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.
Beginnings
The Episcopal House of Prayer went through many iterations and names on its path to where it is today.
The idea of the House of Prayer—referred to in the early days as “The Dream”—was first discussed in 1981. The dream was for a place apart, where spiritual seekers could pray, explore, build community, and satisfy their deep need for spiritual nourishment. It was first called 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. This was the first time a non-Catholic bishop had been in residence and in on-going prayer with the Saint John’s community, and it 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, championed the dream from the beginning and worked steadily to develop and draw other clergy into the project
- Bill Franklin kept 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, attended to the practical details of making the vision a reality, while honoring the profoundly spiritual core of the project
Watch Joyce McFarland describe, in her own words, what the House of Prayer meant to her:
From Dream to Reality
After almost a decade of dreaming, planning, strategizing, and intense fundraising, ground finally broke on the House of Prayer, making history. As Bill Franklin said: “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.”
On October 7, 1985 the House of Prayer was legally incorporated. 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)
- Rev. Matthew Cobb (2017)
- Christine Luna Munger (2019-Present)
Milestones
For nearly 40 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:
- 1985: On October 7, the House of Prayer is legally incorporated
- 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 non-Episcopal, non-clergy, under-40, female Director of the House
An Oral History
In May 2001, Krista Tippett was commissioned to compile an oral history of the House of Prayer.
