About St. Bede Abbey · Peru, Illinois
St. Bede Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Peru, Illinois, in the Diocese of Peoria. Founded in 1891 by monks of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, it became an independent abbey in 1910. The community of monks is dedicated to the Benedictine way of life marked by prayer, work, and hospitality, and they own and operate St. Bede Academy, a co-educational Catholic high school for day and boarding students in grades 9 through 12. They also run Bethany House, a guesthouse for individual retreats and gatherings.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Bede the Venerable
- Rector
- Abbot Michael Calhoun, OSB (ninth abbot, elected 2022)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Peoria
Why belong here
St. Bede Abbey is a living Benedictine community whose monks continue a 130+ year tradition of prayer, teaching, and hospitality in the Illinois Valley. The abbey church is open to anyone wishing to attend Mass or the Divine Office alongside the monks, and the new Bethany House guest facility welcomes lay visitors for individual or group retreats rooted in the Benedictine tradition of receiving all guests as Christ. For families seeking Catholic secondary education, the monks own and operate St. Bede Academy — a co-ed day and boarding school where faith and rigorous academics have been integrated since 1891.
Mass times at St. Bede Abbey
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available by appointment with a monk (guests may speak privately with a monk on retreat and may receive the sacrament of penance)
Adoration times
- Practice of Eucharistic Adoration is mentioned as part of monastic prayer; specific public hours not published on the website
History of St. Bede Abbey
The roots of St. Bede Abbey reach back to 1861, when Archabbot Boniface Wimmer of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, sent six Benedictine monks to staff St. Joseph's Church in Chicago. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the original parish buildings, the monks rebuilt at a new location on Orleans Street. By the late 1880s the community at St. Joseph's Priory wanted to establish a school and monastery in rural Illinois, and they found a powerful ally in Bishop John Lancaster Spalding of the newly created Diocese of Peoria. In May 1889, the foundation purchased a 200-acre Bureau County farm (the former 'Webster farm' once owned by Daniel Webster), received Pope Leo XIII's blessing that July, broke ground in October, and opened its doors to 50 students on September 7, 1891. The school was formally dedicated on October 12, 1891, before a crowd of some 3,000 guests and a 'chartered train' from Chicago. By 1910, after thirteen monks had committed their stability to the new community, the Vatican raised the foundation to the status of an independent abbey, with Father Vincent Huber, OSB, becoming its first abbot on June 29, 1910. The college evolved over the decades — from a four-year college to a junior college (closed 1967), from an all-boys boarding school to a co-educational day school in 1972, then a boarding revival in 2006 with an emphasis on international students.
- 1861: Monks of St. Vincent Archabbey arrive in Chicago to staff St. Joseph's Church
- 1889 (May 15): 200-acre Webster farm purchased in Bureau County for $19,508.40
- 1889 (July 22): Pope Leo XIII sends permission and blessing
- 1890 (Feb 19): Institution incorporated as 'St. Bede College'
- 1891 (Sept 7): School opens with 50 students and six monks
- 1891 (Oct 12): College dedicated; Bishop Spalding presides
- 1910: Vatican grants independent abbey status; Fr. Vincent Huber elected first abbot
- 1967: Junior college closes; community focuses on the high school
- 1972: Academy begins admitting girls
- 1970–74: New Abbey Church constructed under Prior Marion Balsavich
- 1981: Boarding program ends
- 2006: Boarding program revived with an international emphasis
- 2022: Abbot Michael Calhoun elected ninth abbot
The Monks of St. Bede Abbey
St. Bede Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks (Order of Saint Benedict, OSB) in the English Benedictine / American Cassinese Congregation tradition. Members are both priests and brothers who live a simple, austere, and stable monastic life marked by obedience, silence, humility, simplicity, prayerfulness, work, patience, perseverance, community, and fraternal charity. Their primary purpose is to seek God by listening carefully to his Word and responding with obedience and generosity.
- Abbot Michael Calhoun, OSB — 9th abbot (2022–present)
- Prior Dominic Garramone, OSB
- Father Patrick Fennell, OSB — Guest master
- Abbot Emeritus Philip Davey, OSB
- Abbot Emeritus Roger Corpus, OSB
- Brother Luke McLachlan, OSB
- Brother Nathaniel Grossmann, OSB
Abbots of St. Bede Abbey
St. Bede has been led by a succession of nine abbots since 1910, when the Vatican granted the community independent abbey status. Each abbot is elected by the monastic chapter and traditionally blessed by the Bishop of Peoria in the Abbey Church.
- Abbot Vincent Huber, OSB (1910–1925)
- Abbot Justus Wirth, OSB (1926–1942)
- Abbot Lawrence Vohs, OSB (1942–1968)
- Abbot David Duncan, OSB (1968–1981)
- Abbot Marion Balsavich, OSB (1981–1990)
- Abbot Roger Corpus, OSB (1990–2003)
- Abbot Claude Peifer, OSB (2003–2011)
- Abbot Philip Davey, OSB (2011–2022)
- Abbot Michael Calhoun, OSB (2022–present)
Daily Liturgy & Prayer Schedule
The monks gather multiple times each day for the Liturgy of the Hours and celebrate Mass daily. Although the abbey church is not a parish church, anyone is welcome to attend the monastic liturgy, and many oblates and friends do so regularly. The schedule is subject to change, and visitors are encouraged to consult the events calendar for any modifications. All times listed are Central Daylight Time.
