LATROBE, PA – Abbot Gregory Polan, O.S.B., will present “A New Psalter with New Perspectives” on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. inside the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.
Abbot Polan will speak about his translation work, its related theological lessons and Benedictine spirituality of the Psalms.
“Abbot Gregory Polan and the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey deserve high praise for their more than 20 years of careful labor on ‘The Abbey Psalms and Canticles,’” said Rt. Rev. Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B., S’85, archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey and chancellor of Saint Vincent College and Seminary. “Their new translation of the psalter enhances older versions by combining textual accuracy and poetic rhythm, while also providing a cadence adaptable to chanting, singing and recitation. Given the approval by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and subsequent confirmation by the Holy See, this psalter serves as the source for upcoming English-language liturgical books, the Liturgy of the Hours and new Lectionaries.”
A monk of Conception Abbey in northwest Missouri, Abbot Polan served as Abbot Primate of the Benedictines at Sant’Anselmo in Rome from 2016 to 2024. From 1996 to 2016, he served as Abbot of Conception Abbey. Abbot Polan holds a PhD in Sacred Scripture from Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
He has a variety of articles and hymns to his credit and is the author of two recent books: “The Psalms: Songs of Faith and Praise” (Paulist Press, 2014) and “The Canticles of the Liturgical Hours: Praise from the Ends of the Earth” (Paulist Press, 2025).
Since 1998, Abbot Polan has led efforts for a new translation of the “Revised Grail Psalter,” which ultimately received Vatican approval in 2018.
The free public event is co-sponsored by the Saint Vincent Center for Catholic Thought and Culture and the Boniface Wimmer Endowed Chair in Monastic Studies, filled by Dr. Catherine Petrany, associate professor of theology in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Saint Vincent College. Attendees are invited to register online.
