The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-18

dictines were called. They established
schools and monaSteries where Christian
teachers were trained and where the old
classic learning was preserved. They
strengthened the Christian faith amona
the native population, overcoming the
last remnants of paganism and finally
they won over the Germanic conquerors
themselves.
The order grew rapidly Before his
death st. Benedict sent st. Placidus to
Sicily and st. Maurus to France. Bene-
dictines were the apostles of Burgundy,
Flanders, Holland, England, Switzerland,
Germany Norway and Sweden In all
the Benedictines converted some thirty
kingdoms and provinces, to Christianity.
and when they had converted a province
their work had but just begun The peo-
pie were still imbued with pagan ideas
which it took generations to eradicate
All they had learned was war and rude
kind of agriculture. 1t was the en-
deavor of the monasteries to spread as
much learning as the times would per-
nit to train men in the various handi-
crafts and to teach improved methods Of
agriculture. Each monastery had its
own farm lands, the cultivation of which
served as an object lesson for the coun-
try people. The monks cleared forests.
drained swamps and built bridges. They
planted the monastery in desert and
to a town; then became a flourishing
city Such is in epitone the history of
many large European city Of today.
A Benedictine, the great Alcuin, teach
er of Charlemagne, was the founder Of
the great Paris university wherein at
one time 10000 students received instruc-
ton. In fact nearly all the great uni
versities of the Middle Ages, among them
Oxford, were founded by the Benedic-
tines.
1t was slow work, retaining the peo-
pie Of Northern Europe from warfare
and winning the mover to the arts of
peace The feudal lords preferred to rob
and plumber as freebooters. The I'M
daunted monks preached divine retribu-
ton with zeal that made many a noble
freebooter falter and repent. And If all
efforts failed and the city was turned
into ruins and ashes, the monastery was
held sacred and inviolable. It's treasures
of art and learning were safe against
fire and pillage
But not always safe. At times fierce
heather Asiatic tribes related to the
Huns made incursions that extended even
to the banks of the Rhine Moving swift
ly on horseba ok from place to place they
slaughtered and burned everything before
them. Then, when the distant glare of
burning villages announced their coming,
the peasants would flock to the neigh
| hind it's massive walls, and it was moth
ing uncommon If on the following morn
ing the monks took up sword and spear
and with the men of the countryside
marched out to drive back the savage
foe or die in defense of home and altar
A very picturesque view of the activity
of the monks in the early middle ages
has been given by Scheffel in his novel
''Ekkehart,' which has also been trans
lated into English.
And If on such occasions they did use
| the sword effectively it is not to be
wondered at. Most of them were prob
ably the sons of men that enjoyed q
| good fight better than anything else.
Many of them had spent years in the
camp and on the battlefield before they
felt themselves called to the monastic
life. Princes and kings often gave up
their titles and honors to become simple
monks. Up to the fourteenth century
| it's ranks twenty emperors, forty-seveu
| kings, twenty sons of emperors and for
| ty-eight sons OF kings, and at one time
! the order had as many as 1000 houses
| or monaSteries. At present the order Is
! but shadow Of its former self, still It
numbers 5000 or 1000 members, and IS
| spread all over the globe. During the
| last twenty-five years it has gained very
| rapidly, and at the present rate it may
| before long regain its former standing.
The first Christian missionary that ever
| tives was the Benedictine Don Buell., Of
Catalonia. who came to America with
twelve other priests in 1894 The first
| Benedictine monastery on the American
| continent was founded at San Salvador,
Brazil. III 1892
In 1916, the Rt. Rev. Abbot Boniface
| WINNER came to the United States with
| a colony of Benedictines and located in
| Pennsylvania where he built the mon
astery of st. Vincent's. Soon other mon
! asteries were founded until the Benedic-
tine order in the United States now
counts among it's members two bishops,
thirteen abbots. about 600 monks and $50
lay brothers. 1t owns and conducts fiji
teen monasteries and sixteen colleges.
st. Vincent's, Pennsylvania. is the largest
Benedictine monastery in the world.
In 1856 Abbot WINNER sent several
members of the order to begin founda-
ton in Minnesota. They located at first
near ST. Cloud, which ut that time con-
sisted Of only a few frame houses. In
1865 the present location on Lake Saga
tagan was selected The first abbot was
the Rev. Rupert Seidenbush who was
succeeded by the Rev. Alexius Edelbrocls,
who in turn was succeeded by the Rev.
Bernard Locnikar. The present abbot
Is the Rev. Peter Engel, noted for his
learning and geniality.
Besides the large main building, library,
gymnasium, waterWorks and observatory
there is also large steam heating plant
/ and an electric light plant. A farm and
an extensive garden belonging to the