Benedictine College

Benedictine College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas. It was founded in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College (founded 1858) for men and Mount St. Scholastica College (founded 1923) for women. It is located on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River, northwest of Kansas City, Missouri. Benedictine is one of a number of U.S. Benedictine colleges and is sponsored by St. Benedict's Abbey and Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. The abbey has a current population of 53 monks, while the Mount monastery numbers 147 community members. The college has built its core values around four "pillars" — Catholic, Benedictine, Liberal Arts, Residential — which support the Benedictine College mission to educate men and women in a community of faith and scholarship.

Benedictine College
MottoForward. Always Forward.[1]
TypePrivate liberal arts college
Established1971 by the merger of Mount St. Scholastica College (1923) and St. Benedict's College (1858)
Religious affiliation
Roman Catholic (Benedictines)
Endowment$22.2 million[2]
PresidentStephen D. Minnis
DeanKimberly C. Shankman
Students2,330 (2017-18)[3]
Undergraduates2,249
Postgraduates81
Location
Atchison
,
Kansas
,
United States

39.57394°N 95.11465°W / 39.57394; -95.11465
CampusRural
ColorsBlack & Red
         
AthleticsNAIA – HAAC
NicknameRavens
AffiliationsACCU, NAICU, CIC
Websitebenedictine.edu

History

Benedictine College celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008.[4] The present-day college was formed in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College, a men's college, and Mount St. Scholastica College, a women's college.

At the request of Most Rev. John B. Miège, S.J., Vicar Apostolic of Leavenworth, two Benedictine monks arrived in Atchison from Doniphan and opened St. Benedict's College, a boarding school, in 1858. It was named for Benedict of Nursia, founder of modern western monasticism. The mainly classical school curriculum was intended to prepare students for the priesthood. The monks, who had recently arrived in the Kansas Territory, then moved their community to Atchison and founded the present-day St. Benedict's Abbey. It expanded to include commerce subjects to cater to the needs of the local population, which was primarily pioneers and settlers. Over the years the college continued to expand and by 1927 it was an accredited four-year liberal arts college.

In 1863 the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, whose namesake is Benedict of Nursia's twin sister Scholastica, arrived in Atchison and founded St. Scholastica's Academy (now Maur Hill – Mount Academy) for local young women. In 1924 Mount St. Scholastica's Junior College was opened so these young women could continue their tertiary education. It became a senior college in 1932 and was authorized to confer bachelor degrees.

In 1970, Fr. Alcuin Hemmen, OSB, president of St. Benedict's College, announced that St. Benedict's would become a co-educational college. Sr. Mary Noel Walter, OSB, president of Mount St. Scholastica College had been proposing a merger of the two colleges for over a year. Following Fr. Alcuin's announcement, Sr. Mary Noel organized discussion of a merger.[5] It was agreed upon, and the universities merged on July 1, 1971 to form the current Benedictine College. The separate colleges' corporations remain in existence for scholarships and land ownership purposes[6] and allowed the newly formed college a free 50-year lease of the separate colleges' facilities on their campuses. Benedictine College terminated the lease of the facilities from Mount St. Scholastica College on October 1, 1989 amidst financial hardship.[7] It continues to lease property from St. Benedict's College.

Presidents
  • Sr. Mary Noel Walter, OSB, Ph.D. (Acting, July 1, 1971 to February 12, 1972)
  • Fr. Gerard Senecal, OSB, Ph.D. (February 12, 1972 to May 29, 1987)
  • Sr. Katherine Delaney, OSB, Ph.D. (Acting, May 29, 1987 to 1988)
  • Thomas O. James, Ph.D. (1988 to 1995)
  • Daniel J. Carey, Ph.D. (1995 to 2003)
  • Stephen D. Minnis, J.D. (2004 to present)

Academics

The most popular majors at Benedictine are Business, Education and Theology. Commerce, teaching and the faith are historically significant interests of both the college and the Benedictine order.[8]

The School of Business offers bachelor's degrees and an MBA degree. Similarly, the Education Department offers undergraduate licensure programs and a Master of Arts.[9]

The college's theology department grew out of St. Benedict's Abbey School of Theology and is the result of a 2007 shift from a Religious Studies program to a Catholic Theology program. All Theology professors are to have signed the canon-law mandatum[10] as implemented by the U.S. bishops,[11] and to take the oath of fidelity.[12] The National Catholic Reigister's Catholic Identity College Guide[13] notes that the president has made a public profession of faith and taken the oath of fidelity; the majority of the board of trustees is Catholic and the school's mandatum requirement is public. According to the Cardinal Newman Society's "The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College" guide,[14] the theology department shares the college's institutional commitment to the magisterium of the Catholic Church.

