Benedictine University to Become an Independent Catholic University

Benedictine University, along with St. Procopius Abbey and the Diocese of Joliet, announced today that the University will now be deemed an independent Catholic university within the Diocese of Joliet.

St. Procopius Abbey, a Benedictine monastery of men located in Lisle, Illinois, founded the school in 1887 as part of its work to promote and further Catholic education, especially in serving Czech and Slovak Catholics immigrating into the United States. Formerly named St. Procopius College and later Illinois Benedictine College, the University has continued to provide students with a transformative and integrated educational experience grounded in Catholic doctrine and Benedictine values.

As an independent university within the Diocese of Joliet, Benedictine University will be governed by a board of trustees who will uphold its Catholic and Benedictine identity. The University will continue its dedication to scholarship, service, truth, and justice, as inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition and social teachings of the Church.

Together we support Benedictine University’s century-plus tradition of teaching, learning and faith, and we commit to building Benedictine even stronger in its new independent status within the Diocese of Joliet.

President Charles W. Gregory
President, Benedictine University

Rt. Reverend Austin G. Murphy, OSB
Abbot, St. Procopius Abbey

Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks
Bishop of Joliet