The Abbey: A Journey
St. John’s Abby is located along I-94 in Minnesota, less than two hours north-west of Minneapolis/St. St. John’s Abbey, located on 26 acres adjacent to Lake Sagatagan in Minnesota’s rolling farms, is situated just a few hours northwest of Minneapolis/St.
Arriving in late March with sideways snow, not much, but enough to know you were in Minnesota—driving into the Abbey along a sweeping drive, the emergence of the Abbey Church is startling.
Recent Oscar-winning films have reexamined the brutalist architectural style. Marcel Breuer’s cement monument to faith, conceived in 1950, was a massive feat of engineering.
The “Bell Banner”, with its many bells, chimes for prayer three time a day. It is clear. Beautiful, raw and beckoning in its intent.
A Monastery that Has a Hotel Within It
It was my mission to improve the quality of life for the Benedictine Brothers. hotel’s sales performance St. John’s Abbey has a stunning, spare thirty-room jewel box, called “Guest House”.
I am not Catholic. I would describe myself as a failed Episcopalian. All of this is irrelevant. It was important that my host, Brother Benedict needed to make a profit.
Brother Benedict was not only my employer but also my mentor and inspiration. It is not an easy task to lead a Benedictine monastery, manage a collection of talented Monks and pay the payroll. He also prays at least three times every day. Everyday.
In 1950, there were 450 monks. Today, there are only 90. It is well known that the Catholic Church has been subjected to a series of outrageous events. A Conclave that begins tomorrow is not a small matter.
Now, let’s get back to brother Benedict. The man who has faith in his soul and a twinkle of joy in his eye. The critical skills of running a charitable, endowment leveraged, joyful expression of monastic artists who produce Church pipe organs, milled from lumber they harvest on property built over three years at a selling price of three million dollars with minimal margin, or pottery that rivals the world’s best in class, or St. John’s Bibles of gargantuan size lovingly scripted and illustrated complete bibles, or curating a library repository of the worlds Benedictine aspirations—is no small feat.
He has to manage a hotel as well.
Jewel Boxes of Hospitality
They do this spectacularly with Brother Isidore, a GM as we call him. It is a jewelbox. The Guest House is sparse in all furnishings, Scandinavian maybe, but Japanese for its simplicity, accents of glass and carved blocks, and prominent windows that let the light refract how it will.
Rooms are sparse, and designed to be quiet. There are no TVs. In my three days, I never missed it. The wall that faces their beautiful lake is dominated by a huge window. This property has been “originally equipped” for 14 years (no renovations). It is in immaculate condition. This property runs at close to 60% per year and 100% during the peak season.
The food was delicious. The staff attendant. The genuine hospitality evident. Yet the world is a tricky place when you minister to the poor, the downtrodden, the seekers, who at times cannot pay, who need a hand. It’s a fact of Benedictine service: you give comps. You have to, it is what you do.
Serving Guests, Serving Souls
The financial reality says, “Ah, within reason…”
So, on the culminating moment of the last day; six men, dressed in monastic robes, sat before me and my flip charts. With a little tweaking, it was clear St. John’s Abbey Guest House will be fine, and profitable.
Brother Benedict, at my request, on a slick, snowy Minnesota afternoon took the wheel and toured me through St. Jo’s and the local hotel competition, the adjacent St. John’s University and St. Benedict’s College (for women), and some of the local fare of restaurants, it looked like Ann Arbor.
With a whimsical smile of a man, “in this world, but not of it”, Br. Benedict would chuckle at my typical routine of getting young desk clerks to tell me more than they should about rates, best clients, and ADR. “You sure see many things I would have no idea to look for!”
I suppose so.
Learnings from Monastic Life
What I saw in Br. Benedict was faith in action, financial realities, and an openness to the world, oftentimes the cause of his profession. His gentle brilliance is that he takes it all in and judges none, laughs out loud at goofy consultants, and saves souls with nowhere else to turn. I share what hotels can learn:
- Contemplating what is happening three times a day is a good thing.
- Faith is a matter for each to their own.
- Striving for perfection is a journey, even if never reached.
- Laughing at the absurdities of our world, even Monks do it!
- Discipline is its own reward.
- A profit, even if a small one, makes the mission—possible.
As I stepped to my rental car, escorted by Brother Benedict, he offered, “Do you think I could call you? Especially if I get stuck on something about hotels, I just don’t understand?”
Sure, anytime. No charge.
