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Benedictine College Media & Culture
Bishop Andrew Cozzens ’91
The annual Benedictine College Scholarship Ball, now celebrating its 53rd year, has regularly been named a Top 10 fundraising event in the Kansas City area by The Independent magazine. The aptly named event brings in millions of dollars for scholarships that will enable students from all walks of life to attend Benedictine College, a private, Catholic, residential school located in Atchison, Kansas.
Each year, the Ball features the presentation of the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict, a prestigious award established in 1969 to recognize alumni and friends who have supported charitable institutions, provided civic or religious leadership, and demonstrated professional excellence. This year, the esteemed award goes to the Most Rev. Andrew Cozzens, STD, who graduated from Benedictine in 1991. He is the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, and currently serves as chair of the United States Conference of Bishops Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. On behalf of the bishops, he is leading the three-year National Eucharistic Revival and oversaw the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in July of 2024.
The Congress, for which Benedictine College was a Mission Sponsor, was the first event of its kind in 83 years and began with Bishop Cozzens leading over 60,000 pilgrims in Indianapolis in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Bishop Cozzens is the youngest of three children of Jack and Judy Cozzens. Andrew became the second member of his family to attend Benedictine College, following his sister, Helen Cozzens Healy ’88, who is a current member of the college Board of Directors.
College yearbook photo of a young Andrew Cozzens.
As a Raven student, Andrew followed the loving example of his courageous mother, who carried him to full term through a difficult pregnancy, and dedicated his time to the service of expecting mothers and unborn children. He helped organize the first Benedictine College pilgrimage to The March for Life in Washington, DC, and cofounded Ravens Respect Life, whose work continues to this day.
During a period of discernment after college, he served as a travelling missionary to young people around the country with Twin Cities-based NET Ministries. He then worked for Saint Paul’s Outreach, where he served as co-director of campus outreach. Fr. Andrew Cozzens was ordained in 1997 and served as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Paul and then Faribault Catholic Community (now Divine Mercy) before being sent to Rome for doctoral studies. He earned his licentiate (2002) and doctorate (2008) in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). For four years during his time in Rome, he served as chaplain for the Missionaries of Charity. Upon his return to Minnesota, Andrew began service as an instructor at the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity.
Bishop Cozzens is a founding member of the priestly association Companions of Christ. He has served as assistant director for the Office for Worship and is a member of the Mission Advisory Council and Corporate Board of the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, of St. Paul’s Outreach Board of Directors in Saint Paul, and co-chaplain of the Serra Club of the Twin Cities. He currently serves as the Chair of the board for NET Ministries, St. Paul’s Outreach, The Institute for Priestly Formation and The Seminary Formation Council. He delivered the keynote address at Benedictine College’s 2021 Commencement ceremony, where he received an honorary doctoral degree from his alma mater.
This year, co-chairs Lené Westerman and Patrick and Kate McClard Carr have set the popular event for the evening of Saturday, February 22, 2025, at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd. The Scholarship Ball includes dinner, awards, entertainment and dancing to live music by The Coda. More information and reservations are available online at www.benedictine.edu/scholarship-ball.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have been named one of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report, the best private college in Kansas by The Wall Street Journal, and one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. Benedictine College is dedicated to transforming culture in America through its mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
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