heart to heart fall 2008

200th Anniversary of Birth

Saint Vincent Archabbey Heart to Heart Fall 2008

2 Volume 19, Number 2

mer’s biographer, this new publication, due out in December, tells the story of Wimmer’s missionary work through two hundred of his most important letters. You can read more about this endeavor on the pages which follow. Dr. Oetgen will visit the campus on Thursday, March 26, 2009, to give the Threshold Lecture, and will be available to autograph the new book following his talk.

We will open the year’s celebration on January 14, Wimmer’s 200th birthday, with a special service. Abbot Primate Notker Wolf will be the keynote speaker for the Opening Ceremonies. Through-out the year there will be lectures, spe-cial web page features, and exhibits, as well as opportunities for you to come to Saint Vincent and share in our celebra-tion. The bicentennial year will conclude with our Founders’ Day Mass on Thurs-day, November 20, to be celebrated by Cardinal Justin Rigali of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Bishops, abbots and rep-resentatives from parishes, schools, and

abbeys which Boniface Wimmer founded will be invited to the event, which will end with the traditional fireworks.

In the words of Boniface Wimmer, “No one imagined us capable of accomplish-ing anything significant, and yet we did accomplish something. God’s grace was obviously with us. Our chief object—the establishment of the Order in America—has been achieved, and our second major purpose—training and providing a suffi-cient clergy for our German Catholics—is well underway. May unbounded thanks be given to God a thousand times, for He chose and made use of us as instruments for the execution of His designs.”

Peace and blessings to all of you for a joyous holiday season and throughout the new year.

Sincerely,

Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.

I can vouch for nothing. I am prepared for everything. Whoever wishes to follow me must also be prepared.—Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B.

Dear Friends,

Our founder, Boniface Wimmer, wrote the above words in a letter to students who were thinking about following him on his mission to America. Like any endeavor, its success or failure was uncertain. But through the grace of God, it succeeded and we now prepare to celebrate the 200th birthday of Arch-abbot Wimmer, our founder, in 2009. A year-long schedule of events to be held in celebration of our Benedictine heritage and Archabbot Wimmer is planned.

On a recent trip to Rome, I had the pleasure of presenting the first copy of a forthcoming book featuring the letters of Boniface Wimmer to Pope Benedict XVI. Edited by Jerome Oetgen, Wim-

Bicentennial of Our Founder’s Birth


Volume 19, Number 2 3

Heart to Heart,from the Latin “Cor ad Cor Loqui-

tur,” or “Heart Speaks to Heart,” is the motto of Archabbot Doug-las R. Nowicki, O.S.B. It refers to the Archabbot’s prayer that giving and receiving authentic love may always be the chief characteristic of the Saint Vincent monastic com-munity. This was also the motto of John Henry Cardinal Newman.

This newsletter is published by the Benedictines of Saint

Vincent Archabbey.

Publisher Archabbot Douglas R.

Nowicki, O.S.B.

Development DirectorPaul R. Whiteside

Director of Archabbey Public Relations/EditorKimberley A. Metzgar

Public Relations AssociateLiz Cousins

Contributors to this issue:Rev. Brian Boosel, O.S.B.

Ariel ByersZheilla Cordero

Liz CousinsRev. Vincent Crosby, O.S.B.

Annette D. HartRev. Omer U. Kline, O.S.B.

Paul R. Whiteside

Saint Vincent Archabbey300 Fraser Purchase Rd., Latrobe, PA 15650-2690

[email protected]

www.saintvincentarchabbey.orgwww.bonifacewimmer.org

New Book Features SelectedLetters of Boniface Wimmer

By Kim MetzgarWhen Boniface Wimmer, the young Benedictine monk from Metten Abbey, Ger-

many, felt a call to serve the missions in America, he was denied by his superiors three times, three years in succession. But he persisted, and finally was granted permission on his fourth request.

Wimmer’s biographer, Jerome Oetgen, has taken a much longer route with his latest endeavor, waiting 32 years for publication of a work begun in 1976—Boniface Wimmer: Letters of an American Abbot. The volume, containing translations of 200 of the most important letters of the more than 1500 Wimmer wrote, will be released by Archabbey Publications in December.

