72nd Anniversary of the Abbey Church

By: Emily Miller, Contributing Writer

The Saint Leo University Abbey Church celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its consecration on Jan. 29. While the Abbey Church was built in 1935, it was not consecrated until 1948, finalizing it as a sacred place of worship. The Abbey Church was celebrated through a mass, held by the Benedictine monks and Abbott Isaac Camacho, OSB, from 10 AM to 11 AM. The mass is celebrated every year in order to recognize both the history of the Abbey Church and what the church provides to the Saint Leo community.

Camacho delivered the homily and began by explaining the process of building the Abbey Church. He addressed the questions that had to be answered: what will the building look like and who will be present in the Abbey Church? When the church was first built, children as young as 10 or 11 years old attended Saint Leo and attended mass at the Abbey Church. The history of the building itself and those that have been in it is fascinating, but Camacho wanted to touch on the purpose of the building as well. The Abbey Church is a means of gathering to talk to God, so Camacho emphasized the importance and meaning of prayer.

Although the mass was only an hour, the consecration of the Abbey Church itself was several hours long.

“When we pray, it is not to know God but exposing ourselves in the presence of God so that He may know us,” said Camacho.

His words reached a variety of people as not everyone in attendance was associated with Saint Leo.

Sister Mary Ralph, a sister of Notre Dame from Toledo, Ohio, was on sabbatical at Saint Leo to relax and pray. She had seen the notice for the anniversary mass on a tour of Saint Leo the previous day.

“I liked seeing the Benedictine priests and friars and their participation at the occasion,” said Ralph.

Despite the anniversary’s limited attendance, it’s clear the mass was a success as it brought those from outside the Saint Leo community to celebrate the university’s history and its dedication to God.

The bishop who consecrated the Abbey Church was Bishop Thomas J. McDonough.

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