University of St. Thomas, Private Catholic university in Saint Paul, United States
The University of St. Thomas is a private Catholic institution in Saint Paul, Minnesota, stretching along Summit Avenue with several Victorian-style buildings and contemporary teaching facilities. The complex covers a large campus where students move between historic facades and modern architecture.
The Archbishop of Saint Paul founded the school in 1885 as a seminary for priests and named it after the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas. Only in the late 1970s did the seminary open its doors to female students and evolve into a coeducational institution.
The grounds combine old Victorian houses with newer glass and concrete structures, reflecting over a century of growth and adaptation. Many spots offer chapels and prayer rooms that students visit daily for quiet reflection or worship services.
Visitors can walk freely along public pathways and get a sense of the grounds and the feel of a smaller campus. Those wanting to explore indoors should check ahead for tours or events, often held on weekends.
Inside the entrance hall of one of the main buildings hangs a large mural depicting virtues from the writings of Thomas Aquinas, created by an American artist. Many visitors overlook this fresco because they focus on room use rather than artistic detail.
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