O ur cust om ar y t enden cy to m ove f o rwa rd m u st co n t i n u e . For ward, a lways f o rwa rd , everyw h ere f o r wa rd ! —Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, OSB (1809 – 1887)
Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, OSB During his lifetime, Archabbot Wimmer founded 152 Catholic parishes, ten abbeys and numerous schools. Today, there are over thirty abbeys (including Saint John’s) that take their roots from Archabbot Wimmer.
F o rwa rd E v e r F o rward Saint John’s was founded by an enterprising monk with ambitious dreams and an indomitable spirit. Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, OSB, was a true pioneer. In 1846, he established the first Benedictine monastery in the United States, Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. But his aspirations did not end there. He went on to build Benedictine communities throughout the United States. In 1856, Archabbot Wimmer sent five monks to the Minnesota Territory. They settled along the banks of the Mississippi in St. Cloud, and some years later they moved to a nearby area known as Indianbush, in the vicinity of Lake Sagatagan. In those early years, the monks endured great adversity—bitterly cold winters, isolation, natural disasters, economic hardship —but they persevered. And the rest, as they say, is history. From its humble beginnings, Saint John’s would become a thriving Benedictine monastery and university with influence throughout Minnesota, across the country and around the world. Today, this same determination, coupled with an abiding love of God and a steadfast commitment to the common good, is the inspiration behind Saint John’s Abbey and University.
To know our founder, Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, is to know Saint John’s. The Saint John’s community is inspired and invigorated by his pioneering spirit. Our forebears took to heart his bold vision—Forward, always forward, everywhere forward!—as have we. Saint John’s is constantly renewing and reinventing itself to meet the needs of an ever-changing world. From age to age—from one generation to the next— we press forward, always striving for excellence and ever grounded in Catholic, Benedictine tradition. Saint John’s is characterized by a long tradition of faith, innovation and excellence that began with the establishment of a Benedictine monastery, seminary, preparatory school and liberal arts college. Over the years, Saint John’s has become known for its leadership roles in theological education, liturgical renewal, ecumenism, interfaith dialogue, liberal arts education and the holistic development of men, as well as its commitment to environmental stewardship and the preservation of arts and culture. A scan of our history reveals a number of path-breaking initiatives, including Minnesota Public Radio, the Jay Phillips Center for Jewish Learning, the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, the Saint John’s Pottery, the Saint John’s Boys’ Choir, the Saint John’s Arboretum, the Liturgical Press and The Saint John’s Bible, to name a few. Looking to the future, there is no shortage of human and societal needs, challenges and opportunities. Correspondingly, at Saint John’s, there is a host of fresh ideas, imaginative approaches and bold ambition. This is a new era. Our best days are ahead of us, and our future holds great promise. The Saint John’s capital campaign—Forward Ever Forward —addresses our timeless mission of renewing the fabric of community. It will also strengthen the foundations of the Saint John’s community and advance our pioneering spirit, enabling us to strive forward… firmly rooted in Benedictine values… for the sake of the common good. We urge you to step forward to continue the work that was started by Archabbot Boniface Wimmer more than 150 years ago. We invite you to join us as we embark on this ambitious capital campaign. We are in search of the next band of pioneers who will ensure that Saint John’s thrives and soars. With your support we can shape the course of Saint John’s and our world for generations to come. Forward!
Abbot John Klassen, OSB
Michael Hemesath, PhD
Saint John’s Abbey
President, Saint John’s University
Forward E v er Fo r w a r d The Campaign for Saint John’s Saint John’s has embarked on a $160 million fundraising campaign—Forward Ever Forward—with great hope, boundless optimism and abundant confidence. This strategic fundraising drive will strengthen our Benedictine educational mission and further our tradition of innovation and excellence. The campaign priorities derive from strategic planning and include the following programs and initiatives:
Saint John’s University $135 Million Support for a state-of-the-art learning commons; substantially increased scholarship programs for undergraduate students, including those who are the first in their families to attend college; new and enhanced athletic fields and facilities; and innovative educational programs such as the Center for Global Education, the Benedictine Institute, the Center for Global Business Leadership, the Entrepreneurship Center, the Center for Interfaith Learning and the Center for the Environment.
