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Former name | St. Mary's College (1876–1913) |
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| Motto | Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus |
Motto in English | That in all things God may be glorified |
| Type | Privateliberal arts college |
| Established | April 21, 1876; 149 years ago (1876-04-21) |
Religious affiliation | Catholic (Benedictine) |
Academic affiliations | ACCU CIC NAICU |
| Endowment | $9.6 million (2019)[1] |
| Chancellor | Abbot Placid Solari |
| President | Joseph Wysocki (Interim) |
Academic staff | 75 full-time[2] |
| Students | 1,654 (fall 2023)[3] |
| Location | ,, United States |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Newspaper | The Crusader |
| Colors | Red, black, and white |
| Nickname | Crusaders |
Sporting affiliations | NCAADivision II –Carolinas |
| Mascot | Mr. Crusader |
| Website | belmontabbeycollege |
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Belmont Abbey Historic District | |
  Location in United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | 100 Belmont--Mt. Holly Rd. Belmont, North Carolina |
| Area | 37.5 acres (15.2 ha) |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Michael McInerney |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival,American Benedictine |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000584[4] |
| Added to NRHP | July 14, 1993 |
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Belmont Abbey College is aprivate,Catholicliberal arts college inBelmont, North Carolina. It was founded in 1876 by theBenedictine monks ofBelmont Abbey. The college is affiliated with theCatholic Church and theOrder of Saint Benedict. Belmont Abbey is the only college in North Carolina affiliated with the Catholic Church.
Belmont Abbey College was founded in 1876 as St. Mary's College by Benedictine monks fromSaint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania.[5] Father Jeremiah O'Connell purchased Caldwell farm and donated the land to the Benedictines, hoping the community would found a Catholic educational institution in the Carolinas.[6] On April 21, 1876, Father Herman Wolfe, from Saint Vincent, arrived with two students to take possession of the property and begin classes. In 1878, the college held its first commencement exercises.Katharine Drexel, a benefactor of the monastery and college, visited Belmont Abbey in 1904. The present name of the college was adopted in 1913.
In 1967 John Oetgen, college president and Benedictine priest, conferred an honorary degree on theProtestant evangelistBilly Graham, marking what was at the time seen as a boldecumenical gesture.[7]
Originally a college for young men, Belmont Abbey became a coeducational institution in 1972.[8] In 1987, Sacred Heart College for women merged with the abbey, and its campus began to host a variety of abbey classes and programs.[9]
TheBelmont Abbey Historic District was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1993.[4] It includes at its heart the separately listedBelmont Abbey Cathedral. Other contributing buildings include the Brothers' Building (1893, 1897, 1904), Old Science (1893), Jubilee Hall (1897), The Monastery (1880, 1891, and 1894), the College Building (or Stowe Hall, 1886, 1888, 1898), Saint Leo Hall (1907), and The Haid (1929).[10]
Dedicated in 2016, the Gratitude Bell at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NorthCarolina, sits near the campus cafeteria and invites students and visitors alike to ring it between noon and 3 p.m. in thanksgiving for their blessings. At noon, students gather to pray the Angelus and begin the three recognized hours of gratitude each day. Past president of the college, Bill Thierfelder, who announced his retirement earlier this summer, put it this way as he reflected on his tenure with the Register: “Gratitude is an important virtue to me,” Thierfelder explained. “I can actually hear the bell in my office. Every single time it rings, it brings a smile to my face because I know that somebody is thanking God. If I had one thing to share with everybody, I’d say, ‘Today, commit that in every circumstance, you’ll literally say it out loud, ‘Thank you, Jesus!’”
