The occurrence of sexual abuse is devastating to the victims and a grievous wound to communities of faith. Recent media coverage in Minnesota of allegations against some members of the monastery prior to 1990 are deeply disturbing. We can lament the coverage, but the pain many feel is real and Saint John’s is committed to addressing it.
Saint John’s University works hard to provide a safe environment for our students – a place where they can grow in knowledge and understanding while they develop spiritually and emotionally; a place where every individual is treated with dignity, respect and care. As thousands of alumni and current students testify, Saint John’s has always been, and will continue to be, an excellent place to gain an education that lasts a lifetime. Workshops and orientation sessions for faculty and staff, classes on “Skills for Healthy Living” for first-year students, and a student/peer educator project are among the University’s ongoing initiatives to ensure an environment in which fundamental human rights to safety and respect are honored. The Student Development and Human Rights Offices have long provided a full range of high-quality programs to increase student, faculty and staff awareness of human rights issues and to prevent the occurrence of sexual abuse and exploitation. We are very serious about this work.
The leader of Saint John’s Abbey, Abbot John Klassen, OSB, has taken a proactive role in reviewing allegations and instances of sexual abuse. The Abbey does not tolerate sexual abuse or any form of exploitation, and Abbot John has been forthright in bringing awareness of all allegations to the Saint John’s community and to the public. The Abbey has worked and continues to work today to achieve resolution and healing.
Please feel free to call my office or our Institutional Advancement Office if you have questions; you may call John Young at 320-363-2592 or my office at 320-363-2246, or you may email me at dreinhart@csbsju.edu.
Br. Dietrich Reinhart, OSB
President
[Date Unknown in 2002]
