Alumni Giving Appeal
2026 Alumni Giving Appeal
Thank you for your continued support.
Funds raised through this appeal were used to transform the student oratory. Your generosity allowed us to install a beautifully handcrafted reredos, complete a lighting redesign, purchase a stunning new tabernacle, and holy water fonts for each entrance. We have enclosed photos of everything your gift made possible.
The following is the 2026 Alumni Giving Appeal Letter from Fr. Matthew Clark, O.S.B.
Dear St. Ben’s Alumni,
“Have them make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.” — Exodus 25:8
As another academic year begins, I graciously reflect on your generosity and support of our seminary community and the young men entrusted to our care. This Fall we welcomed 111 young men to campus (47 new students) to follow the path God has called them to.
Today, I invite you to join us in a particularly meaningful endeavor: Reimagining and enhancing our student oratory, the sacred space at the heart of our seminary community.
As many of you know, the oratory has a unique history. What began as a language laboratory has, over the years, been repurposed into a place of prayer and worship. Today, it serves as a gathering place for our students, formators, and spiritual directors - a place where the seminary community comes together before the Lord in prayer, the celebration of the Eucharist, and quiet reflection.
Our students have long expressed a desire to see this sacred space transformed so that it might more prayerfully direct their hearts and minds toward our Mission and the reason they are here: to discern their path as they seek to serve the Church as missionary disciples in love with Jesus Christ.
This summer, we began that transformation. We repainted the space, added lighting over the Stations of the Cross, selected sanctuary lighting appropriate to a worship environment, and began installing the reredos behind the altar, beautifully crafted for us by Abbey Woodworks. I have included pictures of our progress. Our hope is that this transformed oratory will continue to be shaped into a place where the presence of God is encountered in a profound way - a place where generations of young men will kneel, pray, worship, and listen for the voice of the Lord.
While improvements are ongoing, there is still more to accomplish so I humbly turn to you, our faithful Alumni with a request that you prayerfully consider making a gift to help offset the $48,500 cost of this project. Your generosity will not simply improve a gathering space. It will shape the spiritual home of future priests and holy men of God who will serve the Church.
Thank you for all that you have done for our seminary, for your continued prayers for our formation staff and our students, and for the many ways you have answered the call and helped sustain this community through the years. I look forward to sharing the results of what your gift will make possible.
May the Lord bless you abundantly and may He continue to use this sacred space to form missionary disciples who are deeply in love with Jesus Christ and ready to serve His Church.
In Christ,
Very Reverend Matthew Clark, O.S.B. (‘80)
President-Rector
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Make a check payable to the Saint Joseph Abbey and mail to:
Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College
75376 River Road
St. Benedict, LA 70457
Attn: Alumni Giving Appeal
Questions? Contact Debb De Noux at 985-867-2264 or ddenoux@sjasc.edu.
