A Tour of St. Gregory's Abbey
Benedictine Hall Abbey Church Monastery Refectory Guest
Rooms Cemetery Other Places
The visitor is encouraged to take the entire tour by scrolling through this page.
However, specific locations may be visited by clicking on one of the options
above.
Please click on the thumbnails to view the full-size pictures.
Benedictine Hall
This imposing, landmark structure was the original home of
St. Gregory's Abbey, High School and College.
Begun in 1912 and completed in 1915, this building
originally housed the monastery, the chapel, and
all the facilities for the school, including the gymnasium!
After extensive renovations,
Benedictine Hall now houses most administrative offices, the library
and classroom facilities for St. Gregory's University.
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The Abbey Church
The Abbey Church was completed in 1945. Constructed in a Tudor-Gothic style, the
church is truly the gem of the monastic community. The monks gather five times a day in
the church for the liturgy of the hours and Eucharist. The church is also used for
liturgical functions of the university community and for other occasional special events.
The interior of the
church is noted for its simple lines and its excellent acoustics for singing. The abbey
church is "cruciform" in design, i.e., it is shaped like a cross. The monastic
community gathers in the transepts or arms of the cross, while the congregation gathers in
the nave or the body of the church.
The Word of God
plays a central role in all Catholic worship, and is also central to Benedictine
spirituality. To the right is pictured the ambo (lectern) of our church, from which scriptural readings are
proclaimed during Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.
This mosaic depicting
Our Lady of Fatima forms the focus of the Lady Chapel of the church.
The windows of
the church are a favorite of groups and individuals who visit the abbey. The windows
depict the Church's liturgical year and various saints. This window of St. Benedict is
over the front entrance of the church.
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The Monastery building was dedicated in 1950.
The general contractor for the monastery was
actually one of the monks - Fr. John Bloms, OSB.
The monastery has four floors, and houses the
personal and common rooms of the monks, infirmary
rooms, and a library. This is an exterior view
of the front entrance of the monastery.
The striking appearance of the arches in the
Entrance Arcade greets visitors to the monastery.
The hallway connects the monastery building to
the abbey church and the Refectory or monastic
dining room. A display of historical photographs
of the community as well as interesting artifacts
is found in the entrance arcade.
The Abbey Guest Rooms are also located in the
entrance arcade.
Most of the monastery is within the cloister and
is restricted from public access. To the left is pictured our
"cloister gate," which marks the restricted area.
Our cloister gate features Benedictine symbols
and important dates in the history of our community.
We also have a library in the monastery for use of
the monastic community. Our library collection
focuses on scripture, spirituality, monastic history
and theology.
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Monastic Refectory
The monastic Refectory serves as the dining room for community members and guests.
Construction of the dining room was under the direction of Fr. John Bloms, OSB, and
several of the monks participated in the project. It was completed in 1965.
Adding to the beauty of the room are the
walls of cut sandstone, the large crucifix at the head of the Refectory, and the custom-made stained-glass
windows. The windows were designed by Stephen Gyermek and contain quotations from the Rule
of St. Benedict that speak of our life of prayer and work.
The statue of St. Benedict pictured to the right guards the entrance area of the monastic refectory.
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The monastery has two comfortable guest rooms available for reservation by personal
guests of the monks and persons who wish to spend short periods of time in retreat at the
abbey. Guests are invited to share in the prayer and meals of the monastic community. The
guest rooms are equipped with two twin beds and a private bathroom. Reservations may be
made by contacting the abbey office.
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We invite visitors to our monastery and university campus to spend a few moments in
the Abbey Cemetery. Located south of the Abbey Church, the cemetery is the resting place
of members of the community, as well as a number of the Oblates of our monastery. Also
found in the cemetery is a plaque listing other locations where members of the community
have been buried.
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Other Places
In addition to these buildings, the abbey grounds
include workshops for various crafts and auto-maintenance,
a greenhouse and garden.
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to First Page
The interior of the
church is noted for its simple lines and its excellent acoustics for singing. The abbey
church is "cruciform" in design, i.e., it is shaped like a cross. The monastic
community gathers in the transepts or arms of the cross, while the congregation gathers in
the nave or the body of the church. 
The Word of God
plays a central role in all Catholic worship, and is also central to Benedictine
spirituality. To the right is pictured the ambo (lectern) of our church, from which scriptural readings are
proclaimed during Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. 
This mosaic depicting
Our Lady of Fatima forms the focus of the Lady Chapel of the church. 
The windows of
the church are a favorite of groups and individuals who visit the abbey. The windows
depict the Church's liturgical year and various saints. This window of St. Benedict is
over the front entrance of the church. 
