Saint John’s hosts event in commemoration of corporate transition

Saint John's will host a Missioning Celebration and Ceremony on Monday, May 21, in commemoration of Saint John's historic corporate transition. A reception will be held at 3:45 p.m. in the Great Hall, with a 5 p.m. Missioning Ceremony in the Saint John's Abbey and University Church. Both events are free and open to the general public.

On Sept. 6, 2011, the monastic chapter of Saint John's Abbey authorized the creation of a new civil corporation for Saint John's University, effective July 1.

The abbey and university together began to work toward a reconfigured governance and management structure for the university in 2006. The goals were to enhance governance authority for the university, reduce organizational complexity and to strengthen the relationship between the abbey and university into the future. Five years of systematic, thoughtful and deeply respectful dialogue resulted in a decision to create a new university corporation. Saint John's Preparatory School and Liturgical Press will remain operating divisions of the existing abbey corporation.

The mutual commitments of the abbey and university ensure that their close relationship will continue and the Catholic, Benedictine tradition integral to Saint John's will endure and flourish. The university will remain as a major educational and pastoral work of the abbey, and the monks of Saint John's will remain a vital part of the university.