Oetgen began the project after publishing the first edition of his biography of Wimmer, An American Abbot (1976). He attributes the initiative to make the let-ters of Boniface Wimmer available to English speakers to Egbert Donovan, O.S.B., eighth Archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey.

Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., and Jerome Oetgen, Boniface Wimmer’s biographer and editor of the new book on Wimmer’s letters, review photo selections for the book.

(Continued on Page 4)

ON THE COVER: The cover of the new book on Boniface Wimmer, edited by Jerome Oetgen, commemorates the 200th anniversary of Wimmer’s birth. This special bicentennial edition consists of translations and English originals of 200 of the most important of the more than 1500 letters the Archabbot wrote between 1832, the year he entered the Benedictine monastery of Metten in Bavaria, and his death in 1887. These letters therefore contain a trove of information and insight not only about Wimmer and American Benedictine history, but also about American Cath-olic history. The cover of the book was designed by Father Vin-cent Crosby, O.S.B.



“Archabbot Egbert was enthusiastic about making the letters of Wimmer available in English,” Oetgen said. “Some of the letters had been trans-lated by Benedictines at Saint Vincent and other American Benedictine com-munities over the years, but the majority remained in the original German or Latin. The Archabbot asked me to undertake the job of coordinating the translation project.”

Oetgen got sidetracked with other projects, first working on his doctoral dissertation, then pursuing careers first as a college teacher and later as a U.S. diplomat, then preparing a second edi-tion of An American Abbot (1997), and writing Mission to America: A History of

Letters of Boniface Wimmer(Continued from Page 3) Saint Vincent Archabbey, the First Bene-

dictine Monastery in the United States (2001), both published by Catholic Uni-versity of America Press. But despite the passing of more than three decades, the letters project never left his slate.

Nearly two-thirds of the letters were eventually translated by 31 men and women, most of whom were Benedictine monks and sisters. Translators included Leopold Krul, O.S.B., ninth Archabbot of Saint Vincent. Oetgen, who translated many of the letters himself, edited the translations, comparing them with the originals, then collated and had them bound into a three-volume set for use in the Archabbey Archives. Several copies were prepared for the convenience of researchers using the Archives. Some of the important letters had been published

earlier, but usually these were letters related to specific topics, such as the early history of Benedictine women in the United States. Oetgen’s goal was to make a wider selection of letters avail-able to readers of English. Then the question of publication arose.

“After I finished Mission to America, Archabbot Douglas Nowicki expressed interest in publishing all of the translated letters,” Oetgen said. Given the fact that the forthcoming book of only 200 letters is more than 600 pages long, such a publication would have been more than 3,600 pages in length. “There is a lot of repetition in the letters Wimmer wrote,” he added, “so it really wasn’t necessary to publish them all.” Oetgen therefore began the careful and difficult process of selecting the most important letters to be edited and published.

“This collection allows a wider read-ing public to have a choice sampling of a correspondence that is indispensable for understanding the history of Bene-dictine monasticism and the growth of American Catholicism in the nineteenth-century United States. Jerome Oetgen gives us the unmistakable voice of Boniface Wimmer and in the process dispels stereotypes and creates a more balanced and nuanced portrait of a commanding figure in modern Church history,” said Father Joel Rippinger O.S.B., of Marmion Abbey, Illinois.

Portion of a letter written and signed by Boniface Wimmer. In the era before copy machines, important letters were often re-copied in a journal book so that the author had a record of what he or she had written. (Saint Vincent Archabbey Archives) (Continued on Page 5)

Author and Editor Jerome Oetgen



“Wimmer’s achievement has been generally underestimated in the history of American Catholicism,” Oetgen said, noting that the “principal focus of his missionary labors and apostolic work was on immigrant Catholic communi-ties in rural America at a time when the most dramatic and formative events in nineteenth-century American Catholi-cism were taking place in the densely populated cities of the land.”

“Wimmer did not work in the wings but rather on the broad full stage of the great multicultural drama that was the nineteenth-century American Catholic Church,” he stated. “If his role did not often bring him to center stage, he was nonetheless, clearly, one of the key sup-porting actors.”

Wimmer went on to establish 11 abbeys and priories that operated dozens of schools throughout the United States. Currently, there are 32 abbeys and priories around the world that are a part of the American Cassinese Congre-gation, founded by Wimmer.

