Our Mission Statement

The purpose of the Benedictine Institute is to strengthen and articulate in fresh ways the Catholic and Benedictine character of Saint John's University that has been its hallmark since it was founded by the monks of Saint John's Abbey in 1857. The Institute does so by:

Nurturing in students, faculty, and staff, as well as alumni, parents, and friends, an understanding and appreciation of Benedictine tradition, spirit, and values, and of the many-faceted Catholic intellectual tradition;

Fostering interaction between the monks of Saint John's Abbey and the students, faculty, and staff of Saint John's University;

Promoting intellectual and scholarly activity between the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Theology•Seminary, the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, and The Saint John's Bible.

Collaborating with the College of Saint Benedict, Saint Benedict's Monastery, and other Benedictine colleges and communities to address issues of material and spiritual welfare in the modern world in the light of Benedictine tradition.

Programs

The Benedictine Institute will undertake its mission through existing programs and new initiatives in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students to support a lively, rich, and authentic Benedictine character and conversation on campus. When fully developed it will do so through a range of programs that include:

Implementing an experiential program for new faculty and staff to familiarize them with Saint John's history and the Benedictine character and ethos underlying it.

Coordinating ongoing programs for faculty, staff, and students that explore the bearing of historic Benedictine values and practices on contemporary educational and vocational goals.

Sponsoring visiting scholars to bring the Catholic intellectual tradition to bear on teaching and the curriculum.

Organizing symposia on areas of particular interest to contemporary Benedictines such as interfaith and interreligious relations, environmental stewardship, and the esthetic dimension of learning and worship.

Planning and coordinating study trips for faculty, staff and alumni to Catholic and Benedictine sites.