Saint Anselm Abbey (New Hampshire)

Not to be confused with Saint Anselm's Abbey in Washington, D.C..
Saint Anselm Abbey
Caption North facade of Saint Anselm Abbey
Motto Latin: Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini
Translation "The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom" (Psalm 111:10)
Established 1889
Affiliation Roman Catholic
(Order of Saint Benedict)
Abbot Right Reverend Mark Cooper, O.S.B.
Prior Very Reverend Mathias Durette, O.S.B.
Subprior Very Reverend Peter Guerin, O.S.B.
Street Address 100 Saint Anselm Drive
City Manchester
State NH
Zip Code 03102-1308

Saint Anselm Abbey, located in Goffstown, New Hampshire, United States, is a Benedictine abbey composed of men living under the Rule of Saint Benedict within the Catholic Church. The abbey was founded in 1889 under the patronage of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, a Benedictine monk of Bec and former archbishop of Canterbury in England. The monks are involved in the operation of Saint Anselm College. The abbey is a member of the American-Cassinese Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation.[1]

Foundation

South Entrance into the abbey's cloister garden

In 1889, Denis M. Bradley, the first bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire, requested that Abbot Boniface Wimmer send monks to his diocese to create a school for French and Irish immigrants. The bishop thought that in order to create harmony among the people of his diocese the best educators for them should be German.[2] Monks from Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, were sent to found Saint Anselm Abbey in 1889.[3] When they arrived they founded St. Raphael's Parish in Manchester, and they founded Saint Anselm Preparatory School, which would later become Saint Anselm College.

Saint Anselm College

Saint Anselm College's Alumni Hall, rebuilt in 1893 after a devastating fire, was the first monastery complex for Saint Anselm Abbey.

Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The monks of Saint Anselm Abbey are heavily involved in the life and operation of the college. Serving as administrators, as faculty/staff members, and on the college's Board of Trustees, the monastery's approximately 30 monks fulfill their monastic calling in the work they do.[4]

Abbots

From the time of its founding in 1889 until 1927, when it became an independent abbey, Saint Anselm was a dependent priory of Saint Mary's Abbey in Morristown, New Jersey. The abbots of Saint Mary's were also the abbots of Saint Anselm. Those abbots were Abbot Hilary Pfraengle and Abbot Ernest Helmstetter.[5]

Bishop Joseph Gerry, O.S.B. (left) and Abbot Matthew Leavy, O.S.B. (right) walking into Saint Anselm College's 2010 commencement
Coat of arms of Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B.

Community song

On feast days and at the graveside during burial of members of the community, the monastic community sings the hymn of the American-Cassinese Congregation. The hymn is sung a cappella in Latin through once, then the final two lines are repeated.[15]

Latin Text English text German text
Ultima in mortis hora,

Filium pro nobis ora,

Bonam mortem impetra,

Virgo, Mater, Domina.

When death's hour is then upon us,

To your Son pray that he grant us,

Death, both holy and serene,

Virgin Mary, Mother, Queen.

Wenn wir mit dem Tode ringen,

Wollst, Maria, uns beispringen,

Dass wir selig scheiden hin,

Jungfrau, Mutter, Königin.

See also

References

  1. Parts I and II of "The American-Cassinese Congregation: Origins and Early Development (1855–1905)" by Jerome Oetgen appear in The American Benedictine Review 56:3 (Sept. 2005) 235-264 and 56:4 (Dec. 2005) 418-454.
  2. Archived December 31, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Foundations of The American-Cassinese Congregation Arranged Historically.". osb.org. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  4. "Monks and the College : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  5. 1 2 "Electoral History | brotherisaac". brotherisaac.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  6. "Community : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  7. Archived June 2, 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Diocese of Portland |". portlanddiocese.net. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  9. "Bishop Joseph John Gerry, O.S.B.". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  10. Archived July 27, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinal of the Order of Saint Benedict. Benedictine Monks Consecrated Bishops.". osb.org. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  12. "Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B. : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  13. "Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B., Elected Fifth Abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  14. "The Abbatial Blessing of The Right Reverend Mark Arthur Cooper, O.S.B. : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  15. "Ultima in mortis hora: Funeral Hymn of The American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine Monasteries.". osb.org. Retrieved 2014-03-23.

External links

Coordinates: 42°59′11″N 71°30′32″W / 42.986377°N 71.508999°W / 42.986377; -71.508999O

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