Mount Angel Abbey

Welcome to Mount Angel Abbey

The Benedictine monks of Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon form a community founded in 1882 from the Abbey of Engelberg in Switzerland. They maintain a monastic tradition that has been a vital part of the Roman Catholic Church for more than 1,500 years, dedicating themselves — under a Rule and an abbot — to a life of prayer and work. The monks celebrate the Holy Eucharist together daily, pray the Liturgy of the Hours five times daily in choir, and devote themselves to reading and silence. All are welcome to join them at the Hilltop.

History of Mount Angel Abbey

The abbey traces its origin to October 30, 1882, when a small band of monks from Engelberg arrived in Oregon under the leadership of Father Adelhelm Odermatt, O.S.B. They settled on a butte the Native Americans called the 'Mount of Communion.' After a first fire in 1892 destroyed their early buildings, the community rebuilt and was elevated to the rank of abbey by Pope Pius X on March 24, 1904. A second devastating fire in September 1926 again destroyed much of the campus; the monks rebuilt once more, erecting Aquinas Hall in 1930 and a gymnasium in 1936. The abbey founded Westminster Abbey in British Columbia (1939), the Monastery of the Ascension in Idaho (1965), and Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Mexico (1966). The modernist Mount Angel Abbey Library, designed by Alvar Aalto and largely financed by the Vollum family of Portland, opened in 1970, and the Oregon Bach Festival was founded in 1971. A new bell tower, housing the largest free-swinging bells on the West Coast, was erected in 2007 to mark the abbey's 125th anniversary.

• 1882: Founded as a priory from Engelberg Abbey, Switzerland
• 1887: Mount Angel College opened
• 1889: Seminary established at Archbishop Gross's request
• 1892: First fire destroys the monastery, church and seminary
• 1904: Elevated to an abbey by Pope Pius X; Thomas Meienhofer, O.S.B., becomes first abbot
• 1926: Second major fire
• 1939: Westminster Abbey daughterhouse founded (Mission, B.C.)
• 1959: Retreat house built for lay people
• 1965: Monastery of the Ascension daughterhouse founded (Idaho)
• 1966: Our Lady of the Angels Monastery founded (Mexico)
• 1970: Alvar Aalto Library opens
• 1971: Oregon Bach Festival established
• 2007: Bell tower erected for 125th anniversary
• 2018: Benedictine Brewery opens

Monastic Life and the Rule of St. Benedict

Mount Angel Abbey inherited Saint Benedict's Rule of life with its 1,500-year-old tradition of prayer and work — the Latin ora et labora. Founded from the Swiss Abbey of Engelberg, the community strives to be a place where all can 'seek things above' in peace and solitude, keeping vital the ancient traditions of the Divine Office, love of learning, and hospitality. The Rule of St. Benedict, written in about 520, describes monastic life as a balance of prayer and work in community, under a Rule and an elected abbot.

Abbot and Community Leadership

Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B., is the 12th Abbot of Mount Angel Abbey, elected by the community on March 12, 2016, and receiving the abbatial blessing on April 28, 2016. He made his first monastic profession on September 8, 1974, and was ordained a priest on September 12, 1981. He has taught theology at Mount Angel Seminary and at the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant'Anselmo in Rome. On January 11, 2025, Pope Francis announced his appointment of Abbot Jeremy as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments — an historic first for the dicastery under Pope Francis's 2022 reform of the Roman Curia. He had previously served the dicastery as a consultor for twenty years under Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis.

• Father Abbot The Right Reverend Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. (12th Abbot, 2016–present)
• Father Prior The Very Reverend Teresio Caldwell, O.S.B.
• Father Subprior The Reverend John Paul Le, O.S.B.

Mass & Prayer Schedule

The Abbey church is the heart and soul of the Hilltop. Rooted in the Rule of St. Benedict, the monks of Mount Angel gather in the Abbey church for prayer six times each day for the Holy Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. Guests are welcome and encouraged to join the monks in prayer; books are provided in the vestibule and prayer begins five minutes after the Abbey bells begin ringing. Mass and the hours of the Divine Office are also livestreamed.

