peak of Abasár. The ruins of the Benedictine abbey that once served as the burial place of our King Aba Sámuel and the archaeological findings were introduced to us by the archaeologists: Feld István, Csornay Boldizsár, Ringer István and Horváth Ciprián.

Within the framework of the multidisciplinary research programme entitled “Kings, Saints, Monasteries”, archaeological research was conducted in Tihany, Bakonybél and Pannonhalma between 2021 and 2023. The work was in progress under the auspices of the superiors of the monastic communities.

“Kings, Saints, Monasteries – Early Benedictine Universe in Hungary in the Light of the Latest Academic Research”; this is the title of the exhibition opened in Pannonhalma on 14 February. Following Archabbot Emeritus Várszegi Asztrik’s welcoming words, Balogh Balázs, the Director General of HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities gave an inaugural address.

On 6 February, Hankó Balázs, the head of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, visited our monastery, where he had a talk with the superiors of the Archabbey. As a part of the programme, he visited our Archives and had a look at its treasures, especially at the documents related to medicine and the monastery’s garden.

Our programme of map-restoration was carried on, two of our manuscript maps were restored due to the support of NKA (National Cultural Fund of Hungary). One of them records an estate-division of 1778 in the land of Nagy- and Kisbaráti, and the other one is a boundary-map of Ravazd drawn in 1844. The restoration was completed by Ars Alba Bt. of Szentendre.