This Place called Saint John's

In 1856, five benedictine monks were sent from Saint Vincent Abbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to establish a presence in the Minnesota Territory. They settled along the west bank of the Mississippi River in present-day St. Cloud. Two years later they founded a monastery in nearby Indianbush - presently known as Collegeville.

Saint John's is a special and multifaceted place. From its early beginnings, it has been home to Saint John's Abbey and University, the School of Theology and Seminary and the Preparatory School. Over the years, Saint John's has become home to a number of other renowned institutions including: Liturgical Press, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, Jay Phillips Center for Jewish Christian Learning, Arboretum, an indigenous pottery program, the first radio station in the Minnesota Public Radio network, an extraordinary rare book and art collection known as Arca Artium and The Saint John's Bible.

The buildings at Saint John's date from the 1860's  and are arranged in a series of quadrangles and courtyards to the north of Lake Sagatagan, At the center of the Saint John's campus is the Abbey Church, one of 10 campus buildings designed by Marcel Breuer. With its towering bell banner and three-stroy wall of stained glass, the Abbey Church is among the most striking pieces of 20th-century architecture.

Enjoy the beauty of Saint John's for yourself with the Campus Webcam.