Originally forged in 1915 by the McShane Foundry of Baltimore, Maryland, the bell was later purchased and donated to Belmont Abbey by several generous patrons."[11]
In 2007 the college's administration removed healthcare coverage for "abortion,contraception, and voluntarysterilization" after discovering that these were covered by the college's healthcare policy. Eight faculty members responded by filing complaints to the North Carolina Department of Insurance, theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission, and theNational Women's Law Center. The latter threatened a lawsuit on behalf of the eight faculty members, several of whom were allegedly lifelong Catholics.[12]
On November 11, 2011, Belmont Abbey College sued the federal government over a new regulation that requires employer health insurance plans to provide free coverage of contraceptives and sterilization, even if it may be contrary to their religious beliefs."[13]
Maurus Hall is centrally located on campus and houses a student lounge, grill, and the Holy Grounds coffee shop. Across from Maurus Hall is the Haid, which serves as a student and community theater. The Haid was originally built as a gymnasium. The Abbey Players now perform there. Along Abbey Lane, towards the far end of the campus, are the Vincent Abbot Taylor Library and the William Gaston Science Hall. Administrative offices are located in Robert Stowe Hall, with classrooms on the second and third floors. St. Leo's Hall, built in theAmerican Benedictine style, houses the Campus Book Store and Catholic Shop on the first floor. Professorial offices are located in St. Leo's Hall, and Grace Auditorium is located on the third floor.
Thequad is located between the Poellath and O'Connell residence halls, both constructed in the early 1960s. Raphael Arthur Hall, constructed in 1967, offers students individual rooms and sits on the hill above Poellath, near Campus Police. The St. Joseph's Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, dedicated in 2008, is across from Campus Police. Wheeler Athletic Center, completed in 1970, is located behind Poellath Hall. At the back of the campus are the four Cuthbert Allen Apartment buildings, built in 1989. The newly renovated Student Commons, located next to the new cafeteria, houses the campus mailroom, snack machines, a lounge area, and Student Life offices. Behind the Student Commons are the St. Scholastica and St. Benedict residence halls. The Lourdes Grotto, an official pilgrimage shrine, is situated behind O'Connell Hall.
The Abbey Church, the most prominent building on the college's campus, was completed in 1894 under the supervision of Abbot Leo Haid. Drexel made significant donations to the completion of the structure, which served as North Carolina's first and onlycathedral prior to the erection of theDiocese of Raleigh in 1924. The church is constructed in thegothic-revival style out of brick and granite, built in the shape of aLatin cross. The towers of the church, named Ora (the taller) and Labora (the smaller), can be seen from most of the college campus. The taller of the two towers holds bells which ring to signal the celebration of theEucharist and theLiturgy of the Hours. The monastic community holds daily services which are open to the public. Following theSecond Vatican Council, the interior of the Abbey Church was renovated in amodernist style in order to facilitate the liturgical reforms of the era. In 1975, Belmont Abbey lost its territorial status and cathedral rank to the newly createdDiocese of Charlotte. In 1998Pope John Paul II named the Abbey Church aminor basilica in recognition of the historic and aesthetic significance of the structure.[14]
In 1892 the sisters began a finishing school for girls that eventually became a four-year degree institution, Sacred Heart College. Sacred Heart College closed in 1987, and a section of the College is now rented by Belmont Abbey and called Sacred Heart Extension; classes are offered at Sacred Heart for both traditional and adult degree students. Belmont Abbey continues to offeralumnae services to graduates from Sacred Heart College.[9] The Sisters of Mercy reside at Sacred Heart Convent, in downtown Belmont. The convent is located on a campus made up of various organizations including Catherine's House, Holy Angels, and Mercy Heritage Center, and archives.
The Saint Joseph Adoration Chapel was dedicated on November 7, 2008. During the Fall and Spring semesters, the chapel is open 24 hours a day for prayers and the Blessed Sacrament is exposed during the day.
