In 1923 a group of five Americans (four of them diocesan Priests) applied to the English Benedictine Congregation for sponsorship in establishing a monastic community of the English Benedictine tradition in Washington which would have close spiritual and scholarly links with the Catholic University of America. Abbot Joseph MacDonald of Fort Augustus agreed to adopt the group, and they were admitted to the Fort Augustus novitiate. Four of these novices persevered and made their simple profession in September 1924. The group, augmented by six monks of Fort Augustus and under the priorship of Fr Wulstan Knowles, returned soon after to establish the new monastery in temporary quarters in a farmhouse in the northeast section of the city of Washington, near the Catholic University campus. A permanent monastery and church were completed in 1930 on a tract adjacent to the original site. St Anselm’s became a conventual priory of the English Congregation in 1949 and an abbey in 1961.

The work of the community is varied. Faithful to the original founders’ concept of a monastery devoted to scholarship there continues to be monks of St Anselm’s on the faculty of Catholic University and at other universities and theological schools in the metropolitan area. In 1942 educational work on the secondary level was begun with the establishment of a day school for boys. Over the years separate school facilities have been constructed on the site. The school, now numbering 220 boys aged 12-18, has achieved a distinguished academic record with its graduates entering the finest colleges and universities in the country and overseas and is recognized as one of the outstanding US secondary schools.

In addition to teaching and research, the monks of St Anselm’s are engaged in pastoral assistance in the parishes of the diocese and chaplaincy work in neighbouring religious communities and in hospitals. Private retreats and personal spiritual direction are part of the guest apostolate within the monastery, and several monks are involved in retreats, especially for religious communities, around the country.