About Saint Michael's
Saint Michael's: An Edmundite College
Most people outside of the Saint Michael’s College community are understandably unfamiliar with the word Edmundite and how it relates to the educational experience we offer here. After all, it’s not nearly as familiar a term as Jesuit or Benedictine or the other religious orders that founded many of our country’s Catholic colleges and universities. Indeed, Saint Michael’s is the only Edmundite college in the world, and we couldn’t be prouder of that distinction and all that it represents.
Our founding order, the Society of Saint Edmund, was established in the 1840’s in France. This group of country priests took Saint Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, as their patron and spiritual inspiration, and from the beginning infused Edmund’s ideals into their work.
Saint Edmund’s influence can be felt in many aspects of today’s Saint Michael’s College educational experience:
• Our residential nature: As a young man, Edmund founded what would become the second-oldest residential college at Oxford University, Saint Edmund’s Hall, to which Saint Michael’s retains ties to this day. We believe the residential experience is integral to learning, thus all our students live on campus for four years.
• Our commitment to the liberal arts: Edmund was a scholar of the finest sort, remembered for his avid pursuit of a liberal education together with his skills as a leader, fundraiser, financial manager and politician. Similarly, our students’ liberal arts foundation provides them with skills they will use over their lifetimes. In our classrooms, ethical and moral considerations always complement intellectual discourse.
• Our passion for social justice: Influenced by the instrumental role Edmundites played in the civil rights movement and Edmund’s legacy of working with those in need, nearly 70% of current Saint Michael’s students participate in MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts), one of the College’s signature programs.
The Society of Saint Edmund continues to have a presence on campus today, with approximately 40 members. Several Edmundites are active members of Saint Michael’s teaching community, while the others work with the Society’s other social and educational ministries in Selma, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana.
There is little doubt that Saint Michael’s campus culture is—and will continue to be— influenced by the Edmundites’ inclusive nature, tradition of hospitality and passion for social justice.
Visit our Edmundite Campus Ministry page for information on campus spirituality programs.
Visit the Society of Saint Edmund Web site for more information on the Society’s history and mission.
The celebrated abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. The Edmundites served of caretakers of the abbey from 1867 to 1886 and remained on the island until they were expelled from France. Many found their way to Vermont, using their former home as the namesake for Saint Michael’s College which they founded in 1904.