The Pluscarden Community was delighted to have a visit at the end of October this year by the eminent and distinguished Abbot Gregory Polan of our Order.

Dom Gregory is a scripture scholar, who has been the main author of the Revised Grail Psalms translation, widely used in the United States and beyond. His books "The Psalms: Songs of Faith and Praise" (2014) and "The Canticles of the Liturgical Hours" (2025: both Paulist Press) have proved extremely popular.

Dom Gregory entered monastic life at Conception Abbey, Missouri, USA: part of the Swiss-American Benedictine Congregation. He was Abbot at Conception for 20 years, before being elected Primate of the entire Benedictine world confederation. He served as Abbot Primate from 2016 to 2024.

Dom Gregory has been in the U.K. on a lecture tour, giving talks on the Psalms to various audiences, both clerical and lay.

For our community he gave a most inspiring and helpful reflection, with the title "Preaching the Psalms".

Actually Dom Gregory is not the first Abbot of Conception to become Abbot Primate, and to visit Pluscarden Abbey.

His predecessor, Dom Marcel Rooney, a Liturgist, served as Abbot Primate from 1996 to 2000. He preached the annual community retreat here in 2012.