The late John Tracy Ellis, who was known as the dean of Roman Catho-lic history in the United States, called Wimmer the “greatest Catholic mis-sionary of nineteenth-century America.” Wimmer was a practical man whose pragmatism, optimism, and contribu-tion to the Catholic Church in America are clearly reflected in the letters he wrote. He was also a spiritual father who guided many monks, nuns, and lay people through the difficult moments in their spiritual lives. Oetgen noted that one of his favorite letters is one in which Wimmer shows himself to be a gentle and understanding father to one of the younger monks who was unhappy with a decision the abbot had made.

“You must renew your faith in Divine Providence, which wisely and miracu-lously directs and orders everything, even the smallest event, and which

Letters of Boniface Wimmer

“This collection allows a wider reading public to have a choice sampling of a correspondence that is indispensable for understanding the history of Benedictine monasticism and the growth of American Catholicism in the nineteenth-century United States. Jerome Oetgen gives us the unmistakable voice of Boniface Wimmer and in the process dispels stereotypes and creates a more balanced and nuanced portrait of a commanding figure in modern Church history.”

—Father Joel Rippinger, O.S.B., Marmion Abbey, Illinois.

brings about our temporal and spiritual well-being,” Wimmer wrote to monk Julian Kilger. “When you are as old as I am, you will become more convinced that for those who love God, all things will lead to the best, and that a life under obedience or under the Rule [of Saint Benedict] is one of the greatest bless-ings that God can grant to anyone. We cannot do stupid things except when we deviate from obedience to the Rule, since the Rule gives us the surest guar-antee for peace and assures the final attainment of our goal and destination. The fact that we sometimes think we would be more at peace and happier if things happened according to our own desires has its origin in the fact that we lack the experience of a life of true free-dom, or else those who have had this experience have paid too little attention to it…. Indeed, we know that no Chris-tian is perfect. None of us is without

shortcomings.… There will always be disappointments, but they will never disturb our peace significantly or for a long time. Disappointments will further our salvation, not endanger it.”

Oetgen, who has a doctorate from the University of Toronto, is currently a U.S. diplomat serving in Haiti. Previ-ous assignments have been in Rome; Madrid; Quito, Ecuador; Managua, Nica-ragua and Asunción, Paraguay. Prior to entering the diplomatic corps, he taught in the English Department of Seton Hill University.

“For a long time I have given much and even daily thought to this journey of mine,” Wimmer wrote to Gregory Scherr, Archbishop of Munich on Octo-ber 29, 1845, a year before undertaking his mission. “I understand all the diffi-culties: local, physical, and moral. I have also often considered that it would be

(Continued from Page 4)

Talking over image selections for the book are, from left, Liz Cousins of Archab-bey Publications, who designed the book; Editor Jerome Oetgen and Father Brian Boosel, O.S.B., Archabbey Archivist.




Hart’s Sleeping Place First Stop For Boniface WimmerBy Kim Metzgar

While Saint Vincent founder Boniface Wimmer eventually settled in Latrobe, where he found the fields and farmland to be more conducive to the community he wanted to establish, his first stop on his mission to America was a little log building called Hart’s Sleeping Place, near Carrolltown, Cambria County. The church there, Saint Joseph’s Mission Church, is the oldest existing church in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. Father Peter Henry Lemke, who was pastor at the time (and who later became a Benedictine), played a pivotal role in Boniface Wimmer’s coming to America. The church was blessed in 1830 by Father Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin. Father Demetrius, born a son of a Rus-sian prince and a German countess, was known as apostle of the Alleghenies. (He is now known as Servant of God Dem-

etrius Gallitzin, as a step in the canoniza-tion process.)

The mission church, still active for special services, is cared for by a group of local residents who have had a deep

(Continued on Page7)

interest in and often a family tie to the parish. Ken and Linda Morchesky of Car-rolltown have been managing the historic church for 23 years, usually opening it on weekends for guests to pray and visit the historic exhibit room full of photos and other memoriabilia from 9 a.m. till dusk. (It is closed during inclement weather).

