The Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey have elected Father Paul Sheller, O.S.B., as the northwest Missouri monastery's 11th abbot.
Sheller, 44, was elected Saturday to succeed Abbot Benedict Neenan, who retired after serving 10 years as abbot.
The election followed a Mass of the Holy Spirit at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where the monks prayed for guidance before casting their votes. The election was overseen by the Right Rev. Justin Brown, president of the Swiss-American Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation.
A native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, Sheller most recently served as director of the Abbey Guest Center, vocation director and master of ceremonies. He has been a Benedictine monk since 2006 and was ordained a priest in 2013. He also has served in leadership and formation roles at Conception Seminary College.
Sheller assumes leadership of the abbey's 51-member monastic community immediately. A formal blessing marking the beginning of his ministry as abbot will be held at a later date.
