The Mount Angel Seminary was originally attached to the Mount Angel College which was established by the Monks of Mount Angel Abbey in 1887. The college had to close down during the 1970s due to the increasing costs of operation but the seminary continued its operation. It is located at One Abbey Drive, St. Benedict, Oregon.
The seminary maintains a total enrollment of just under 200. At present, there are about 114 seminarians from at least 30 dioceses, 40 candidates for priestly formation and 25 lay students working towards advanced degrees in theology. It is a fully accredited academic institution with policies and mission written in conformity with The Program of Priestly Formation of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Estimated annual total cost of attendance is $ 27,486.00.
Comprised of the Graduate School of Theology and a College of the Liberal Arts, Mount Angel Seminary seeks to educate men and women intent on pursuing a theological education. The seminary’s library serves scholarly and recreational needs of students and patrons. It is housed in a world-renowned building designed by Alvar Aalto, a famous Finnish architect. The Abbey Retreat House provides a place of quiet for prayer and reflection to men and women of all faiths.
The Abbey History in Oregon started from a small group of monks who came from Switzerland. It was Father Adelhelm Odermatt however, who decided to establish a new monastery that would be less influenced by the German Beuronese Reform Movement. He finally settled in a butte with views of the Cascade Mountain Range in the thick fir forest of the Willamette Valley as the site of the new monastery. It was said to remind the monks of the Swiss Alps they left behind.