Saint John’s Preparatory School announces the successful completion of its comprehensive capital campaign, exceeding its original $10 million goal by raising more than $15.1 million.

“Prep Forward: Our Time is Now is the largest, most successful campaign in our school’s nearly 170-year history,” said . “The funds raised will significantly increase the scope and impact of the campaign’s priorities, including supporting teachers and students while providing facilities upgrades and improvements.”

Launched in April 2024 to raise $10 million, the campaign quickly gained momentum, creating an opportunity to stretch the campaign goal and expand the timing. “While we anticipated widespread support from alumni, parents and grandparents, and friends, we were struck by how many people joined the campaign efforts so quickly and responded so generously,” said Ann Marie Stock ’78, a regent, alumna and leadership donor of the school. “The campaign created an energy in the school community that caused others to join in and celebrate with us. It’s been inspiring to be involved.”

The focused on investments in faculty, facilities, and financial aid, ensuring the Prep experience is available to students of all backgrounds for generations to come. “Leadership was able to identify core needs and articulate them in a compelling way, putting together a really sound campaign,” said campaign co-chair Bob Mahowald, Jr. ’95. “It was obvious that this was close to the heart for so many. The campaign sold itself.”

The final total reflects both major philanthropic investments and broad-based support from across the community, securing more than $6.8 million in cash gifts, and $8.3 million in planned giving commitments to establish or increase endowed scholarships and support teaching excellence.

Campaign highlights include:

• Total funds raised exceeding $15 million, far surpassing the initial $10 million goal
• The largest gift commitment in Prep’s 169-year history
• Expanded funding for facilities, faculty compensation, and financial aid
• More than 140 donors participated in the campaign

“The timing was right for the needs of the students and families,” said Lexy St. Hilaire, campaign co-chair. “The Prep community showed up with their support and wanted to ensure its continued success.”

With the campaign now complete, Prep will begin implementing all the initiatives made possible by this campaign. To date, the campaign has created the in Theatre to permanently support the school’s theatre director position, a complete renewal of our soccer field (Ford-McCormick Field), and the creation of the endowed Theo and James Baustert Teaching Excellence Fund to support faculty salaries.

“The campaign has provided us with the lessons to reshape our major giving program in support of our students and their future,” said McGee. “Looking ahead, we will build on the strong support from our community and steward these resources for long-term impact and sustainability.”

For more information on the Prep Forward – Our Time is Now campaign, visit

Saint John’s Prep is a premier arts and sciences world school where imagination, creativity and discovery are celebrated. Founded in 1857 by Saint John’s Abbey, Saint John’s Prep enrolls nearly 300 students from 15 nations, half a dozen states, and 29 different Minnesota communities.

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On August 22,1959, Roger married the love of his life Nancy Boyd. They were the second couple to be united in marriage at Immaculate Heart Catholic Church in Crosslake. They were blessed with three children Mike, Mary, and Tom. After the passing of Nancy’s father and stepmother in November of 1966, Roger and Nancy moved north to take over the resort operations of Boyd Lodge. Roger was a visionary, always looking for opportunities to expand and enhance the resort, with a simple goal of providing families the opportunity to make memories and experience the beauty of the lake country. In 1969, they were the first housekeeping resort to add an outdoor swimming pool. In 1972, they built tennis courts to further enrich the family vacation experience. Roger sought to expand Boyd Lodge in 1982 by adding additional townhouses, a decision that welcomed countless guests who would go on to become lifelong friends and a cherished part of their memories.

Throughout his resorting career Roger was deeply involved in the Minnesota Resort Association, where he was a longtime member and served on the Board of Directors, holding the role of President in 1976. He was honored and awarded Minnesota Resorter of the Year in 1985. His leadership extended to MN Heartland as both a board member and President. Roger also dedicated many years to the Brainerd Lakes Chamber and the Crosslake Chamber of Commerce serving as a member and board member in both organizations.

Roger’s commitment to his community extended well beyond his work in resorting. He was a founding member of Lakes State Bank and board member for 20 years. He also served on the board of St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd. Roger was dedicated to local education and served two terms on the Pequot Lakes School Board. In March 2013, Roger and Nancy held the honor of Grand Marshal for the Crosslake St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a role that reflected the deep respect and affection their community held for them. Above all, Roger was a devoted Christian. Roger was a member of the Knights of Columbus, a commitment he has maintained from 1959 until present. He was an active and faithful member of Immaculate Heart Catholic Church. He dedicated his time to the stewardship of the church and enjoyed helping with weekly tasks such as counting money and mowing grass with the guys. Over his years, Roger served on the building committee, parish council, and urges us all to CARRY THE CROSS.

