St. Norbert’s alumnus Father Jay Fostner returned to his alma mater to teach psychology in 1997. Father Jay Fostner now leads many of the college’s on and off-campus programming as the vice president of Mission and Student Affairs. He is also a member of the Norbertine tradition.

Founded by a Norbertine abbot in the late 1800s, St. Norbert’s College has upheld the traditions of the Norbertine Orders for more than 120 years. One of the most important religious sites to the Norbertine tradition is Tongerlo Abbey, a nearly 900-year old Belgian monastery.

The abbey houses several significant artworks and religious books dating from the Middle Ages. A replica of the Last Supper painted by Leonardo Da Vinci with help from his students was given to the abbey in the mid-1500s. After surviving several catastrophic events, the painting was moved to the nearby Da Vinci Museum, built in 1960.

Tongerlo Abbey is also renowned for its massive library of liturgical books, some of which originate from the early 1500s. The abbey donated several of its duplicate books to the St. Norbert’s College Center for Norbertine Studies.