About St. Martin's University Abbey Church · Lacey, Washington
Saint Martin's University Abbey Church is the abbey church of Saint Martin's Abbey, a community of Roman Catholic Benedictine monks in Lacey, Washington, following the Rule of Saint Benedict and belonging to the American-Cassinese Benedictine Congregation. Located on the campus of Saint Martin's University — founded by the monks themselves in 1895 — the abbey church serves as the spiritual heart of a community of roughly 20 monks who gather there multiple times daily for the Liturgy of the Hours and the Conventual Mass. The church is open to the public, and visitors, students, and neighbors are welcome to join the monks in prayer or attend the daily and Sunday Masses celebrated in its distinctive octagonal worship space.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- Saint Martin of Tours
- Rector
- Rt. Rev. Marion Qui-Thac Nguyen, O.S.B. (Abbot, 2020–present)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Seattle
Why belong here
Saint Martin's Abbey Church offers a rare opportunity to share in the daily prayer life of a Benedictine monastic community in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Visitors and students are warmly welcomed to join the monks for the Liturgy of the Hours three times a day and for daily and Sunday Mass — a rhythm of prayer that has continued on this site since 1895. Beyond the liturgy, the monks serve Saint Martin's University as administrators, teachers, and counselors, and assist at parishes and hospitals across the region, making the abbey church a true hub of Benedictine hospitality, formation, and outreach.
Mass times at St. Martin's University Abbey Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Saint Martin's Abbey & University Abbey Church
Saint Martin's Abbey is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery of about 20 monks in Lacey, Washington, and the Abbey Church is its public house of worship. The abbey belongs to the American-Cassinese Benedictine Congregation and the Benedictine Confederation, and falls within the Archdiocese of Seattle (current archbishop: Most Rev. Paul D. Etienne, D.D.). The abbey church is open to the public for daily and Sunday Mass as well as the community's celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours.
- Founded as a priory in 1895; raised to an abbey in 1914
- Part of the American-Cassinese Benedictine Congregation
- Within the Archdiocese of Seattle
- Address: 5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey, WA 98503-3200
Abbey History
The community traces its origin to 1891, when monks of Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota, came west to serve Holy Rosary Parish in Tacoma. In 1894 the Abbot of Saint John's purchased the 571-acre Section 16 site in Lacey for $6,920. A dependent priory was erected in 1895, an independent priory under Father Demetrius Juenemann, O.S.B., in 1904, and an abbey under Father Oswald Baran, O.S.B., in 1914. From the beginning the monks combined monastic prayer with educational and pastoral work — a tradition that continues through Saint Martin's University and ministry at parishes and hospitals.
- 1891: Monks from Saint John's Abbey (MN) arrive at Holy Rosary Parish, Tacoma
- 1894: 571 acres in Lacey purchased at public auction for $6,920
- 1895: Dependent priory erected; Saint Martin's College founded
- 1904: Independent priory; Father Demetrius Juenemann, O.S.B., first Prior
- 1914: Raised to abbey status; Father Oswald Baran, O.S.B., first Abbot
- Early 1940s: Grade school dropped; college becomes four-year
- Mid-1970s: Monks focus solely on the college as educational apostolate
- 2005: Designated a university — Saint Martin's University
Abbey Church Architecture
The current Abbey Church was designed by Bennett, Johnson, and Associates of Olympia, Washington, and completed in 1971. Its octagonal worship space is built of brick and western red cedar. Visitors enter through an atrium and fountain area, oriented toward a cross-topped tower, and then into the central liturgical space centered around a moveable altar with chairs for the congregation — a flexible design that dispenses with traditional fixed pews.
- Architect: Bennett, Johnson, and Associates (Olympia, WA)
- Completed: 1971
- Octagonal floor plan
- Materials: brick and western red cedar
- Moveable altar and movable chairs (no fixed pews)
- Entrance atrium with fountain and cross-topped tower
Abbots of Saint Martin's Abbey
Saint Martin's has been led by nine abbots since its elevation to abbey status in 1914. The current abbot, Rt. Rev. Marion Qui-Thac Nguyen, O.S.B., was elected in 2020. The full succession is published on the abbey website's deceased confreres page, where the dates of death of each former abbot are also recorded.