• Weekday Mass: bells at 7:55 am (Monday–Saturday)
• Sunday & Solemnity Mass: bells at 8:55 am
• Vigils: weekdays ~5:30 am; Sundays & Solemnities at ~7:30 pm (anticipated Saturday evening)
• Lauds: weekdays at ~6:35 am; Sundays & Solemnities at ~6:40 am
• Midday Prayer: 12:00 pm
• Vespers: 5:20 pm
• Compline: 7:30 pm (8:00 pm on Sundays and Solemnities)

Mount Angel Seminary

Since 1889, Mount Angel Seminary has sent thousands of priests to serve more than 11 million Catholics in nearly 100 dioceses and religious communities around the world. As the oldest seminary in the western United States, Mount Angel is the only seminary in the West that offers a College of Liberal Arts, a Graduate School of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry degree program. The undergraduate program leads to a B.A. in Philosophy (with optional double majors in Literature or Religious Studies), while the Graduate School of Theology offers M.Div., M.A. (Theology), S.T.B., and D.Min. degrees. Both seminarians and lay students are admitted.

• College of Liberal Arts (B.A. in Philosophy)
• Graduate School of Theology (M.Div., M.A., S.T.B., D.Min.)
• Open to seminarians and lay students
• Reflects the growing diversity of the Catholic Church in the Western Hemisphere

Mount Angel Abbey Library

Designed by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and opened in 1970 (renovated in 1980), the modernist-style Mount Angel Abbey Library is home to one of the most significant theological collections in the Pacific Northwest. It is used by the entire abbey and seminary community and is open to researchers and the public. In addition to roughly 240,000 physical volumes and 100,000 electronic volumes (about 30% religion, 10% philosophy, and 60% history, art, music and more), the library holds an archive of medieval manuscripts dating back to the 12th century and has digitized many of them through projects such as the Ethiopic Manuscripts Digitization Project. Summer hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (Saturday and Sunday closed).

• Library Phone: 503-845-3303
• Email: [email protected]
• Designed by Alvar Aalto (1970), renovated 1980
• 240,000 physical volumes; 100,000 electronic volumes
• 12th-century manuscript collection

Saint Benedict Guesthouse & Retreat Center

The Saint Benedict Guesthouse and Retreat Center is a place dedicated to spiritual renewal and growth, learning, contemplation, fellowship and prayer. Following Saint Benedict's counsel in the Holy Rule — "All guests who arrive shall be received as Christ" — Abbot Jeremy and all the monks of the community welcome retreatants of all faiths to the Hilltop. Retreat rooms do not have television and are not intended as 'motel' accommodations; the rhythm follows the monks' prayer schedule, with meals tied to Lauds, Midday Prayer and Vespers. Both private silent retreats (generally Tuesday–Thursday) and Abbey-sponsored group retreats are offered throughout the year.

• Contact: [email protected] or 503-845-3025 (Mon–Fri)
• Non-refundable $50 / 10% deposit to reserve
• Check-in 3 pm – before Vespers at 5:15 pm; check-out 10 am
• Breakfast 7:00 am (7:30 Sundays); Lunch 12:15 pm; Dinner 6:00 pm

Oregon Bach Festival and Sacred Music

In 1971 the monks of Mount Angel Abbey established what has become a highly successful annual Bach Festival. It grew over the decades into an internationally renowned music festival and is now presented under the auspices of the University of Oregon's School of Music, while retaining a deep liturgical and spiritual connection to the abbey. The festival is one expression of the monks' commitment to sacred music and the beauty of worship.

Mount Angel Institute

The Mount Angel Institute at Mount Angel Abbey offers programs for lay men and women seeking to deepen their formation for ministry in the Church. Anchored in the Benedictine tradition of prayer, study and community, the Institute draws on the abbey's rich theological resources, its seminary faculty, and the monastic rhythm of the Liturgy of the Hours celebrated in the Abbey church.

Benedictine Brewery

In 2018 the third monastic brewery in the United States opened at Mount Angel Abbey. While brewing is most often associated with the Trappists, it is also part of the wider Benedictine tradition. Today the Abbey monks brew and share their beer as a modest expression of the Benedictine rhythm of prayer and work on the 350-acre monastery grounds.

Visit Us and Hours

The Abbey church is open during the day for private prayer, and visitors are warmly invited to join the monks for Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day. The 350-acre wooded butte offers walking and quiet reflection. Library summer hours are Monday–Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (Saturday and Sunday closed). Retreat guests should contact the guesthouse for bookings.

• Abbey Church: open during the day for private prayer
• Library: Mon–Fri 9 am – 4 pm (summer); expanded hours during the school year
• Guesthouse: by reservation for retreats

Contact

Mount Angel Abbey & Seminary is located at 1 Abbey Drive, Saint Benedict, Oregon 97373. The abbey maintains its own post office separate from the city of Mount Angel.

• Library: 503-845-3303 / [email protected]
• Retreats: 503-845-3025 / [email protected]
• Seminary general: [email protected]
• Admissions: [email protected]
• Registrar: [email protected]
• Business Office: [email protected]