There's plenty to enjoy about St. John's, but also a few things to be cognizant of…read more
St. John's University is a major player in the liturgical, spiritual, and community life of Central Minnesota through the Benedictine Abbey/Monastery, the university and theological school, the prep school, Liturgical Press, the Abbey Church, liturgical reform, the Monastic Library, sports teams, St. John's Bible, and more. Johnnies, which its graduates are fond of calling themselves, are filled with pride for their school.
I do not know of another campus that has quite the setting that St. John's has, with so many beautiful wooded acres, lakes, walking trails, an arboretum, and more. The football field has to be one of the most pleasant, situated as it is, in a valley surrounded by trees. It's truly a stunning place physically. The old architecture (red brick, historical buildings, The Great Hall) is pleasing to the eye; the new architecture (concrete) less so.
There's much to attract students, visitors, and others to this place.
Of course, nothing is as pristine as it seems. Unfortunately, the monastery has been marred by the large number of monks/priests who have sexually abused children. They continue to live and work on campus. The university says that they are under a kind of "house arrest" and that their activities are monitored, but I have seen accused monks/priests in St. Cloud shopping with young adult men. It continues to be a concern of many in the area.