Blessed to have shared in his life are his wife of 66 years, Nancy, and their children: Michael (Ruth), Mary (Mike) and Tom; foster child, Sherri (Greg); foster daughter-in-law, Lilly; grandchildren: Rachel, Nicole (David), Christopher (Erin), Kelsie (Brad), Carley, Hunter, Danny, Abbey and Lydia; foster grandchildren: Rachael (Emil), Emily, Luke, Elizabeth and Travis (Angie); great-grandchildren: Aubrielle and Nora; foster great-grandchildren: Eilly, Mario, Elijah, Shepard, Hadassah, Sapphire, Vivian, Hugo, Calvin and Sofia; siblings: Guy (Eileen), Sr., Jean Schwieters, Glenn (Anne) and Fr. John Schwieters; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Roger was proceeded in death by his brother, Guy; sister in-law Eileen; and foster son, Rick.

Visitation will take place at Immaculate Heart Catholic Church in Crosslake on Friday, January 30, from 4:00–8:00 pm. A Celebration of Life and funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, January 31, also at Immaculate Heart Catholic Church. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am followed by Mass at 11:00 am. Interment will take place afterward, with a reception and time for fellowship to follow in the parish hall.

For those unable to attend, please join via the . If you have digital pictures you’d like to share with the family, please upload to  If you have stories or memories you’d like to share, please email to StoriesAboutRoger@gmail.com or use this link  as we will create a memory book.

In lieu of flowers, please honor Roger with a donation to the .

Arrangements are entrusted to Brenny Family Funeral Chapel, Crosslake.

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She married Jerry Bechtold on August 18, 1948, in Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Nashua, Montana. They settled on a farm near Rockville where they established Kipland Vale Dairy Farm and worked the farm side-by-side. Together, they created a warm and welcoming home and raised their family of 11 children, teaching them the value of hard work, parish and community involvement, and education.

LeMay was active in church and parish work her whole life and, in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, she advocated for lay participation in the Mass and parish. She was a lector and eucharistic minister, served on the Parish Council, and ran the prayer line until she was 98 years old. As the director of religious education in her parish for over 65 years, she taught classes on scripture and the sacraments for all adults, recruited and trained religious education teachers and aides, and involved parents in the CCD classes. She taught Confirmation and First Communion classes for generations-using Penance and Communion textbooks she wrote and published.

LeMay was active in the Christian Mothers, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and the National Council of Catholic Women, serving in various roles, including president and keynote speaker at national conventions. She was the St. Cloud Diocesan Pastoral Council executive secretary for several years. She and her husband Jerry were active in the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and co-chaired the St. Cloud Diocesan Rural Life Committee, which hosted the National Rural Life Convention in 1968.

In 1969, LeMay was named to the Advisory Board of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Committee on Women in Church and Society. In this role, she advised American bishops for many years, advocating for lay participation in church and parish life and for justice for women, children, and families. In 1995, she completed the Certificate of Pastoral Associate, became the Pastoral Associate for Rockville parish, and served until 2016, leading daily Communion Services for the parish.

LeMay worked at St. John’s Abbey Liturgical Press over 30 years, serving as editor of Celebrating the Eucharist, The Loose-Leaf Lectionary, and The Guide for Prayers of the Faithful and Selected Hymns. In 1973, she earned her MA in Theology from the Graduate School of Theology at St. John’s University. She spoke locally and nationally on scripture, lay involvement in the liturgy and parish, and women in the church. Knowledgeable and well-read, LeMay was a fine scripture scholar herself.

Over the years, she was recognized in the parish, the diocese, and nationally for her work in the church. In 1973, she received the College of St. Benedict Outstanding Alumna Award. As LeMay reflected on her life in her last weeks, she said, “I hope and trust that I used all the talents God gave me through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

LeMay loved the family farm and did farm and field work for years; she kept the farm books into her 97th year. She had a huge vegetable garden and taught her children to can and preserve food. Using her trusty weed-whacker, she kept her rock and flower gardens going well into her 90s. She loved to read and often read a book a day.

