Francisek Ksaverij Taufferer

Abbot Francisek Ksaverij (Francis Xavier) Taufferer, O.Cist., was a Catholic priest and a Cistercian monk of Sticna Abbey in Slovenia, where he led for 20 years as the 53rd abbot of the monastery, from 1764 to 1784. Born Jurij (Georg) Taufferer, he joined the Cistercian Order at Sticna in 1750, and studied for the priesthood at Rome, where he was ordained in March of 1756. During his tenure as abbot, he improved the financial standing of the abbey and undertook several renovations and building projects. He also published a catechism for the religious instruction of children in 1770. He was the last of the Styrian abbots, resigning in 1784 with the dissolution of the abbey by an order of Emperor Joseph II, a closure that lasted until the abbey was reestablished in 1898.