Although the building is now preserved with vinyl siding, Linda Morchesky pointed out a small window in the siding through which visitors can view the old logs underneath. In the cem-etery are many historic gravestones, one in memory of John Weakland. He defended Prince Gallitzin from an angry mob of anti-Catholics, and tradition holds that when Weakland’s body was transferred to Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, his right arm, which wielded a fence rail in defense of Prince Gallitzin, was pre-served incorrupt, a sign of sanctity. It is said that then Gallitzin prophesied that one day one of Weakland’s descendants would become a priest and offer Mass at the church. That prophesy came true in 1917 when Father Bernard Weakland offered Mass in the church.

There are a number of pictorial stained glass windows in the church, one in particular telling the story of Boniface Wimmer and Father Peter Henry Lemke meeting at the old log church, with an older aerial view of Saint Vincent Arch-abbey in another panel.

Each October, Bishop Joseph Adamec

“Jerome Oetgen continues his outstanding service to the American Cassinese Congregation, and to monastic historians in general, by preparing this extensive collection of Archabbot Boniface Wimmer’s letters. This volume supplements and enriches the story he has already told in his life of Wimmer and his history of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Even taken by themselves, the letters allow the reader to sit by Wimmer’s side and watch the dramatic development of the pioneering monk’s vision from Bavaria to the backcountry of Pennsylvania, and then throughout a growing nation. The relentless determination of Boniface Wimmer is relentlessly evidenced in one letter after another, and the difference that one man can make in history provides encouragement for the future.”—Father James Flint, O.S.B., Saint Procopius Abbey, Lisle, Illinois.

presumptuous to think of forcing one-self on God as if one had a missionary vocation. I have not forgotten to ask Our Lord with prayer and pleading whether my underlying motive might not be to escape from obedience, or the desire to become a superior myself. Yet I have never to my knowledge been plagued by these ambitions. On the contrary, the result of my soul searching is always the same: my poor, forlorn countrymen stand before me and call for help. I should and

Selected Letters of Boniface Wimmer(Continued from Page 5) want to help as best I can. I desire to

go—as firmly as can be desired—with several others or alone, whichever is possible and convenient. I will not rest until I have succeeded.”

Neither did Jerome Oetgen.

Oetgen will lecture on the heritage of Wimmer on March 26 at Saint Vincent. A book signing event is planned in con-junction with the lecture. Prepublication orders are being taken for the book at http://www.stvincentstore.com.

View of the historic Saint Joseph’s Mission Church, near Carrolltown.



2009 CALENDAR, TIMELINEJANUARY

14—Boniface Wimmer’s birthday, January 14, 1809. Official opening, Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, O.S.B. Vespers at 7 p.m., Arch-abbey Basilica, followed by reception in the Parish Center Assembly Room.

MARCH21—Saint Benedict’s Day, commemorating the passing of Saint Benedict. Mass, Arch-abbey Basilica.26—Threshold Lecture, Jerome Oetgen, “The Heritage of Boniface Wimmer,” 8 p.m., Robert S. Carey Student Center Audito-rium.

APRIL 22—Honors Convocation, Wednesday, April 22, 2009. Groundbreaking for The Sis and Herman Dupre Science Complex.

MAY28-30—Benedictine Pedagogy Conference, Saint Vincent College.

JUNE26-July 1—North American Association of Benedictine Oblate Directors Conference, Saint Vincent Archabbey.

JULY11—Saint Benedict’s Day, Solemnity of Saint Benedict, Solemn Profession of Monastic Vows.27—Anniversary of Boniface Wimmer being designated Abbot and President for Life, 1866.

AUGUST1—Anniversary of Boniface Wimmer’s Ordi-nation to the Priesthood, 1831.10—Boniface Wimmer embarks for the United States, 1846.

SEPTEMBER15—Boniface Wimmer arrives in New York City.17—Boniface Wimmer elected Abbot of the Saint Vincent community for the first time, 1855. 18-20—Oktoberfest event, Saint Vincent College Homecoming.30—Boniface Wimmer arrives at Hart’s Sleeping Place, Carrolltown.

OCTOBER2-11—Benedictine Heritage Tour, Bavaria. October 9 the tour will visit and participate in a tribute to Boniface Wimmer in Thal-massing, his hometown.18—Boniface Wimmer arrives at Saint Vin-cent, 1846.