Saint John’s Abbey $20 Million Support for monastic vocation programs, the Benedictine Volunteer Corps, the renovation of living spaces for the monastic community and Abbey healthcare and retirement.
School of Theology • Seminary $10 Million Support for scholarship assistance for seminarians and lay graduate students, endowed chairs and professorships, the Center for Christian Community, youth programs such as Youth in Theology and Ministry, and the restoration of Emmaus Hall Chapel.
Hill Museum & Manuscript Library $16 Million Support for manuscript preservation projects around the world, including high-risk regions in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Ukraine, Ethiopia and India; groundbreaking scholarly research; and increased access to collections.
C ol l e g e o f Ar t s & S c i e n c e s A Premier Catholic Liberal Arts Education
At Saint John’s University we share a rich and distinctive heritage of educational excellence with our partner in liberal arts education, the College of Saint Benedict. We draw inspiration at every turn from our Benedictine tradition. Today, we are two of the highest ranked liberal arts colleges in the country. Together, we stand strong in terms of enrollment, the academic profile of our student body, the strength of our faculty, the depth and breadth of our co-curricular programs and the excellence of our campus facilities. We seek to galvanize the energies and resources of Saint John’s University for the sake of student learning and spiritual growth. Our vision for the future is ambitious: we aspire to become one of the nation’s great Catholic liberal arts colleges, distinguished by an integrative liberal arts curriculum, a living Benedictine heritage, the holistic development of men, and a unique educational partnership with the College of Saint Benedict.
Priorities Moving forward, Saint John’s University seeks to continue its tradition of innovation and excellence through support of the following undergraduate priorities: Benedictine Values In 2009, Saint John’s established the Benedictine Institute to strengthen the Catholic, Benedictine character of Saint John’s University. Through the Benedictine Institute, Saint John’s seeks to foster an understanding and appreciation of Benedictine tradition, spirit and values among students, faculty and staff, as well as alumni, parents and friends. Student Scholarships Providing a high quality education to young men from all walks of life is the highest priority at Saint John’s. We seek to substantially increase our scholarship and financial-aid endowments to ensure that qualified students from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and geographic locations can attend Saint John’s. In particular, Saint John’s seeks support for an innovative program called FirstGen. This new program provides scholarships and academic and student support services to students who are the first in their families to attend college.
Engaged Learning for the 21st Century: The Saint John’s Learning Commons The centerpiece of the university capital campaign is the Saint John’s Learning Commons—a dynamic state-of-the-art facility that will foster integrated thinking and engaged learning and research. This 40,000-square-foot building will include classrooms, study areas and a technology center. The second phase of this construction project will include the renovation of Alcuin Library. Together, this unified building will be the academic hub and intellectual heart of the Saint John’s campus.
Academic Programs To continue our heritage of great teaching and to advance our standing as a premier Catholic liberal arts college, Saint John’s seeks support for a number of academic programs and initiatives. In addition to support for endowed chairs and professorships, Saint John’s seeks support for the following innovative educational programs: the Center for Global Education, the Center for Global Business Leadership, the Entrepreneurship Center, the Center for Interfaith Learning and the Center for the Environment.
Holistic Development of Men At Saint John’s, we prepare students to be great men—ethical and responsible leaders serving the common good in an intercultural and global community. Saint John’s seeks support for student development programs, activities and facilities that promote the spiritual, physical, social and career development of students, our residential facilities, this includes a community center in Flynntown and upgrades to Tommie Hall. One of the ways in which we develop men’s leadership and character is through our robust athletic program. We believe that the experiential learning that takes place on our courts, fields and arenas is an integral part of the holistic development of men. Toward that end, Saint John’s seeks support to renovate and expand our athletic and recreational facilities. This includes upgrades to the football stadium, as well as a new soccer field, baseball stadium and tennis complex. It also includes major upgrades to the basketball arena, fitness center, track and wrestling facilities.
Sai nt J o h n ’s Ab b e y A Vital Monastic Witness
Since their arrival in Minnesota in 1856, the monks of Saint John’s Abbey have embodied a vital monastic presence, seeking God and witnessing to Christ and the Gospel through a common life of prayer, study and work, in service to the Church and the world. The Benedictine monks are and have always been the leaven of the Saint John’s community, providing invaluable support, inspiration and leadership for Saint John’s University, School of Theology • Seminary, Preparatory School, Liturgical Press and Hill Museum & Manuscript Library. Today’s monks continue to be inspired by their forebears and look forward to responding to the world’s deepest hungers for learning, for believing and for hoping in the future. The monks’ ongoing influence is essential to keeping Saint John’s both Benedictine and Catholic, assuring that their initiatives and their values are actively handed on to future generations.
