by Martin Brodner, O.S.B.

How did it all get started: that the Benedictine monks built a monastery on the open plains of central Saskatchewan? Many factors contributed to it.

First, the Canadian Pacific Railway cut across southern Saskatchewan (then known as the North West Territories) in 1885. In the northern United States the land was settled up to the Canadian borders. In 1900 western Canada was advertised for immigrants, and many along the border--including Minnesotans--welcomed the opportunity for obtaining land.

Secondly, these early settlers at once felt the need for spiritual care. One of these wrote to his pastor--Fr. Conrad Glatzmeier O.S.B. in Albany, Minnesota--appealing for this spiritual help. Fr. Conrad brought the matter to the attention of his abbot, Peter Engel O.S.B., of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville Minnesota. The interest for the spiritual venture was there. The abbot sent Fr. Bruno Doerfler on an exploratory expedition. Three prominent men, H. J. Haskamp, Moritz and Henry Hoeschen, volunteered to accompany him. They left in mid-August, 1902.

A second trip took place at the end of September with Fr. Conrad and Hermann Bergmann O.S.B.; John and Moritz Hoeschen accompanying them. They went east as far as Willmont, Pilger, and Fulda. At Rosthern they selected their homesteads. In honor of Abbot Peter Engel, to whom the colony owed so much, it was called St. Peter's Colony. The monks of St. John's Abbey favored the proposition to start a new monastery in this colony.

An unexpected turn of events followed. St. Vincent's Archabbey had founded a new monastery at Cluny, Illinois, in 1892. However, the malaria-infested swamps of their lands forced the Cluny monks to look elsewhere to a more favorable climate. In 1901 Fr. Alfred Mayer O.S.B. had been appointed its second prior. By a stroke of good fortune his abbot, Peter Engel suggested that he relocated his struggling community in this new colony.

Fr. Alfred called his chapter members together for a meeting in Assumption Church rectory, St. Paul Minnesota, December 22 1902. The vote was unanimously in favor of this offer.

Fr. Alfred wasted no time in acting on this decision. In early January he made a first trip to the Colony with Fr. Bruno, contacted Bishop Pascal of Prince Albert for permission to found a monastery in his diocese, and laid claim to several homesteads for his monks as the site of the new monastery. Fr. Alfred made a second and third trip to the Colony in February and early April, and summoned his monks to assemble at St. John's Abbey. They left for the Colony on May 12, 1903, arriving at Rosthern May 15.