Father Columba Stewart, OSB was contacted on four occasions via email (July 23, 2021; October 24, 2021; March 1, 2024; April 5, 2024) to discuss his Grindr account.
Father Stewart did respond once, on July 23, 2021:
“… if you have a question about HMML, let me know.”
On at least one occasion, Father Stewart messaged a potential sexual partner that he was using the Collegeville Institute (Apartment #8, to be exact) as his private Grindr hookup location.
Stewart pursued at least one guest (a student?) who was living on campus with his multiple nude photos which we have decided not to publish at this time.
Abbot Doug Mullin and former Abbot John Klassen were cc’d to the April 5, 2024 email. There has been no response from either abbot.
Compromised
Father Stewart should not be leading the HMML or representing the St. John’s community. His leadership – and respect for his community – cannot be trusted.
How can the community trust that Father Stewart would come forward, if he knew of allegations of misconduct by one of his brothers?
There has never been such a monk at St. John’s Abbey. There is a reason for that.
Father Columba Stewart
Father Columba Stewart, OSB, professed vows as a Benedictine monk of Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville, in 1982 and was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1990. In 1989, he joined the faculty of the graduate School of Theology (SOT) and undergraduate Department of Theology at Saint John’s University.
Father Columba Stewart, OSB, was named as the executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library [Link] in 2003.
Photo courtesy Hill Museum & Manuscript Library Media Resources [Link]
Fr. Columba holds an AB in History and Literature from Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, and a MA in Religious Studies from Yale University, New Haven, CT. After further studies at Saint John’s University School of Theology (SOT), Collegeville, Minnesota, he earned his DPhil from the University of Oxford, England, writing his thesis on Greek and Syriac asceticism.
Grindr
Grindr is “location-based social networking and online dating application targeted towards gay and bisexual men, and transgender people.”
Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research
During an 2020 episode of the “Systematically” podcast [Link] , Father Columba Stewart shared that he was living at the Collegeville Institute. This set of building was once called the Ecumenical Institute. [View Map] At the time, it was located behind Metten Court, a once infamous building, since torn down, on campus.
Collegeville Institute (formerly the Ecumenical Institute)
Hooking Up
Columba planned to meet with at least one of his Grindr matches on the St. John’s campus. Columba suggested that they meet at Apartment 8 of the Collegeville Institute, where he was living at the time.
Columba Stewart’s Grindr Profile Photos
We have chosen to not post the nude and semi-nude photos of Father Stewart as they are too graphic and we believe that his profile image and the multiple messages he sent were proof enough that he has dishonored his community.
HMML Staff/Employees [Link]
Columba Stewart’s staff includes the following individuals:
Dr. Ali Diakite
Dr. Ani Shahinian
Dr. Catherine Walsh
Dr. Daniel K. Gullo
Dr. James Walters
Dr. Jennifer Carnell
Dr. Jeremy R. Brown
Dr. Josh Mugler
Dr. Matthew Z. Heintzelman
Dr. Paul Naylor
Jeff Zumwalde
John Meyerhofer
Julie Dietman
Katherine Goertz
Katrina P. Schlude
Linda Orzechowski
Margaret Bresnahan
Mary Hoppe
Tim Ternes
Wayne Torborg
HMML Board of Directors [ Link ]
2023-2024 Executive Committee
Board Chair: Lyndel King, PhD, Minneapolis, MN
Vice Chair: Keyna Skeffington, Minneapolis, MN
Executive Director: Father Columba Stewart, OSB, Collegeville, MN
Nominating and Governance Committee Chair: Lucia Lahiff Crane, Edina, MN
Finance and Audit Committee Chair: Kathy M. Cooney, Bloomington, MN
Advancement Committee Chair: Charlie Kelley, Orono, MN
At-large Representative: Thomas Joyce, Minneapolis, MN
At-large Representative: Patricia Simmons, Saint Paul, MN
Saint John’s University Appointed Representative: LeAnne Stewart, Fort Myers, FL
2023-2024 Board
Dusica Babovic-Vuksanovic, Rochester, MN
Catherine Shannon Ballman, Saint Paul, MN
Thomas Barrett, Minneapolis, MN
Albert J. Colianni, Jr., Minneapolis, MN
Kathy M. Cooney, Bloomington, MN
Lucia Lahiff Crane, Edina, MN
Judith Healey, Minneapolis, MN
Elliot J. Jaffee, Minneapolis, MN
Thomas Joyce, Minneapolis, MN
Charlie Kelley, Orono, MN
Steven Kennedy, Medina, MN
Lyndel King, Minneapolis, MN
Wendy Pradt Lougee, Golden Valley, MN
Rachel McGarry, Deephaven, MN
Joseph S. Micallef, Saint Paul, MN
Br. Dan Morgan, OSB, Collegeville, MN
Shelly Regan, Minneapolis, MN
Marc Robins, Minneapolis, MN
Mary Rohman, Santa Fe, NM
Tamrah Schaller O’Neil, Minneapolis, MN
Rachael Scherer, Minneapolis, MN
Sue Shepard, Sartell, MN
Patricia Simmons, Saint Paul, MN
Keyna Skeffington, Minneapolis, MN
LeAnne Stewart, Fort Myers, FL
Brad Wallin, Edina, MN
Corine Wegener, Alexandria, VA
Father Peregrin Berres
Former HMML staff include Father Peregrin Berres, one of many individuals [ View ] from the St. John’s community who have credible claims of misconduct against them.
Collegeville Community
After all that this community has been through, this