In the Summer of 2021, construction began on a state-of-the-art integrated cafeteria. The construction was complete in time for the new cafeteria to open to the student body beginning in the Fall of 2024. Two new residence halls were opened in the fall semester of 2023.[15]
The abbey isaccredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools and approved by theAmerican Medical Association.[16] More than 80 percent of the faculty at Belmont Abbey hold doctoral degrees in their subjects. After completing a core curriculum, students declare a major and concentrate within their chosen areas of study.[17]
The college's First Year Symposium, required for incoming freshmen, seeks to acclimate new students to college life. Taught by professors from various fields, this course explains the theories of aliberal education and introduces students to theRule of St. Benedict and the Catholic intellectual tradition.[18]
It is endorsed byThe Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.[19]
The Abbey has over 40 student organizations, an active Student Government Association, and many Greek organizations.[20]
The Abbey Players were founded in 1883.[21] The theatre presents drama, comedy, and musicals. In addition, it functions as the Belmont Community Theatre, which brings in theatre artists from the surrounding Metrolina area.
In 1940, the Belmont Abbey and Sacred Heart Glee Clubs toured the Carolinas and Georgia, appearing inColumbia,Charleston,Augusta,Greensboro,Raleigh, andWilmington.[22]
Incoming freshmen are required to live in either Poellath or O'Connell, two-story single-sex residence halls. Beginning in fall 2013, upperclassmen were given the option to live in the newly built Saint Benedict Hall and Saint Scholastica Hall, single-sex residence halls for males and females respectively. Raphael Arthur Hall provides single rooms. In addition to the five residence halls on campus, upperclassmen are eligible to live in either one of the four on-campus Cuthbert Allen apartment buildings or the Cloisters, off-campus apartments in nearbyMount Holly, North Carolina.
| Belmont Abbey Crusaders | |
|---|---|
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| University | Belmont Abbey College |
| Conference | Conference Carolinas (primary) |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Stephen Miss |
| Location | Belmont, North Carolina |
| Varsity teams | 31 (14 men's, 14 women's, 3 co-ed) |
| Basketball arena | Wheeler Center |
| Baseball stadium | Abbey Yard |
| Softball stadium | Crusader Field |
| Soccer field | Alumni Field |
| Lacrosse stadium | Alumni Field |
| Tennis venue | Reidy Tennis Center |
| Nickname | Crusaders |
| Colors | Crimson and white[23] |
| Website | abbeyathletics |
The Belmont Abbey Crusaders participate in theNCAA'sDivision II program. The Crusaders are members ofConference Carolinas. Men's and women'slacrosse, women'sgolf. Men's and women'stennis and men's and women'strack and field have been added for the 2009 season.Al McGuire coached Basketball for the Crusaders from 1957 to 1964. During his tenure the team had 5 post-season tournament appearances.In 2009, the Crusaders Baseball team reached the NCAA Division II World Series, at theUSA Baseball Training Complex located inCary, North Carolina. The Crusaders were ranked 6th in their respective regional tournament and went on to win four straight against nationally ranked teams to capture their first regional championship. The Crusaders fell to eventual National ChampionsLynn University after winning two in a row. The Crusaders finished the season ranked 3rd in the Nation.
In 2012, the women's volleyball, women's soccer, and men's basketball teams all won the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas title. In 2018, the men's lacrosse team won the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas title.
In 2021, the women's basketball, and men's basketball teams both won the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas titles.
As a member of Conference Carolinas, Belmont Abbey College competes annually for the league's Messick Award, which is presented to the team demonstrating the best overall sportsmanship throughout the entire conference schedule. As of 2019, Belmont Abbey Athletics has won the overall Messick Award five times: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 (tie), 2016–17, and 2018-19. In 2023, Belmont Abbey College won the Conference Carolinas Dr. Alan Patterson Body, Mind, and Soul Award, "the ultimate, comprehensive conference award recognizing the member with the best average ranking when combining the Hawn (Athletic Performance), Sharp (Graduation Rates), and Messick (Sportsmanship) awards." The Abbey was the first recipient of this new award.[24]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Belmont Abbey History
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35°15′34″N81°02′27″W / 35.2595756°N 81.0409625°W /35.2595756; -81.0409625