NOVEMBER19—Founders’ Day, Mass with Cardinal Justin Rigali, Wimmerfest. Official closing of the Bicentennial year. Bishop, abbots of foundations of Saint Vincent Archabbey, and all entities of Saint Vincent: Archabbey, College, Seminary, parishes, high school, missions.

DECEMBER8—Anniversary of Boniface Wimmer’s death, 1887.29—Anniversary of Boniface Wimmer’s solemn profession of monastic vows, 1833.

celebrates a special Mass at the mission church in honor of its anniversary. Per-sons wishing to visit the parish during the Wimmer anniversary year can follow these directions as if they were travel-ling from Saint Vincent. From Latrobe, take Route 981 north through down-town Latrobe and follow to New Alex-andria for almost ten miles. Take Route 22 east for 36.8 miles to the Carrolltown exit, just before Ebensburg. From there, take Route 219 west toward Carrolltown/

Hart’s Sleeping Place First Stop For WimmerInterior of Saint Joseph’s Mission Parish, near Carrolltown, Cambria County.

(Continued from Page 6) Indiana. Go for 7.5 miles to where the highway intersects with Route 422. Stay on Route 219 and follow it through Car-rolltown. Continue through Carrolltown on Route 219, passing Saint Benedict’s Parish (100 North Main Street). On the northern edge of the Borough of Carroll-town, take Sunset Road four-tenths of a mile to Tower Road. From there travel a half mile into West Carroll Township and the intersection of Township Road 532. Turn left to Saint Joseph’s Mission Church.

Portion of stained glass window showing Boniface Wimmer and Father Lemke.



Archabbey News Father Stephen. R. Honeygosky, O.S.B.,

Ph.D., was promoted to Assistant Pro-fessor of English at Seton Hill Uni-versity in June. That same month he

attended a conference on Religion in the Pub-lic Forum at Trinity Conference C e n t e r , We s t p o r t , Connec t i -cut. He was

one of three faculty members repre-senting Seton Hill. Participants devel-oped and presented specific plans for their respective programs to promote and discuss religious literacy on cam-pus. Seton Hill’s plans were to review course syllabi with faculty and discov-er ways to implement the university’s objectives on religion, spirituality, and Catholic social teaching across the curriculum, and assess where and how the objectives were being met.

Father Stephen also received a grant from Seton Hill to continue work on his book about John Milton’s epic Paradise Lost and the Psalms, during the month of July, at the Folger Shake-speare Library in Washington, D.C.

His paper, entitled, “Merismus and Milton’s Poetic Liturgy: Late Protes-tant Poetics in Paradise Lost” was accepted for the “Milton 400” Confer-ence at Saint Anselm’s College, Man-chester, New Hampshire, Nov. 7-8. The conference commemorates John Milton’s 400th birthday. The paper will figure into Father Stephen’s book on John Milton’s Protestant Poetics.

* * * * *The Rev. James F. Podlesny, O.S.B.,

was invited to speak at Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Civic Commemoration of the Holocaust on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.

Father Jim’s message, “Remember-ing Dachau and the Holocaust,” was delivered in the Governor’s Reception Room at the Main State Capitol Build-

ing in Harrisburg. The talk, given in the presence of Gov-

ernor Rendell, members of the Pennsyl-vania House and Senate, and Ho-locaust survivors, was broadcast on PCN, the Penn-sylvania Cable Network.

Father Jim is pastor of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Palmyra, and Catholic Ecumenist-Theologian for the Pennsylvania Confer-ence on Interchurch Cooperation, the ecumenical agency of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and the Pennsyl-vania Council of Churches.

* * * * *Father Maurus

Mount, O.S.B., is pursuing g r a d u a t e degrees in Latin and Greek at The University of Illinois, Urbana-C h a m p a i g n . During that time

he will be residing at the rectory of Saint John’s Newman Center near the heart of campus.

* * * * *Nine Saint Vincent College Honors

Program students traveled to Ireland in May to see many of the places that were discussed in their Modern Ireland class taught by Father Rene Kollar, O.S.B.

While in Ire-land the students toured Trinity Col-lege, viewed the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol and Kilkenny Castle. They also visited significant religious sites such as Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ’s Church, Glenstal Abbey and Kylemore Abbey. In addition, the group went to the Altamont Gardens, the Con-nemara region of County Galway, the

Cliffs of Moher, the Rock of Cashel and several students went horseback riding along the Irish coast.

