Portsmouth Institute

Pope Benedict XVI once remarked that in order to save Western civilization, “economic and juridical instruments are important but it is also necessary to awaken an ethical and spiritual renewal which draws on [Christian] roots… Today, in seeking true progress, let us also listen to the Rule of St Benedict as a guiding light on our journey.”

In keeping with the Benedictine tradition of intellectual and spiritual formation, the Portsmouth Institute promotes an authentic understanding of Catholic thought, encourages a deeper commitment to the faith, and fosters an awareness of Catholic teaching as it applies to the dignity of the human person and a just society. We will seek to answers questions including: What are man’s true ends? What makes a society just? What impact should Church teaching have on the social, political, and economic order? How do we evangelize a world that has rejected a revealed God? What is the relationship between Truth and beauty?

With yearly conferences held at Portsmouth Abbey, and regional lectures, seminars, and colloquia held throughout the year in Portsmouth, St. Louis, and other strategic locations, the Portsmouth Institute will work towards accomplishing what the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops calls “the intellectual tasks of the new evangelization.” Through its programs, the Portsmouth Institute will help foster the intellectual and spiritual lives of students at Portsmouth and St. Louis Abbeys, provide a platform for leading Catholic scholars to affect American culture, serve the clergy and religious through evangelization and education, and will encourage all members of society to explore Catholic thought and reflect on the role of the Catholic faith in contemporary American life.