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School of Theology and Seminary

Experience Collegeville

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There is no place like it.  

Located on the beautiful and inspiring Collegeville campus, Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary is situated among an unexpected constellation of leading intellectual and spiritual resources.  

A concrete church with a unique modern design featuring large geometrical patterns and a prominent cross at the top of its façade. The sun is setting, casting a warm light on the building. Trees and a lawn surround the church, creating a serene atmosphere.

As one of the largest monasteries in North America, the Benedictine Monks at Saint John’s Abbey have been cultivating a culture of prayer, study, and work on these grounds since 1856. You will find our monks teaching graduate courses, tending gardens, celebrating liturgy, working in the woodshop, and integrating Benedictine values into every facet of life at Collegeville.  

Our main library on the Saint John’s campus. Alcuin Library is home to one of the largest collections of theological books in the United States, totaling over 338,550 volumes. This recently renovated and expanded library features advanced research technologies and environments.  

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The image shows the interior of a library with several bookshelves filled with books on the left side. A sign above an entrance reads "Hill Museum & Manuscript Library." There is a partial view of a staircase and tables in the foreground.

Theology, history, and linguistic scholars from across the world visit Collegeville to study at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library. Featured on NPR, 60 Minutes, BBC, The Atlantic, Harvard Magazine, and many other prestigious publications, HMML holds the world’s largest collection of resources for the study of manuscript cultures across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.

Founded by Saint John’s Abbey in 1926, the Liturgical Press is internationally known as a leading Catholic and ecumenical publisher in prayer and spirituality, scripture, liturgy, theology, and monastic life. Liturgical Press has a close relationship with the School of Theology and Seminary, including an internship available for SOT/Sem graduate students.  

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A unique relationship, the undergraduate institutions of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University live and serve one another in harmony. These institutions work together, existing as a partnership, with their own identities as male and female serving institutions. SOT/Sem students are embedded into CSBSJU, allowing graduate students to have the benefits and resources of two distinguished liberal arts institutions, while enjoying the particular experience of a student at an embedded School of Theology.

In 1998, Saint John’s Abbey and University commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson to produce the first hand-written, hand illuminated Bible since the invention of the printing press over 500 years ago. The Saint John’s Bible was completed in 2011 and was heralded by Pope Benedict XVI as “a great work of art…a work for eternity.” It has been displayed and featured in the Library of Congress, the Vatican, and countless other prominent museums and venues. The original folios are on display within Alcuin Library.

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