- Oswald Baran, O.S.B. — 1914–1928 (first abbot)
- Lambert Burton, O.S.B. — 1928–1943
- Raphael Heider, O.S.B. — 1943–1964
- Gerald Desmond, O.S.B. — 1964–1972
- Dunstan Curtis, O.S.B. — 1972–1977
- Adrian Parcher, O.S.B. — 1977–1986
- Conrad Rausch, O.S.B. — 1986–1993
- Neal Roth, O.S.B. — 1993–2020
- Marion Qui-Thac Nguyen, O.S.B. — 2020–present (current)
Benedictine Spirituality & Daily Life
Following the Rule of Saint Benedict, the monks hold the public communal prayer of the Church — the Opus Dei or 'Work of God' — at the center of their lives. They also practice Lectio Divina, the prayerful reading of Scripture. Beyond prayer, Benedictine teaching sees work as a holy service: monks serve at Saint Martin's University as administrators, teachers, auxiliary personnel, and counselors, and they are actively engaged in pastoral ministry at Archdiocesan parishes and hospitals throughout the Pacific Northwest.
- Follows the Rule of Saint Benedict
- Communal prayer: Liturgy of the Hours (Opus Dei)
- Lectio Divina (prayerful reading of Scripture)
- Work apostolate: Saint Martin's University
- Pastoral ministry: Archdiocesan parishes and hospitals
Saint Martin's University
Founded alongside the priory in 1895 and designated a university in 2005, Saint Martin's University is the primary apostolate of the Abbey. The school began as an all-boys grade school, high school, and two-year college housed in 'Old Main,' evolved into a four-year co-educational institution, and now serves as the abbey's principal work of Benedictine education in Western Washington.
- Founded 1895
- Designated a university in 2005
- Primary apostolate of Saint Martin's Abbey
- Monks serve as administrators, faculty, and counselors
The Monks
Saint Martin's Abbey is currently home to 20 monks — both priests and brothers — each with a unique vocation story. In addition to their monastic life of prayer, they serve in a variety of roles at Saint Martin's University and assist at parishes and hospitals across the Pacific Northwest. The abbey maintains an online directory through the Saint Martin's University website identifying current monks such as Fr. Peter (Thomas) Tynan, O.S.B., Fr. Kilian Malvey, O.S.B., Prior Nicolaus (Gilbert) Wilson, O.S.B., and Brothers Bede (Craig) Nicol, Aelred (Michael) Woodard, Boniface Lazzari, and Luke (Bret) Divine.
- Approximately 20 vowed monks (as of 2020)
- Both priests and brothers in community
- Serve in university, parish, and hospital ministry
Patron — Saint Martin of Tours
The abbey and university take their name from Saint Martin of Tours, the fourth-century servant of God best known for cutting his cloak to share with a beggar. Martin was chosen by the people of Tours as their bishop — a role he reluctantly accepted — and went on to found roughly 3,500 churches. In artistic works he is often shown as a cavalryman dividing his cloak, or with a flock of geese recalling the tradition of his election. His feast day is November 11.
- Patron: Saint Martin of Tours
- Feast day: November 11
- Symbols: cavalryman with cloak, flock of geese
- Founded about 3,500 churches as bishop of Tours
Visit & Contact
The Abbey Church at 5000 Abbey Way SE in Lacey, Washington, is on the Saint Martin's University campus. Visitors are warmly invited to share in the monks' communal prayer and daily/Sunday Masses; the abbey's Contact Us page provides a form for general inquiries, and the Saint Martin's University directory offers individual contact information for the monks.
- Address: 5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey, WA 98503-3200
- Website: https://stmartinsabbey.org
- University directory of monks: https://www.stmartin.edu/directory/offices-departments-directory/saint-martins-abbey
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rt. Rev. Oswald Baran, O.S.B.1914–1928
First abbot of Saint Martin's Abbey
- Rt. Rev. Lambert Burton, O.S.B.1928–1943
Second abbot
- Rt. Rev. Raphael Heider, O.S.B.1943–1964
Third abbot; elected 1943
- Rt. Rev. Gerald Desmond, O.S.B.1964–1972
Fourth abbot
- Rt. Rev. Dunstan Curtis, O.S.B.1972–1977
Fifth abbot
- Rt. Rev. Adrian Parcher, O.S.B.1977–1986
Sixth abbot; classical music concerts held in Abbey Church in 1980 for 1500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Benedict
- Rt. Rev. Conrad Rausch, O.S.B.1986–1993
Seventh abbot; elected May 23, 1986
- Rt. Rev. Neal Roth, O.S.B.1993–2020
Eighth abbot; elected May 28, 1993
- Rt. Rev. Marion Qui-Thac Nguyen, O.S.B.2020–present
Ninth and current abbot