Bonifatius Becker

Who was Bonifatius Becker?

Bonifatius Becker OSB was the first resident Abbot for over 100 years, of the 1956 rebuilt Monastery near Aachen called Kornelimünster Abbey. He served as abbot between 1956 and 1967.

He was born Josef Becker in Winkels, Westerwald, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia, German Empire, the oldest of 11 children. He became a trained bricklayer, and worked in his parents' building business in Wanne-Eickel, where they had resettled during the great depression.

He joined the order as a "late calling monk" in 1930 in the Benedictine-Order of Ilbenstadt Abbey. There he was given his holy orders as a priest in 1937. In May 1939 he was named Prior of the Monastery Kornelimünster and after he raised the Monastery to the status of Abbey in 1953 was named the Apostolic Administrator.

On 9 March 1956 he was elected as Abbot of the Abbey and on 23 March 1956 received the Canonical Visitation by Dr. Ildefons Schulte-Strathaus, Abbot of the Abbey of Siegburg, who gave him the signs of his office.