Priorities To further the abbey’s mission of faith, leadership, and service to Church and society, and to sustain its monastic witness for generations to come, the abbey seeks support for: People: To increase monastic vocations and to provide for the healthcare and retirement of the monks. Place: To renovate residential spaces for monks, novices, and monastic candidates; to provide for the ongoing care and stewardship of abbey lands; and to renovate and complete the abbey church pipe organ to address liturgical, devotional, and concert needs and enhance the university’s undergraduate and graduate liturgical music programs. Programs: To support the Benedictine Volunteer Corps, Trinity Benedictine Monastery in Japan and Abbey Guesthouse programming.
Sai nt Jo h n ’s S c h o o l o f T h e o l o g y • S e m i n ar y Building Vibrant Christian Community The School of Theology • Seminary exists to prepare leaders for the Church and the world and to be a leader in helping the Church discern how to bear witness to Christ in a way that speaks responsibly to the world in which we live. Amid the changes and uncertainties of the 21st century, the School of Theology • Seminary is committed to providing the highest quality theological education and formation for ministry that will empower communities of faith to embody and proclaim the life-giving, hope-filled message of Jesus Christ. The case for the School of Theology • Seminary is ultimately a case for leadership. Saint John’s vision and voice must remain strong, preparing future leaders of the Church to live out their vocations and minister to the world. An investment in the School of Theology • Seminary is an investment in the future of the Church. As we move into a future as rich in challenge and promise as that faced by the first monks who ventured into the Minnesota prairie, we need the continued leadership of the School of Theology • Seminary.
Priorities The School of Theology • Seminary seeks to sustain and strengthen church leadership by raising support for: Students: Scholarships for lay men and women and seminarians who are our future parish leaders, chaplains, teachers, liturgy directors, missionaries, music directors and lay ecclesial ministers. Teaching and Scholarship: Enhance academic programs and teaching through endowed chairs and professorships in Scripture, monastic studies, church history, liturgy, spirituality and pastoral theology. A Sense of Place: Restoration of Mary, Mother of Our Redeemer Chapel, which is central to the life of learning and community at the School of Theology and is in need of renewal after 60 years of serving as a place of communal gathering and worship.
Strategic Initiatives: Programs that address the most pressing needs of the church: • Christian community and parish life that translates Benedictine practices of community-building to life outside the monastery, helping parishes and other communities of faith live as authentic, supportive, life-giving Christian communities. • Youth and young-adult programs focusing on discernment of vocation, spiritual growth and attracting young men and women to the study of theology. • Theology Days, a nationwide community-outreach program focusing on the lifelong pursuit of wisdom.
Hi l l M u s eu m & M a n u sc ri p t L i b ra r y Preserving Cultural Heritage
Hundreds of thousands of centuries-old manuscripts are at risk of being permanently lost due to neglect, war, theft and disasters. As one of world’s leading cultural preservation institutions, the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) digitally preserves these threatened manuscripts located in many of the world’s most dangerous and inaccessible locations. Manuscripts are handwritten texts—including codices (books), charters, letters and legal records—that provide the primary and often sole access to the historic cultures that shaped the modern world. HMML has photographed, archived and cataloged more than 130,000 complete manuscripts totaling more than 50,000,000 pages. These resources are available to artists, authors, historians, scientists, scholars and all who seek to understand the history of humankind.
Priorities Preserving Cultural Heritage: Support for the digitization of manuscripts in politically unstable regions such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, southeast Turkey and the Old City of Jerusalem; and the endangered manuscripts of Ethiopia and India. Providing Access to Collections: Support for archiving, cataloging, finding aids and tools for research, and the development of vHMML, an online, virtual archive of HMML’s manuscript collections. Fostering Groundbreaking Research: Support for research fellowships, interdisciplinary research, collective exchange of ideas and discoveries and curation of HMML’s rare book and special collections. Renovating HMML’s Teaching, Learning and Research Environment: Support for vibrant spaces for teaching, individual and collaborative research, and cultural outreach through events and exhibitions.