LeMay warmly welcomed everyone into her home. She loved visiting and playing games with her children and grandchildren. She will be remembered for her bread-baking days and her apple pies with the best crust ever. Whatever LeMay did, she did energetically and whole-heartedly, and she was the heart of the Bechtold family.

LeMay is survived by her children, Karen (Bernie Koltes), and their children: Patrick, Brian (children: Noah, Madison, McKenna), James (Sally) (children: Abigail, Michaela (Luke Mullen) (children: Simon, Henry), Shawn (Toni) (child: Lexi), Heidi (Mario Lopez), and Holly (Kyle Poepping); Brigid; Barbara (John Tomaro), and their children: Londi (Aaron Holmes) (children: Wilder, Moxie), Samuel (Julie) (children: Rylee, Noah), Alicia (children: Hank, Corb); Stephen and his children: Teresa (James Hietala) (child: Aubrey), Thomas (Lauren), Paul (Lucia), Joseph; Mary Ruth; Mark; Joyce, and her children: Shane (Erin Hecner), Cole, Sage; Timothy (Karen Knudsen), and their children: Stellan, Bente. She is survived by sisters-in-law Laura Wagner, Dixie Wagner, Marie Bechtold, and Monica Bechtold and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome, in 2013, her sons Michael in 1973, Gregory in 2020, and Roger in 2020, her grandson, Mark Tomaro in 2022, and great-grandson, Waylon Beard in 2008, her nine siblings: Mary Margarette (Les) Hanson, Therese Ann, J.F. (Arlys), Damaris (Phil) Boerschinger; Hugh (Lois), Phillip (Mary Ann), Richard (Pearl), Roger, and David; her in-laws, Dolores (Leander) Meyer, Rosemary (Bob) Warnert, Phil Bechtold, Cletus Bechtold, and Alphonse (Betty) Bechtold.

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Dick met the girl of his dreams, Rita M. Neeb, Sophomore year at St. John’s University and married Rita on June 12, 1954, in Sanborn, MN.

Dick graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in June 1957 with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Degree.

In July 1957, Dick entered the U.S. Army Dental Corp. as a 1st Lieutenant, at Ft. Carson, CO. He received an honorable discharge in January 1958. He established a private dental practice in St. Cloud, MN, and not only treated, but became friends with many patients. He retired from his practice August 1, 1993.

Dick was active on the staff of the St. Cloud Hospital and chairman of the committee that built the Dental Assisting school at the St. Cloud Vocational Technical College (“Vo-Tech”). He served a term as a member of the advisory board for St. Ben’s High School and St. John’s Prep. As a member of the state Dental Association, he served on the board of trades and Labs and as a chairman of the West Central District Peer review committee. While a Dentist, Dick and Rita provided dental care through missionary service in Guatemala.

He was the charter president of the St. Cloud Chapter of Sertoma International and a lifetime member since 1961. He also served as District Secretary and Treasurer for the Club.

Dick obtained his pilot’s license in August 1965. He then upgraded his license to include commercial and instrument single engine land and sea ratings and held endorsements for skis and complex aircraft. He was a charter member of the St. Cloud Senior Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Squadron and served as a Commander. He was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and was proud to have flown over 175 youngsters under the Young Eagles program, including grandchildren. He enjoyed many fly-in breakfasts with friends. He loved the freedom and solitude of flying the blue sky until his last flight in July 2016.

Dick enjoyed years of deer, duck, and pheasant hunting with family and friends. He hunted large game in Alaska. He and Rita loved fall fishing on the Gunflint Trail. He spent memorable days with friends and family fishing in northern MN, Canada, Alaska, and on the Mississippi River. The family spent summers at the “Schaefer Cavity” cabin on Grand Lake near Rockville, MN. He commuted 22 miles to and from work by motorcycle on fair weather days. Dick and Rita, and more recently Dick and Geri, traveled extensively to multiple international and U.S. destinations and local venues, where they made new friends and have treasured memories.

Dick was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and a lector in his earlier years.

Richard is survived by his special friend and companion of 11 years, Geri Blais, of Sartell. His children; Laura Garland, Woodbury; Paula (Patrick) McCarthy, St. Paul; Julie (Mark) Toskey, Eden Prairie; Sue (Joe) McNamara, Apple Valley; Tom (Maryann) Schaefer, Maplewood; Mary Schaefer, Ken Caryl, CO; Tim Schaefer, Santa Rosa, CA; Ted Schaefer, USA; Joy (Tony) Harris, La Jolla, CA; 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by Rita, his wife of 58 years (January 17, 2013), his parents, and sister, Carol Haight, and son-in-law Kerry Garland.

