In 1889, a monastery and school were established on a hilltop overlooking Manchester, N.H. From the original school emerged Saint Anselm College, a four-year, liberal arts institution, which has won national recognition for its academic excellence. Nearly 2,000 students attend the College.

Now a community of approximately 30 monks, composed of priests and brothers, Saint Anselm Abbey is one of the 22 houses of the American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictines.

The name "Saint Anselm" honors an 11th-century Doctor of the Church who was a Benedictine Abbot at the monastery of Bec in France and later Archbishop of Canterbury in England. The monks from Saint Anselm Abbey continue to staff Saint Raphael Parish, the initial foundation in the city of Manchester.