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 AM
- Monday–Saturday Mass: 7:45 AM
- Vigil Mass (weekday solemnities & Saturdays): 5:00 PM
- Sunday Morning Prayer: 7:00 AM
- Sunday Midday Prayer: 12:00 PM
- Sunday Evening Prayer: 5:00 PM
- Weekday Morning Prayer: 5:45 AM
- Weekday Midday Prayer: 12:00 PM
- Weekday Evening Prayer: 5:30 PM
- Compline (Mon–Sat): 7:00 PM
- Lectio Divina daily after Morning Prayer
St. Bede Academy
St. Bede Academy is a co-educational Catholic high school owned and operated by the monks of St. Bede Abbey. It serves students in grades 9 through 12, drawing a mix of day students from the Illinois Valley and boarding students from around the world. The school traces its origin to 1891, when St. Bede College opened with 50 students and a monastic faculty. Today the lay staff and faculty have grown substantially, but the monks remain the spiritual owners and sponsors.
- Founded 1891 as St. Bede College
- Co-educational since 1972
- Day and boarding program
- Enrollment approximately 270–280 day and boarding students
- Owned and operated by the Benedictine monks of St. Bede Abbey
Bethany House — Hospitality & Retreats
Bethany House is the abbey's modern hospitality facility, located in what was formerly the boys' boarding house just west of the monastery. It features a fully equipped kitchen and dining area, a lounge, five bedrooms, two common bathrooms, and a laundry room, accommodating up to eleven overnight guests. The dining and lounge areas are also available for group gatherings of up to 25 people. The suggested offering for overnight accommodations is $65 per person per night; the suggested offering for a four-hour family/working gathering in the kitchen/lounge area is $150. Guests of any means are warmly welcomed. In the Benedictine tradition that 'guests are never lacking in a monastery,' Bethany House continues St. Bede's ancient vocation of receiving visitors as Christ.
- Five bedrooms, sleep up to 11 overnight guests
- Fully equipped kitchen and dining area, lounge, laundry
- Spaces for retreats, family gatherings, reunions, working groups
- Suggested offering: $65/person/night overnight; $150/4-hour group use
- Private retreat rooms also available in the main monastery for individual retreats
Pastoral Service & Apostolates
Beyond St. Bede Academy and Bethany House, the monks continue a long tradition of external pastoral service. They currently staff St. Joseph's Parish in Peru, Illinois, assist on weekends at two parishes in the Diocese of Joliet, and lend a hand in nearby Diocese of Peoria parishes as needed. Several monks serve as chaplains at St. Margaret's Health in Spring Valley, and others preach public and private retreats throughout the region.
- St. Joseph's Parish, Peru, Illinois (staffed by the monks)
- Two parishes in the Diocese of Joliet (weekend assistance)
- St. Margaret's Health, Spring Valley (chaplaincy)
- Preaching of public and private retreats
- Apiary and beeswax candle production (Fr. Patrick Fennell, OSB)
- Authoring and publishing (Prior Dominic Garramone, OSB)
Becoming a Monk — Discernment & Vocation
Many who visit St. Bede Abbey arrive as pilgrims seeking rest, peace, and discernment. Some find themselves asking 'how do I become a monk?' Discernment begins with visits to the monastery, joining the monks in prayer and the Divine Office, and getting to know the community.
- Monks live a life of prayer, work, and community stability
- Profession of monastic vows
- Discernment visits welcome
- Both priests and brothers live in the community
Contact & Visit Information
Saint Bede Abbey and Academy share a campus on the west side of Peru, Illinois, along US Highway 6. The main switchboard number is 815-223-3140; individual monks can be reached by extension or by direct dial. The abbey is located approximately 100 miles southwest of Chicago and about 2 miles west of Peru, situated between Peru and Spring Valley.
- Address: 24 West US Highway 6, Peru, IL 61354
- Main phone: 815-223-3140
- Father Patrick Fennell: [email protected] / 815-488-3155
- Website: https://www.stbedeabbey.org
- Directions: I-80 Exit 75 (Illinois 251/Mendota-Peru); south on Route 25 to Route 6 west
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Abbot Vincent Huber, OSB1910–1925
First abbot of St. Bede, blessed June 29, 1910 by Bishop Edmund Dunne of Peoria. Previously prior and rector at St. Bede since 1897.
- Abbot Justus Wirth, OSB1926–1942
Second abbot; died of a heart attack on March 26, 1942, while working at his typewriter.
- Abbot Lawrence Vohs, OSB1942–1968
Blessed on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, 1942. Resigned January 26, 1968; died May 7, 1969.
- Abbot David Duncan, OSB1968–1981
Elected February 12, 1968; blessed at St. Joseph's Church, Peru, Illinois on March 21, 1968. Resigned Ash Wednesday, March 5, 1981.
- Abbot Marion Balsavich, OSB1981–1990
Fifth abbot; chaired the committee that planned the abbey church constructed 1970–1974.
- Abbot Roger Corpus, OSB1990–2003
Sixth abbot, elected June 8, 1990; re-elected March 2, 1998; resigned June 1, 2003.
- Abbot Claude Peifer, OSB2003–2011
Seventh abbot. Reinstated morning chapter and emphasized lectio divina; active in the American Cassinese Congregation.
- Abbot Philip Davey, OSB2011–2022
Eighth abbot, elected June 7, 2011; blessed September 14, 2011 by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, in the Abbey Church.
- Abbot Michael Calhoun, OSB2022–present
Ninth abbot, elected 2022, succeeding Abbot Philip Davey.