A special thank you from the family to the St. Cloud Hospital Hospice nursing staff, especially Stephanie, Jolene, Dean, and Brenda, for the exceptional care they gave to Richard.

Mass of Christian burial celebrating the life of Richard G. Schaefer, age 94 of Sartell, will be at 10:30 am Monday, February 16, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sartell. There will be a visitation at 9:30 am prior to the service at the church. Father Tim Baltes will officiate with a reception following. A private family interment will be at Assumption Cemetery. Richard died peacefully in his home on January 4. Arrangements are being made by the Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes.

Memorials are preferred to the Poor Clares Monastery, Sauk Rapids, MN, and St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Sartell, MN.

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The Thanksgiving message below is from Saint John’s Prep Head of School, Jon McGee.

“Only one response can maintain us: gratefulness for witnessing the wonder, for the gift of our unearned right to serve, to adore, and to fulfill. It is gratefulness which makes the soul great.”
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “I Asked for Wonder”

Dear Saint John’s Prep Families,

Time accelerates between Thanksgiving and Christmas as the semester rapidly winds to its end, as we race to holiday concerts and gatherings, as we search for “just the right gift,” and as we prepare for the joys of Christmas day. A year of activity in just one month.

More than any other time of year, Thanksgiving and the Advent season that will begin on Sunday ask us to reflect on both gift and gratitude. When we think of gifts, we most often think of presents wrapped and given. Objects. But the root of the word gift is give. A verb. Gift and giving derive their power as actions, given and received, most often expressed in the form of friendship, solidarity, solace, empathy, and, most importantly, love.

Giving is not a time, date, or event-bounded activity confined to one time of year, but rather a disposition toward life and community that involves the whole self. Even so, powerful as they are, gift and giving remain incomplete without gratitude. Gratitude and thankfulness complete gift and giving. We are grateful for the opportunity to give love and grateful for the opportunity to receive it. We are grateful for what we are able to give, grateful for what we have been given, and mindful of those for whom love and gift are all too scarce.

We have much to be thankful for at Saint John’s Prep. I am grateful for the gift of our students and the curiosity, joy, and energy they bring to school every day. I am grateful for the gift of our talented faculty and staff who teach and nurture our students in so many ways. And I am grateful for the gift of the parents, family and friends who support our students and our school throughout the year. Family, community, gratitude, and love are the gifts that bind us.

As we begin this season of gift and giving, thanks and thanksgiving, I offer this prayer to our community:

Creator God,
Thank you for the gifts of creation and community, friendship and fellowship
As we prepare for Thanksgiving and begin the Advent season, we pray
For faith in a world where too many walk in fear; may all find hope
For food in world where too many walk in hunger; may all be fed
For family in a world where too many walk alone; may all be loved
For light in world that knows too much darkness; may all find peace
Amen

Blessings for a wonderful Thanksgiving and Advent!
Jon McGee
Head of School

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The scholastic wing and the dormitory are the first two completed buildings of a larger complex planned by the architect for the St. John’s Preparatory School. The group of Benedictine monks who operate the school are members of St. John’s Abbey, which also conducts a university and staffs a major seminary at Collegeville, Minnesota (USA). In order to preserve the unity of the Benedictine community and not to duplicate housing facilities for the teachers, the preparatory school was to be built within walking distance of the monastery and the abbey church. Such a close proximity would permit the use of common services and utility lines, but it also raised a distinct possibility of offending the ear and eye. The noisy exuberance of schoolboys could have disturbed the contemplative serenity of monastic quarters, and a divergent style could have introduced a discordant note into the architectural ensemble designed by Marcel Breuer. The architect skillfully avoided both pitfalls. By setting the preparatory school onto a wooded hillside just east of the main campus he achieved the necessary visual separation and provided an effective muffling of sound.

The scholastic wing presently contains small classrooms for teaching and large study halls in which each boy has a desk for individual work. Adjacent to the study halls are offices where prefects and teachers counsel single students. Traffic flows easily in orderly fashion through a wide central stairway which connects the four levels of classrooms and study halls, terraced into the hill. The fifth level on top of the hill and a future sixth level will accomodate the science department and the administration.

