Saint Anselm Abbey
North facade of Saint Anselm Abbey
Saint Anselm Abbey (New Hampshire) is located in New Hampshire
Saint Anselm Abbey (New Hampshire)
Location within New Hampshire
Saint Anselm Abbey (New Hampshire) is located in the United States
Saint Anselm Abbey (New Hampshire)
Saint Anselm Abbey (New Hampshire) (the United States)
Monastery information
OrderBenedictines
Established1889
Mother houseSt. Mary's Abbey
Dedicated toSaint Anselm of Canterbury
Diocese Diocese of Manchester
AbbotRight Reverend Mark Cooper, O.S.B.
PriorVery Reverend Augustine Kelly, O.S.B.
Bishop Most Rev. Peter Anthony Libasci
Site
Location100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH
Coordinates42°59′11″N 71°30′32″W / 42.98639°N 71.50889°W / 42.98639; -71.50889
Other informationMotto: Latin Initium Sapientiae Timor Domini ("The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom") (Psalm 111:10)
Websitewww.saintanselmabbey.org

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

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 evolve into Saint Anselm College.

Buildings

The present main abbey building was completed in 1955 to designs by Manchester architects Koehler & Isaak in the Colonial Revival style.[4] The same architects added the adjacent abbey church in 1965 and designed much of the college campus.[5]

Saint Anselm College

Saint Anselm College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The monks of Saint Anselm Abbey are involved in the life and operation of the college. Serving as administrators, as faculty and staff members, and on the college's Board of Trustees, the monastery's approximately 30 monks work in the university.[6]

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 Newark, New Jersey. The abbots of Saint Mary's were also the spiritual superiors of Saint Anselm. Those abbots were Abbot Hilary Pfraengle and Abbot Ernest Helmstetter.[7]

Since its elevation to the status of an independent institution, Saint Anselm has been led by five men:

  • Abbot Bertrand Dolan, O.S.B. - In 1927, Saint Anselm Priory was elevated to an abbey by Pope Pius XI. Abbot President Ernest Helmstetter, president of the American-Cassinese Congregation, conducted the first abbatial election, and the monks in solemn vows elected Fr. Bertrand Dolan, O.S.B. as first abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey.[8]
  • Abbot Gerald McCarthy, O.S.B. - Abbot Gerald was elected coadjutor abbot in 1963 at Abbot Bertrand's request. Following the death of Abbot Bertrand in 1968, Abbot Gerald became the Abbot of Saint Anselm. His abbatial blessing was celebrated on September 3, 1963, by Bishop Ernest John Primeau of Manchester. Abbot Gerald retired from his abbatial duties due to declining health shortly before Christmas of 1971.[7][9]
  • Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B. - On June 5, 2012, Abbot Mark Cooper was elected as the fifth Abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey. By virtue of his election, he consequently becomes Chancellor of Saint Anselm College. Previous to his election he managed Saint Anselm College's finances for 33 years and was set to retire as the treasurer and vice president of financial affairs. Abbot Mark professed vows as a member of the Benedictine community at Saint Anselm in 1972 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1976. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 1971 from Saint Anselm College. He earned an M.S.A. in business administration from the University of Notre Dame. He studied at Saint John's Seminary in Boston and St. Albert's Seminary in Oakland, California. He taught at Woodside Priory in California and received an Alumni Award of Merit in 2003 for his contributions to the growth of Saint Anselm College.[15] Abbot Mark was officially blessed as the Abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey on September 10, 2012 by his uncle Bishop Joseph Gerry, O.S.B. in the presence of the Bishop of Manchester, Peter Libasci.[16]

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 known as the "Ultima". The hymn is sung a cappella in Latin through once, then the final two lines are repeated.[17]

Latin TextEnglish textGerman 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.

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. ↑ "A Benedictine Monastery" in New Hampshire Architect 6, no. 8 (March, 1955): 14.
  5. ↑ Bryant F. Tolles Jr. and Carolyn K. Tolles, New Hampshire Architecture: An Illustrated Guide (Hanover: University Press of New England, 1979)
  6. ↑ "Monks and the College : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  7. 1 2 "Electoral History | brotherisaac". brotherisaac.wordpress.com. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  8. ↑ "Community : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  9. ↑ Archived June 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Diocese of Portland |". portlanddiocese.net. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  11. ↑ "Bishop Joseph John Gerry, O.S.B." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinal of the Order of Saint Benedict. Benedictine Monks Consecrated Bishops". osb.org. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  14. ↑ "Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B. : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  15. ↑ "Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B., Elected Fifth Abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  16. ↑ "The Abbatial Blessing of The Right Reverend Mark Arthur Cooper, O.S.B. : Saint Anselm College". anselm.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  17. ↑ "Ultima in mortis hora: Funeral Hymn of The American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine Monasteries". osb.org. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
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