Marian Eleganti

Eugen Eleganti was born in Uznach, Canton of St. Gallen, on 7 April 1955, the second of four children to the contractor Eugen Eleganti and Irma Egli. He attended the Benedictine Einsiedeln seminary from 1967, where he completed his studies in 1974. He joined the Benedictines at the monastery of Einsiedeln in 1975, taking the name "David".

Later that year, Eleganti resigned from the monastery and joined a recently [1972] started group in Innsbruck, Austria, under the leadership of the Austrian priest Joseph Seidnitzer who had been gathering a community of young men and women geared towards the priesthood and the consecrated life.[1] Eleganti continued his education, studying Catholic Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University. In 1978, alongside Gebhard Maria Sigl, he took over leadership duties for the above said community in Innsbruck, due to - as it turned out - the suspension 'a Divinis' of Fr. Seidnitzer. Eleganti left the community in 1990, entering the Abbey of the Missionary Benedictines in St. Otmarsberg in Uznach, where he assumed the religious name "Marian". In 1994 he finished his studies of Theology in Salzburg. On 16 November 1994, Eleganti was ordained a Deacon by Bishop Otmar Mäder, and received his ordination on 23 June 1995 by the Bishop of St. Gallen, Ivo Fürer. In 2003, Eleganti completed a Doctorate of Theology at the University of Salzburg, on Romano Guardini's concept of truth. In 2009, Eleganti supported the minaret ban in Switzerland.[2]

On 15 July 1999, the monks of St. Otmarsberg Abbey elected Eleganti as the monastery's second abbot, succeeding Ivo Auf der Maur, receiving his Benediction by Bishop Ivo Fürer on 29 August 1999. The Missionary Benedictines in Uznach belong to the Benedictine Congregation of St. Ottilien near Munich with branches in Europe, East, West and South Africa, South America, Cuba and the United States, India, Korea, China, Kazakhstan and the Philippines.

On 7 December 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Eleganti the titular bishop of Lamdia and auxiliary bishop in Chur. Eleganti received his episcopal ordination on 31 January 2010 by the Bishop of Chur, Vitus Huonder, in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption; the co-conservators were the Apostolic Nuncio in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Archbishop Francesco Canalini, and the emeritus Bishop of Chur, Amédée Grab.

On 1 February 2010, Eleganti became episcopal vicar in the regional general vicariate for the cantons of Zurich and Glarus, with responsibility for pastoral work, representation and administration.[3] Succeeding Denis Theurillat, he represented German-speaking Switzerland at Ticino at the Swiss Bishops' Conference Youth bishop since 2011. He resigned from this position in early March 2018 due to disagreements with the other bishops of the Youth Synod Conference in the fall of 2018.[4]

From 23 February 2011 to 1 July 2014, Eleganti succeeded Ernst Fuchs Regens of the St. Lucy Seminary in Chur.[5] Since 7 April 2011, Eleganti has been the Episcopal Vicar for Religious and Monastic communities, for philosophical and theological training and for the training and development of pastors.

Eleganti is the Honorary Conventual Chaplain of the Order of Malta's Helvetic Association.

Pope Francis accepted his resignation as auxiliary bishop of Chur on 15 February 2021.[6]