Saint John’s Abbey

As gesture of unity and an opportunity for spiritual renewal, the Benedictine Pilgrimage of Hope, will take place Saturday, Sept. 6, inviting everyone to join in prayer and a five-mile walk along the Wobegon Trail.

The pilgrimage starts at 7:30 a.m. August 7 at the Divine Mercy Shrine at St. Paul’s in Sauk Centre and will make stops at Saint John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, Assumption (Grasshopper) Chapel in Cold Spring, St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud, St. Clare’s Monastery in Sauk Rapids and the Crosier Priory in Onamia before returning to Sauk Centre by 7:30 p.m.

As they processed the news of the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, the leaders of the five religious communities in the Diocese of St. Cloud recalled what his papacy — with his emphasis on listening to and walking with those on the margins and concern for the care of God’s creation — has meant to their communities and the impact it has had on their ministries.

Longtime prayer group of women partake in local pilgrimage inspired by the Jubilee Passport Project.

When Benedictine Father John Klassen’s 23-year run as abbot of Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville ended in January 2024, he was asked what was next on his agenda.
Recognizing the need for Hispanic/Latino ministry in the Diocese in St. Cloud, he said his plan was to “work hard to become competent in Spanish.”

Benedictine Father Joel Kelly, 80, died June 8 in the retirement center at St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, June 13, at 10:30 a.m. (livestreamed at www.saintjohnsabbey.org/live).