St. Peter's Abbey, Saskatchewan

St. Peter's Abbey
Location of St. Peter's Abbey in Saskatchewan
St. Peter's Cathedral
St. Peter's Cathedral interior
Michael Hall, St. Peter's College

St. Peter's Abbey is in Muenster, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the oldest Benedictine monastery in Canada. It was founded in 1903.

History

St. Peter's Abbey began in 1903 with the arrival of seven Benedictine monks under the obedience of Peter Engel O.S.B. the abbot of Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. Many German speaking Roman Catholic immigrants had settled in the area and by 1903 they had over 700 homesteads. The monks established parishes and were able to serve their congregations in the German language.[1]

St. Peter Abbey became independent in 1911 and Bruno Doerfler became its first abbot.[2]

In 1921 St. Peter's Abbey became the Territorial Abbey of Saint Peter-Muenster. It was formed from a piece of the Diocese of Prince Albert[3] 4,662 square kilometers (1,800 square miles) in size.[4] It included 50 townships; townships 35 to 40, ranges 18 to 22, and townships 37 to 41, ranges 23 to 26 of the Dominion Land Survey west of the 2nd Meridian.[5] The abbot's duties were similar to those of a bishop of a diocese. The Territorial Abbey was suppressed in 1998 to become part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon.[6]

Today it remains an abbey, but is no longer a separate jurisdiction.

St. Peter's Cathedral was built between 1909 and 1910 and decorated by artist Berthold Imhoff in 1919. The church served as the cathedral of the territorial abbey. Located about one kilometre from the village of Muenster it was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2008.[7]

A new church was built adjoining the abbey and St. Peter's College in 1989.[8]

Overview

As of February 2007, it is home to 27 Benedictine monks. This includes 17 priests, and 10 brothers.[9] The abbot of St. Peter's is Peter Novecosky. They follow the monastic Rule of St. Benedict. St. Benedict wrote a rule for Christian life known for its balance and moderation; this life provides a balance between prayer, work and study for the monks.

Abbots

Priors of St. Peter's Priory

Abbots of the Territorial Abbey of Saint Peter-Muenster[11]

Abbots of St. Peter's Abbey

St. Peter's Colony

The historic territory of the abbey was also referred to as St. Peter's Colony.[12] 8,000 settlers had arrived in the colony by 1910[13] and by 1930 it was home to 18,000 Roman Catholics. Most were German Catholics.[2]

Parishes

The parishes of St. Peter's Colony served by the Benedictine monks of St. Peter's Abbey and their foundation dates included:[14]

References

  1. ↑ "St. Peter's Abbey (short history)". Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  2. 1 2 "The German Catholics of St. Peter’s Colony: 1903-1930 By Paul Paproski, OSB" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  3. ↑ "Diocese of Prince-Albert". Retrieved 2012-12-27.
  4. ↑ "Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan (GERMAN SETTLEMENTS)". Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  5. 1 2 "St. Peter’s Abbey 1903-1921 by Jerome Weber O.S.B." (PDF). (CCHA, Report, 16 (1949), 37-49). Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  6. ↑ "Territorial Abbey of Saint Peter-Muenster". Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  7. ↑ "Canada's Historic Places (St. Peter's Cathedral)". Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  8. ↑ "St. Peter's Benedictine Abbey, Church and Bell Tower". Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  9. ↑ "OSB International (American Cassinese Congregation)". Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  10. ↑ "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (DOERFLER, GEORGE, named Dom Bruno)". Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  11. ↑ "Territorial Abbey of Saint Peter-Muenster". Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  12. ↑ "St. Peter's Colony Map". Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  13. ↑ "Colony Beginnings(p.6)". Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  14. ↑ Peter Windschiegl (1954), Fifty golden years, 1903-1953 : a brief history of the Order of St. Benedict in the Abbacy Nullius of St. Peter, Muenster, Saskatchewan, Muenster, Saskatchewan
  15. ↑ "St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church Heritage Site.". Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  16. 1 2 3 "Watson & Area Catholic Parishes". Retrieved 2013-01-01.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Churches in the Diocese of Saskatoon". Retrieved 2013-01-02.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Saskatchewan Cemeteries Project". Retrieved 2013-01-02.
  19. ↑ "Antonio Molaro". Retrieved 2013-01-01.
  20. ↑ "Saskatchewan’s Marian Shrines". Retrieved 2013-01-01.
  21. ↑ "Pilgrimage" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-01-01.

External links

Coordinates: 52°11′32″N 104°59′53″W / 52.19222°N 104.99806°W / 52.19222; -104.99806

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