Located at the geographical heart of the state in Collegeville, the House embodies a shared ecumenical vision between the Episcopal Church of Minnesota and Saint John’s Abbey, the dream of Bishop Robert (Bob) Anderson and Abbot Jerome Theisen. Below is a brief history, however you can read an in-depth Oral History [PDF].
The Episcopal House of Prayer went through many iterations and names on its path to where it is today.
Beginnings
The idea of the House of Prayer was originally discussed in 1981. In the early days, it was referred to as “The Dream” – the dream was for a place apart to explore and satisfy a deep need for spiritual nourishment and the dynamic relationship between our prayer life and social justice. Then it was the Spirituality Center, and later the Episcopal Center/Collegeville, before becoming the Episcopal House of Prayer.
Bishop Bob Anderson initially contacted Abbot Jerome Theisen of Saint John’s (who later became Abbot Primate of all Benedictines in Rome) to place an Episcopal bishop in residence at Saint John’s – which was the first time a non-Catholic bishop had been in residence and in on-going prayer with the Saint John’s community. This opened the door to the founding of the House of Prayer. Additional founders who made the Dream a reality include:
- George Richmond, the priest at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, St. Cloud, who championed the dream from the beginning and worked steadily develop and draw others clergy into the project
- Bill Franklin, keeping both Saint John’s and his fellow Episcopalians mindful of the importance and possibilities of the new relationship together
- Joyce McFarland, a committed layperson and skilled organizer on the ground, attending to the practical details of making the vision a reality, while profoundly honoring the spiritual dimension of the project
After almost a decade of dreaming, planning, strategizing, and intense fundraising to reach the needed amount for the project, ground finally broke on the House of Prayer, making history. As stated by Bill Franklin: “For the first time since 1533, a large Anglican Diocese and a large monastery in communion with the Roman See pledging to live together in a new way, at least for 75 years!”
On September 8, 1990, the House of Prayer building was dedicated. The House had 12 retreat rooms (8 singles, 4 doubles), a great room with vaulted ceilings and large stone fireplace, a prayer room, atrium, and dining and kitchen space. Eleven years later, in 2000, an Oratory particularly suited for contemplative prayer was built. The House of Prayer and its Oratory are a blend of wood, glass and stone, designed to evoke an experience of solitude and awareness of God’s presence.
The House of Prayer took nearly a decade from the dream to reality. It took four more years before the House had a permanent, full-time director. Directors over the years include:
- David Keller 1994-2002
- Ward Bauman 2002-2016
- Christine Luna Munger – Present Day Director
Milestones
For over 30 years, we have been welcoming groups and individuals into our living and sacred spaces for retreat, contemplation, and a time and space apart. There have been many milestones to be celebrated throughout this journey:
- 1990: On September 8, a gorgeous autumn day, the House of Prayer officially opens. During a moment of silence in the ceremony, thousands of birds suddenly flew in and landed in the trees above and began to sing. It was a remarkable moment for everyone present
- 1992: Before an official Director was chosen, Irma Wyman was assigned Deacon to the House of Prayer, known to many as the interim director
- 1994: After an extensive search, David Keller was named the first Director of the House of Prayer, and served for 8 years in the role, bringing a remarkable depth of both spiritual and programmatic leadership to the life of the House
- 2002: Ward Bauman becomes the second House Director, serving for 14 years
- 2004: The Contemplative Body was formed
- 2015: At the 25 year anniversary celebration, a milestone of $250k was raised
- 2019 – Present: Christine Luna Munger becomes the first female Director of the House
