Benedictines (OSB)

60th Profession

Father R. Benedict Allin

First profession: 1961

Ordination: 1967

Education: Bachelor's degree, Saint Louis University, 1960

Seminary preparation for the priesthood, 1963-67

Ordination at the Saint Louis Priory, 1967

Master's in education and theology Saint Louis University, 1980

Service in the archdiocese: French, Scripture and prayer teacher, and cross country and track coach, Saint Louis Priory School, 1967-90

Associate pastor, Saint Anselm Parish, Creve Coeur, 1992-2015

Senior priest in residence, Saint Anselm Parish, 2015-19

Chaplaincy team, Saint Louis Priory School, 2019-present

Service outside the archdiocese: Sabbatical, San Anselmo, Rome, 1990-91

Chaplain for the Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey, Worcester, England, 1991-92

About Father R. Benedict Allin: My present job is as a member of the Priory chaplaincy team, involving working with all the chaplaincy activities, but especially with the activity, we call "Lectio/Tutoria." Lectio is the sharing of Scripture in prayer, and Tutoria is a small group. This activity involves the whole school including many of the faculty. Our inspiration dates back to the beginning of the 2000s, when a number of St. Louis monks, including myself, first went to Santiago, Chile, to learn the culture and practice of Lectio from members of the lay movement there: "the Manquehue Apostolic Movement." This movement continues to have close relations with the English Benedictine Congregation. Four abbeys of the congregation have a similar program, two in England, and Portsmouth Abbey, Rhode Island, and ourselves in the United States.