In 2010, Benedictine College added an Engineering Department in which students earn ABET-accredited degrees.[15] The following year, the college added a nursing program dedicated to Mother Teresa of Calcutta who once visited Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison.[16] The college's architecture major, stressing classical styles, debuted in 2016.[17]

The college's Discovery Program gives students the opportunity to create and present original projects in any discipline. In 2010, Discovery Day included 80 presentations featuring the works of 145 students, 40 faculty/staff members, and 18 academic departments; "more than 1800 students have participated in Benedictine’s Discovery Day events since its inception in 1996. In that time, most faculty members and academic departments have taken an active role in sponsoring student projects."[18]

Performing arts

The college offers programs in the performing arts. The college features two performance spaces: the Mabee Theatre seats approximately 130 and the O'Malley-McAllister Auditorium seats around 545 people. The Abbey Church and St. Scholastica chapel at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery are also utilized for organ recitals, orchestra, and choral performances.

The college's music department traces its roots to Mount St. Scholastica Academy, now Maur Hill - Mount Academy, when in 1863 the Benedictine sisters were said to have first purchased a house and then a piano. The music department of the college was one of the first cooperative departments between the former two colleges, having been formed in 1964.

Faith life

Mass is offered to students three times daily in several places, including St. Benedict's Abbey in its Abbey Church, St. Benedict's Church (a parish connected to one of the campus dorms, Elizabeth Hall), and Guadalupe chapel (located in the Abbey Crypt under the main church). The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), an evangelical Catholic collegiate leadership apostolate, was founded at Benedictine College by Curtis Martin. Other active religious groups on campus include Communion and Liberation, Pax Christi, Ravens Respect Life, Partners in Prayer (in conjunction with Mount St. Scholastica), Great Adventure Bible Timeline, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Households and Varsity Catholic.[19] and the Knights of Columbus

The college hosts pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy Land as well as local pilgrimage sites.[19]

Campus worship opportunities[20] including Life of Prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, traditional Catholic processions and Guadalupe Day. Many students participate in perpetual adoration at St. Benedict’s Parish on the edge of campus. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is recited weekly. A daily 6 pm rosary was added at the campus grotto to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima.[21] The president leads the rosary weekly in the chapel.[19]

Students are invited to pray the Divine Office with the monks in St. Benedict’s Abbey or the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. Lectio Divina is also offered at the Mount.[19]

There are several places of prayer on or adjacent to campus: St. Martin’s Chapel, St. Benedict’s Abbey Church, Outdoor Stations of the Cross, Guadalupe Chapel and St. Joseph Chapel in the Abbey. Retreats, conferences, and performances that college ministry offers to students includes Jam for the Lamb,” and BC Koinonia.[19]

The school built Mary's Grotto, located in the center of campus, and Archbishop Joseph Naumann dedicated it in 2009.[22] It is one of three outdoor devotional spaces dedicated to Mary located on the campus. The grotto is the site of the May Crowning "send-off" of student vocations to the priesthood and religious life.[23] The college is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, though it is not operated by the Archdiocese.

In 2014, the school renamed its student union the St. John Paul II Student Center on the day of Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II.[24]

Campus

Academic buildings

The main buildings of Benedictine College are in many cases named for important persons in Benedictine College history.[25]

