Premonstratensian canonry
The Abbot and the Gallery of Abbots
The Premonstratensians are, in terms of structure, canons regular — that is, priests who have renounced private property and, through religious vows, become part of a community bound to a specific church. We follow the Rule of St. Augustine, which inspired our founder St. Norbert, and unlike monastic orders, we are also actively engaged in parish ministry.
Each Premonstratensian monastery is autonomous and led by an abbot. The abbot's task is to care for all the brothers—both those who live directly in the monastery and those who serve in parishes, ideally in small communities. The abbot safeguards the unity of the brothers and helps ensure they live according to the spirituality to which they committed themselves by their vows. The abbot is elected by the members of the canonry (the monastery community), but only those with lifelong vows have the right to vote.
The Želiv Monastery currently has approximately its 52nd abbot. The exact number is difficult to confirm due to some gaps in historical records. A unique feature of Želiv Monastery is its Gallery of Abbots. In 1712, under Abbot Jeroným Hlína, the monastery was destroyed by fire, and with it, all the portraits of previous abbots were lost. The brothers decided to have the portraits painted again—not based on original likenesses, but using the faces of contemporary members of the monastery and its staff.
One such member was Arnošt Morávek, who appears twice in the gallery—once as Abbot Václav and again as Abbot Arnošt Morávek, because the brothers eventually elected him as abbot in real life.