The dormitory building houses a dormitory not at all typical for a private American high school, since it does not have individual rooms and is used for sleeping only. The huge open split-level area is divided into eight sections or bays of sixty beds each, with rows of wardrobe lockers serving as dividers. Each bay is further sec-tioned into groups of four beds by means of six and eight-foot partitions made of dark oak and laminated white plastic panels. Four stations for prefects (one for each 120 beds) are located ted within the boys quarters. There is an easy access to beds and lockers, the showers to the north, and the rooms of resident prefects to the south by way of a central bridge which divides the building longitudinally. Both buildings utilize the slope for direct egress on several levels, and in general cling to the existing terrain. The placement of the buildings on the south side of the hill protects them from prevailing northwestern winds and makes use of solar heat in winter. Projecting vaults over the classroom windows and the brise-soleil of the dormitory shield the interior from excessive heat in the summer. Only a minimal amount of openings penetrate the east and west walls, which step down the hill. It is in these walls that panels of exposed concrete were molded into iconographic reliefs by the Polish-American artist Bronislaw Bak.

The monastic simplicity of cylindrical shells, more than a hundred of which cover the scholastic wing is a product of repetitive use of a few primitive plywood forms. The rythmic articulation of concrete walls is only a pattern of grooves which denotes the joints between pouring sequences. The splayed columns and trapezoidal beams are shapes which permit an easy lowering of re-usable formwork for the hyperbolic paraboloids of the dormitory. Even the orizontal granite courses which interlace the long concrete block walls of the interior serve an utilitarian function of eliminating otherwise unavoidable shrinkage cracks. Throughout the project the architect sought to use logical simple unconcealed materials and derive his forms from the most economical methods of construction.

The timeless virtues which the Benedictine monks endeavor to impart to their charges: faith, simplicity of life, and dedication to work found an appropriate architectural frame.

Michelson, Val.  “”&�Բ�����;Lotus: Architectural Annual (pp. 198-205). Milan, Italy: B. Alfieri, 1965.

Visit to learn more about the recent updates to Saint Michael Hall.

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Saint John’s Prep is proud to present the impressive list of colleges and universities that our outstanding Class of 2025 will attend in the fall of 2025. This comprehensive list showcases the diverse range of academic interests and ambitions within our graduating class, reflecting their hard work, dedication, and the strong foundation they’ve built during their time at Prep.

We celebrate each student’s unique journey and look forward to seeing the incredible contributions they will make in their chosen institutions and beyond.

Below is a comprehensive list of colleges and universities for the Saint John’s Prep Class of 2025.

Boston College
Carleton College
Colgate University
College of Saint Scholastica
Colorado School of Mines
Concordia College, Moorhead
Concordia University, Saint Paul
Creighton University
DePaul University
Gustavus Adolphus College
Harvard University
Iowa State University
Macalester College
Minneapolis College of Art & Design: MCAD
North Dakota State College of Science
Ohio State
Penn State University
Red Lake Nation College
Saint John’s University
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
University of Saint Thomas
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Virginia Military Institute
Yale University

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During our commencement ceremony each year, Principal Dr. Christine Glomski and Head of School Jon McGee award several senior awards to individual graduates. These outstanding young people have shown exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and contributions to the school community. The members of the Class of 2025 graduated from Saint John’s Preparatory School on May 23 in the Saint John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, Minnesota.

The following graduates received the senior awards:

The Leadership Award goes to the senior who has shown leadership during their time at Saint John’s Prep. This year’s recipient is Natalie Kayser. She is the daughter of Sherry and Jason Krebsbach, and Chad Kayser of St. Cloud. She will attend the Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa next semester.

The Benedictine Spirit Award recognizes a student who strives to make the Benedictine values a part of his or her daily life, and subsequently, a part of all our lives. The 2025 Benedictine Spirit Award recipient is Brett Penk, the son of Stacy and Derek Penk of Watkins. He will attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in the fall.

The Citizenship Award goes to the senior who has consistently promoted respect for, and the building up of, the Saint John’s Preparatory School community. This year’s recipient is Sylvie Bechtold, the daughter of Kay and Gary Bechtold of St. Joseph.  She will attend Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska next year.

The 2025 All-Around Student Award goes to the senior who is seen as having made the greatest contribution to the Prep School in a variety of ways, academic, extracurricular, social and spiritual. This year’s recipient is Elizabeth St. Hilaire, the daughter of Alexandra and Thomas St. Hilaire of St. Cloud. She will attend Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts next fall.

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