Building nameFunction of building
Amino CenterClassrooms, Weight room, and Football Locker Room and coaches offices
Bishop Fink HallDepartments of Art, Music, and Architecture
Dining HallDining service (Aramark)
College LibraryLibrary
Cray–Seaberg HallClassrooms, offices and Benedetto's Pizza on two floors, with Residence Hall above.
Ferrell Academic CenterEducation Department, School of Business, and Departments of Theology and Philosophy
Haverty CenterAthletic Department, Old Gym and Raven Roost
Murphy Recreation CenterWeight room, multipurpose room, 50-yard turf field, track, basketball courts
Mother Teresa Center for Nursing and Health EducationNursing Department and Athletic Health Care
Snowden HousePresident's house
St. Benedict HallAdministration and faculty offices; Mabee Theatre
St. Benedict's Abbey ChurchChurch services, places for study
St. John Paul II Student CenterRecreation Center and O'Malley–McAllister Auditorium, O'Malley Gymnasium, Sister Mary Noel Walter Atrium
Westerman HallScience Building

Residence halls
Building nameFunction of building
Courtney S. Turner HallFreshmen male dorm that houses 140 students; St. Augustine's Lounge
Cray–Seaberg HallResidence Hall on 3rd Floor that houses 42 women
Elizabeth HallHouses 142 women (generally juniors)
Legacy ApartmentsA collection of four halls (Legacy Hall, Kremmeter Hall, Wolf Hall and Lemke Hall) that houses 288 upperclassmen
McDonald Hall"Suite style" female dorm that houses 160 sophomore women; Schroll Center
Newman HallMale dorm that houses 140 freshman and sophomores
Row HousesTwo houses (Harman & Schirmer) that can fit up to 27 occupants, which are usually upperclassmen (can vary from all-male to all-female)
St. Joseph HallHousing for 35 male upperclassmen
St. Martin's Memorial HallA freshman female dorm that houses up to 90 women; St. Martin's Chapel (located on the ground floor)
St. Michael HallMale dorm
St. Scholastica HallA freshman female dorm that houses 140 women
Our Lady of Guadalupe HallFemale residence hall that houses 120 women

Athletics
Main article: Benedictine Ravens

Benedictine College teams are known as the Ravens. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). The Ravens compete in fifteen varsity sports. Benedictine’s cheerleading and spirit squads have been recognized nationally.

The mascot "Rocky the Raven" is associated with St. Benedict, as legend has it a raven would bring the sixth-century saint food during his time as a hermit in the mountains near Subiaco, Italy. The legend also has the raven saving St. Benedict from eating poisoned bread.

Notable alumni
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References
  1. "Motto". Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2013-11-17.
  2. "Benedictine College | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2015-08-08.
  3. "Rankings". www.usnews.com. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  4. "Sesquicentennial Raven Review Benedictine College". Issuu.
  5. Sounds & Silence: The Magic of Music from Price Villa. 1863–2000. Copyright 2003, Mount St. Scholastica.
  6. The 1971 merger of Mount St. Scholastica College and St. Benedict's College to form Benedictine College
  7. The Circuit, October 1989. Copyright Benedictine College.
  8. "Course Catalog - Benedictine College". a-WGB-Basic.
  9. "Education Department". Archived from the original on 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2013-11-17.
  10. "Guidelines Concerning the Academic Mandatum (Canon 812)". www.usccb.org.
  11. Implemented by U.S. Bishops Archived December 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-03-20. Retrieved 2010-05-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "Catholic Identity College Guide 2016". National Catholic Register.
  14. "Benedictine College". Cardinal Newman Society.
  15. "Small Catholic College, Benedictine, Adds Engineering Program". National Catholic Register.
  16. "Doing Something Beautiful for God — in Nursing". National Catholic Register.
  17. "Architecture Major Announced". www.benedictine.edu. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  18. "The Discovery Program and Discovery Day - Benedictine College". a-WGB-Basic.
  19. "BACKGROUNDER - Thriving Faith on the Benedictine Campus - Benedictine College". a-WGB-Basic.
  20. "Faith Life: Catholic Campus Ministry - Benedictine College". a-WGB-Basic.
  21. "Fatima Centennial Kick Off". www.benedictine.edu. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  22. "Midwestern College Dedicates Marian Shrine". National Catholic Register.
  23. "Mary's Grotto - Benedictine College". a-WGB-Basic.
  24. Salomon, Kelly (7 April 2014). "Benedictine College to Rename Student Center after 'St. John Paul II'". cardinalnewmansociety.org/. Cardinal Newman Society. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  25. "Interactive Campus Map - Benedictine College". Flat-HTML.
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