College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
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The College of Saint Benedict / Saint John's University (herein referred to as CSB/SJU) is a joint academic institution in rural central Minnesota. While the two schools share the same academic curriculum, they are recognized as being both separate and joint institutions at the same time.
Both schools are Catholic and deeply rooted in the Benedictine tradition, the oldest western monastic tradition still in existence. SJU is one of the oldest colleges in Minnesota, and is only one of five exclusively men's colleges or universities in the United States, while CSB accepts only female enrollment.
Historical timeline
- 1857 -- Officially started as Saint John's Seminary by five Benedictine missionaries, SJU moved a few times from its original stake along the Mississippi river near St. Cloud to its present location.
- 1868 -- The first abbot at Saint John's, Rupert Seidenbush, is elected.
- 1870 -- Saint John's is allowed to grant diplomas and degrees by the Minnesota government.
- 1888 -- First copy of The Record (the official student newspaper) is printed.
- 1902 -- Saint John's first football "championship."
- 1929 -- Saint John's officially becomes a State Game Refuge.
- 1961 -- CSB is officially incorporated as a separate institution.
- 2003 -- Saint John's long-time football coach John Gagliardi becomes the coach with the greatest number of wins in college football history, regardless of division.
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Current activities
The current student population is approximately 3,900 students (roughly 52% female, 48% male). Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and demographics, including a large concentration of students from the Bahamas, due to continuing missionary efforts. Many CSB/SJU students choose to study abroad. [link]The campus of Saint John's University also houses the [Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary], a graduate institution which confers Master's of Divinity and Master's of Arts degrees. The school also prepares seminarians for the priesthood.
Saint John's Abbey and University is currently undertaking a massive effort to create The Saint John's Bible.
The Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, a project and library dedicated to preserving old manuscripts from European monasteries by photographing them onto microfilm, is housed at Saint John's. Currently, there are over 25 million pages from over 90,000 volumes in HMML, representing one of the largest medieval and Renaissance collections in the world. Researchers from around the world are invited to use the tools available at HMML rather than risk damage to these ancient and invaluable resources. [link]
St. John’s is currently celebrating its Sesquicentennial anniversary, starting on April 5, 2006; 150 years after five monks left St. Vincent’s Monastery to found a mission in Minnesota, wrapping up on November 10, 2007, 150 years after the first day of classes were taught at Collegeville.
Controversies
Saint John's has not been without its controversies, both in the past and the present. Current allegations throughout the United States of sexual abuse by members of the clergy have had a few incidents through the Saint John's Abbey. As a result of this, and through their ongoing mission, the Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute is in the process of helping to rebuild and heal the community and those affected. [link]On Saturday, November 9, 2002, Saint John's junior Joshua Guimond was reported missing. Countless numbers of volunteers and law enforcement personnel have searched in and around the Saint John's area, but as of 2006, no trace of him has been found. [link] [link]
Athletics
CSB/SJU is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).Notable alumni
- David Durenberger
- Jon Hassler, novelist
- Mark Kennedy, U.S. Congressman
- Eugene McCarthy
- Larry Millett
- Stephen Sommers, movie director
- Bill Kling, co-founder and president of Minnesota Public Radio
- Bernie Kukar, NFL referee
- John McCutcheon, Grammy-winning folk musician
External links
- [The CSB/SJU Official Site]
- [Saint John's Abbey Homepage]
- [The Order of Saint Benedict Homepage]
- [Johnnies.net Alumni Site]
- [JohnnieWiki]
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