Saint John’s Abbey Cemetery

Saint John's Abbey's first cemetery (c. 1869) was established in the area in front of the present-day Great Hall and of the Abbey Church. In 1876, due to the growing campus's need for more building space, the cemetery was relocated to its present site overlooking Lake Sagatagan. This move also required the re-interment of three monks and three university students who had been buried in the original cemetery (you will find these former students' sites marked with old cement crosses– located in the farthest back row of the parish's cemetery section.) The hillside site continues to serve the monks of Saint John's and the local parishioners of Saint John the Baptist Church, Collegeville. 

The monastic work of caring for the deceased is a mandate that extends not only to their community but to all alumni/ae, faculty, staff, Oblates and friends of Saint John's Abbey. In 2007, an expansion to the monastic and parish sections resulted in the design of the Saint John's Alumni and Friends Cemetery. Within the cemetery, the landscape design incorporates views of the lake and the nearby woods, with the addition of more trees, shrubs, and flowers to enhance the natural environment of the cemetery. Spiritual support for those left to grieve and remember their loved ones is a major priority of this ministry as well. When a cemetery service is eventually needed, the Saint John's monastic community is on hand to conduct the blessing and to pray with the family.

“Many former students, friends, and neighbors of Saint John's, for a variety of reasons, feel a strong bond with Saint John's," says Fr. Don Talafous, OSB. “They think of interment in our cemetery as a sort of 'homecoming' which gives them a sense of closeness to the whole Saint John's family: graduates, friends, Abbey members present and deceased – and to the place. We're honored that so many choose Saint John's for their cemetery, and we strive to be sensitive to the needs of their families at such a momentous time.”

If you would like to learn more about the Saint John's Abbey Cemetery ministry, view the website at saintjohnsabbeycemetery.org or call the cemetery office at 320-363-3434.