# St. John's Abbey *Monastic community in Collegeville, Minnesota, that released files in 2016 on eighteen monks accused of abusing children.* St. John's Abbey is a monastic community in Collegeville, [[Minnesota]].[^1][^2] In 2016 the abbey released files on eighteen of its monks. National Catholic Reporter described the release as a 15,000-page disclosure. The abbey stated that seven of the eighteen men remained on campus under monitored safety plans.[^3][^4] The 2016 release came after years of private resolution. According to the project's at-issue record, the abbey settled claims regarding approximately eleven monks in 2002, the period covered by National Catholic Reporter's December 13, 2002 series *Scandal at the Abbey*.[^5] The same record says the abbey announced a further settlement in 2011 and that neither resolution was accompanied by published files. Anderson Advocates reported that the names of accused monks were released as part of a lawsuit settlement.[^6] Whether the release was complete is disputed. Patrick Marker, a member of the abbey's own [[External Review Board]] from 2003 to 2006, publicly said the list was incomplete.[^7] No independent finding in the record resolves that dispute. The project located no [[Minnesota Attorney General]] investigation of the abbey's records custody.[^7] ## Who - The abbey's website maintains a page for one of its monks, Father Paul Benno Marx, OSB.[^8] - The 2016 release concerned eighteen monks of the abbey. Bring Me The News reported them as accused of abusing children.[^7][^3] - Patrick Marker served on the abbey's External Review Board from 2003 to 2006. He later publicly disputed the completeness of the 2016 list.[^7] ## What - In 2016 the abbey released files on eighteen monks, totalling about 15,000 pages, according to National Catholic Reporter.[^3] - The abbey also issued a statement on the status of the named men:[^3] - seven remained on campus under monitored safety plans; - nine had died; - two had left monastic life. - The [[Star Tribune]] covered the release.[^4] In a separate report, it said the abbey named 18 monks; the record does not give that report's date.[^9] - Anderson Advocates reported that the names were released as part of a lawsuit settlement.[^6] ## When - 2002: the abbey settled claims regarding approximately eleven monks, according to the project's at-issue record, which rests on the National Catholic Reporter series of December 13, 2002.[^5] - 2003–2006: Patrick Marker served on the abbey's External Review Board.[^7] - 2011: the abbey announced a further settlement, according to the same at-issue record.[^5] - 2016: the abbey released files on eighteen monks and issued its statement on their status.[^3][^4] ## Where - The abbey is in Collegeville, Minnesota.[^1][^2] - The Historical Marker Database catalogues a marker titled *St. John's Abbey & University*.[^10] ## How - Seven of the living men remained on campus under monitored safety plans.[^3][^4] - The cited sources describe those plans only through the abbey's own statement.[^3] ## How many - 18 monks were named in the 2016 release.[^3][^7] - Of the 18, the abbey reported seven on campus, nine deceased, and two who had left monastic life.[^3] - The release ran to about 15,000 pages.[^3] - The 2002 settlement concerned approximately eleven monks.[^5] ## In the at-issue record The project's at-issue record holds four rows on the abbey. Each is paired with a presidential action as the project's anchor document. In each row, the abbey's own account of its disclosure is set beside a documented counterpoint. **Disclosure and the review-board dispute.** The abbey's 15,000-page release covered eighteen monks. Patrick Marker, who had served on the abbey's External Review Board, publicly said the list was incomplete.[^3][^7] The project anchors this row to the March 2026 presidential action *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud*.[^11] **Settlements before disclosure.** The abbey settled claims regarding approximately eleven monks in 2002.[^5] It announced a further settlement in 2011. Both came before the 2016 release, and the record does not show that either was accompanied by published files. The project anchors this row to the March 2025 presidential action *Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos*.[^12] **Men remaining on campus.** The abbey stated that seven of the eighteen named monks remained on campus under monitored safety plans.[^3][^4] The project anchors this row to the March 2026 action.[^11] **State investigation.** The project located no Minnesota Attorney General investigation of the records custody of the [[Diocese of St. Cloud]] or of St. John's Abbey. The project flags this as a negative finding. The same row notes two further points: - Attorneys general in other states have produced diocesan investigation reports. - In Stearns County, the clergy record was resolved by private plaintiffs and a bankruptcy trustee.[^11] In the parallel diocesan record, Anderson Advocates reported that a June 22, 2015 Stearns County District Court ruling allowed survivors' public nuisance claim against the Diocese of St. Cloud to proceed.[^13] ## Notes [^1]: Saint John's Abbey, *Saint John's Abbey* (official website) — the community's own site, Collegeville. https://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/ [^2]: Wikipedia, *Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville* — location of the abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John%27s_Abbey,_Collegeville [^3]: National Catholic Reporter, *Sexual abuse at St. John's Abbey revealed in 15,000-page disclosure* (2016) — files on eighteen monks; the abbey's statement that seven remained on campus under monitored safety plans, nine had died and two had left monastic life. https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/sexual-abuse-st-johns-abbey-revealed-15000-page-disclosure [^4]: Star Tribune, report on St. John's Abbey's release of files on monks accused of abuse (2016) — the release and the seven men remaining on campus. https://www.startribune.com/in-a-landmark-move-st-john-s-abbey-releases-files-on-accused-of-abuse-monks/365821711 [^5]: National Catholic Reporter, *Scandal at the Abbey*, Pt. 1 (December 13, 2002), via BishopAccountability.org — source for the 2002 settlement period cited in the project's at-issue record. https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/2002_12_13_NationalCatholicReporter_ScandalAt_Cosmas_Dahlheimer_ETC_4.htm [^6]: Anderson Advocates, *St. John's Abbey released names of accused as part of lawsuit settlement* — reports that the names were released as part of a lawsuit settlement. https://www.andersonadvocates.com/news/st-johns-abbey-released-names-of-accused-as-part-of-lawsuit-settlement/ [^7]: Bring Me The News, *St. John's Abbey releases files on 18 monks accused of abusing children* (2016) — the release of files on eighteen monks and the completeness dispute raised by Patrick Marker, External Review Board member 2003–2006. https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/st-johns-abbey-releases-files-on-18-monks-accused-of-abusing-children [^8]: Saint John's Abbey, *Father Paul Benno Marx, OSB* — the abbey's page on one of its monks. https://saintjohnsabbey.org/father-paul-benno-marx-osb [^9]: Star Tribune, *St. John's Abbey names 18 abusing monks* (date not given in the record) — reports that the abbey named 18 monks. https://www.startribune.com/st-john-s-abbey-names-18-abusing-monks/235170011/ [^10]: Historical Marker Database, *St. John's Abbey & University Historical Marker* — catalogue entry for the marker. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=78128 [^11]: The White House, *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud* (March 2026) — presidential action used as the project's anchor document for at-issue rows AI-Stearns-009, -073 and -074. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/establishing-the-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud/ [^12]: The White House, *Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos* (March 2025) — presidential action used as the project's anchor document for at-issue row AI-Stearns-072. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/stopping-waste-fraud-and-abuse-by-eliminating-information-silos/ [^13]: Anderson Advocates, *Court rules that survivors' public nuisance claim against Diocese of St. Cloud may proceed* — the Stearns County District Court ruling against the Diocese of St. Cloud. https://www.andersonadvocates.com/news/court-rules-that-survivors-public-nuisance-claim-against-diocese-of-st-cloud-may-proceed/