Mount Angel Abbey

Mount Angel Abbey's sign welcoming visitors at the base of Mount Angel

Mount Angel Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks near the city of Mt. Angel, Oregon, United States. It was established in 1882 from the Abbey of Engelberg, Switzerland. The abbey, located on the top of Mount Angel, a 485-foot high butte, has its own post office separate from the city of Mt. Angel's—Saint Benedict. The library at the abbey was designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

Mount Angel Seminary, which was originally part of the now defunct Mount Angel College, serves numerous western dioceses and currently has over 200 students. The make up of the seminary population is 40% Anglo-American and 60% minorities, primarily Hispanic, Vietnamese, and Filipino.^{[citation needed]}

The Seminary's main church has a tower that contains the largest free-swinging bells on the west coast.

The Seminary has two programs, for undergraduate studies and for graduate studies. The undergraduate program is devoted towards a bachelor's degree in Philosophy. However, students can opt to 'double major' in two other fields, Religious Studies or Literature. Many of the students from the undergraduate degree program continue on to study in Rome, San Francisco, Chicago, Leuven, and Washington D.C.

Mount Angel Abbey Museum

The Mount Angel Abbey Museum is a collection of assorted artifacts, including mounted animal dioramas, rocks and minerals, antique liturgical vestments and religious items, and American Civil War memorabilia. The museum is open to the public daily.

See also

• Westminster Abbey (British Columbia)
• Engelberg Abbey The parent-abbey of Mount Angel

External links

Mount Angel Abbey's church building. Photo shows construction underway in 2007 which added a tower and a ring of eight bells.

• Mount Angel Abbey (official website)
• Photos by talkingcrow at flickr
• Mount Angel Abbey Museum