St. Norbert Abbey

St. Norbert Abbey is the mother canonry of the Premonstratensian Order in the United States. Located on 160acre of land east of the Fox River in De Pere, Wisconsin, it falls within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay.Foundation of the old abbeyThis Catholic religious order, also known as the Norbertines, was founded by Saint Norbert of Xanten (c. 1180-1134) on Christmas Day 1121. Father Bernard Henry Pennings of Berne Abbey in North Brabant, the Netherlands traveled to Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1893 and established a permanent home for the Norbertines in the United States. St. Joseph parish, in West De Pere, became affiliated with the Premonstratensians in 1898. That same year, a priory (led by Father Pennings) was established adjacent to the parish and St. Norbert College was founded nearby. By 1950, the rapidly expanding Premonstratensian community had outgrown the available space within their original abbey buildings. After a lengthy search, land was donated in 1954 by Victor McCormick of Green Bay, Wisconsin for the purpose of relocating the abbey. June 9, 1956 marked the beginning of construction and by February 1, 1959, the community inhabited their new headquarters.