The
North Dakota community became a conventual
priory on February 18, 1894. Originally called St. Gall’s, the monks relocated from the north shore of
Devils Lake to the city of
Richardton on June 24, 1899, and changed the name to St. Mary’s Priory. In 1903 the
Holy See raised the community to the rank of abbey and
Vincent dePaul Wehrle, the founder, was elected first
abbot. Wehrle would go on to become the first bishop of the
Diocese of Bismarck in 1910. On October 29, 1928, the community and its property was incorporated under the title Assumption Abbey. By decree of the Holy See, the Abbey was transferred from the
Swiss-American Congregation to the American-Cassinese Congregation on October 18, 1932. , there were 56 monks in the community. Assumption Abbey has a dependent daughter monastery in
Bogotá, Colombia: Monasterio Benedictino de Tibatí, which runs the prestigious
Colegio San Carlos. ==References==