Forward E v er F o r w a r d Priorities—$160 Million Campaign Saint John’s University College of Arts & Sciences
Goal
ENDOWMENT Scholarships $30,000,000 Academic $12,000,000 Benedictine Institute $4,500,000 Learning Commons Endowment $3,000,000 Student Development $1,000,000 Pottery $500,000 Arboretum $500,000 Other Endowment $500,000 TOTAL $52,000,000 FACILITIES Learning Commons Athletics McKeown Center President’s House St. Thomas Hall Addition Land Acquisition/Environment Other Facilities TOTAL
$12,000,000 $14,000,000 $1,450,000 $750,000 $500,000 $250,000 $50,000 $29,000,000
PROGRAM Scholarship Academic Student Development The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition Other Restricted Pottery Arboretum Benedictine Institute TOTAL
$4,000,000 $2,500,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $700,000 $400,000 $400,000 $13,000,000
STUDENT FUND (formerly Annual Fund)
$20,000,000
TOTAL – COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
$114,000,000
Saint John’s Abbey
Goal
ENDOWMENT Health & Retirement $4,000,000 Land Stewardship $1,000,000 Guesthouse Program $500,000 FACILITIES Monastery Renovation Abbey Church Organ
$9,500,000 $500,000
PROGRAMS Benedictine Volunteer Corps $1,000,000 Vocations $1,000,000 Trinity Benedictine Monastery $500,000 ANNUAL FUND
$2,000,000
TOTAL – SAINT JOHN’S ABBEY
$20,000,000
Saint John’s School of Theology • Seminary Goal SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT
$3,500,000
ACADEMIC ENDOWMENT Faculty Chairs and Professorships
$3,500,000
PROGRAMS Christian Community and Parish Life Youth and Vocation Programs
$1,000,000
ANNUAL FUND
$2,000,000
TOTAL – SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY • SEMINARY $10,000,000
Hill Museum & Manuscript Library
Goal
DIGITAL MANUSCRIPT PRESERVATION
$3,500,000
DIGITAL MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS Eastern Christian Manuscript Cataloging vHMML and Electronic Tools for Research
$2,500,000
GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH Scholar/Teacher Positions Renovation of HMML Space
$8,450,000
ANNUAL FUND
$1,750,000
TOTAL – HILL MUSEUM & MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
$16,200,000
Endow me n t M a t te r s Competitors
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Endowment provides critical annual revenue to support scholarships, faculty salaries and academic and student development programs. Moreover, an endowment is one of the most important indicators of a university’s overall financial health, strength and stability. Whether it is a financial rating service, such as Moody’s, or a college rating survey, such as US News & World Report, the size of the endowment is one of the chief variables in the calculation of educational spending per student, a key element in the overall rating score.
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An endowment makes a profound difference.
During the past 20 years, the Saint John’s endowment has more than tripled. As of July 1, 2013, the Saint John’s Abbey endowment stands at $43 million and the endowment for Saint John’s University, which includes the college of arts and sciences, School of Theology • Seminary, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library and Pottery Studio, stands at $152 million. Although respectable, the Saint John’s University endowment lags behind similar funds of competitor and peer institutions, to say nothing of our aspirants. It does not reflect Saints John’s prominence as a national liberal arts college, nor the national and international achievements and stature and the respect that Saint John’s has earned from scholars, peer institutions and the general public. A relatively modest endowment places Saint John’s at a competitive disadvantage, particularly when it comes to the recruitment and retention of students and faculty.
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In a time of rising tuition and increasing need for financial aid among families, growing the endowment is more important than ever to ensure long-term strength and stability for the future. For most of its history, Saint John’s relied on a “living endowment”—the passion, dedication and toil of monks who taught in the university. Their service was donated to the university by the abbey. With fewer monks in the abbey and fewer still teaching and working at the university, this incredible living endowment needs to be replaced with an actual financial endowment. Toward that end, Saint John’s seeks to raise approximately $72 million in endowment during the Forward Ever Forward campaign. This is part of a long-term strategy to increase the endowment to $500 million.
Data from the 2012 Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) Survey