* * * * *Father Tom Hart, O.S.B., gave the first

presentat ion of the fall se-ries, Tapping T h e o l o g y , sponsored by Saint Vincent College Cam-pus Ministry. His presenta-tion was enti-tled ‘The New Atheism.’

Father Tom was among those rep-resenting Saint Vincent at the Second Annual “Benedictine Pedagogy Con-ference” held at Benedictine Universi-ty in Lisle, Illinois, which is sponsored by Saint Procopius Abbey, a daughter house of Saint Vincent Archabbey.

Father Tom offered a presentation at the meeting entitled “Catholic Iden-tity: small c, or Capital C?” The con-ference brought over 60 participants from Benedictine schools around the country. The Third Annual Benedictine Pedagogy Conference will be held at Saint Vincent in 2009.

* * * * *The Latimer Family Library at Saint

Vincent is featuring an initial exhibit of selections from the Boniface Wimmer Music Collection. This is the beginning of several such presentations to continue through 2009. The collection consists of over 3,500 entries, still to be evaluated and finalized for any direct use by those interested in it. Cataloguing the col-lection is a special project being done by Father Jerome Purta, O.S.B.

* * * * *Father Mark Gruber, O.S.B., professor

of anthropology, addressed 150 stu-




Two Ordained To Diaconate

In AugustTwo monks of Saint Vincent Archab-

bey were ordained to the diaconate on Saturday, August 9, by Most Rev. Law-rence E. Brandt, J.C.D., Ph.D., Bishop of Greensburg. Brother Benoit Allog-gia, O.S.B., who is currently complet-ing priesthood studies in Rome, and Brother Joseph Adams, O.S.B., who is studying at Saint Vincent Seminary, are from Noiseau, France, and Lusby, Mary-land, respectively.

Brother Benoit is the son of Dante Alloggia and Margueritte Rabette of Noiseau. His siblings are Pierre of Paris; Rev. Samuel, a Passionist missionary in Jamaica; Sebastien of Paris; Jean Bap-tiste of Noiseau and Claire of Paris.

He is a 1986 graduate of Saint Jean Baptiste de le Salle High School in France. He earned a degree in philoso-phy from Saint Thomas Pontifical Uni-versity in Rome in 1991 and a degree in nursing in 1995 from the school of nursing in Rieti, Italy. He began gradu-ate studies at Middlebury College in Vermont in 2003. He has also studied at Saint Vincent Seminary and currently attends The Angelicum, Saint Thomas

Taking part in the diaconate ordination on August 9 were, from left, Brother Joseph Adams, O.S.B.; Most Rev. Lawrence E. Brandt, Bishop of Greensburg; Brother Benoit Alloggia, O.S.B. and Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.

University, Rome.He entered the novitiate at Saint Vin-

cent Archabbey in July of 2001, and made his first vows on July 10, 2002. He made solemn profession of monastic vows on July 11, 2005.

In 2002-2003 he served on the staff of the monastery infirmary and was an assistant in the vocation office. In 2004, he was named socius of novices at Saint Vincent Archabbey and food ser-vice liaison for monastery food services. He was appointed to the Saint Vincent College faculty in 2004, teaching French and Italian until 2006, when he began studies in Rome.

Brother Joseph is the son of Paul V. and Rita A. Adams of Lusby. His broth-ers are Paul of Chapel Hill, N.C., and David of Gaithersburg, MD. His sisters are Julie M. Gonzales of Dale City, VA, and Jennifer M. Adams of Lusby.

He attended Saint Catherine Laboure Parochial School in Wheaton, MD, and is a 1982 graduate of Wheaton High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Saint Vincent Col-lege in 2001. In 2002 he began emer-gency medical technician and licensed practical nurse training at Bowman Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. In 2003 he began stud-ies in facilities management and elec-tronics at Triangle Tech, Pittsburgh. He began studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2005.

He made simple profession of vows July 10, 1997, and solemn profession of vows July 11, 2000.

He has served as miller at the Saint Vincent Gristmill, socius of novices (through 2000), and was captain of the Saint Vincent Fire Department until his appointment as fire chief in 2001. He served as chief until 2005, when he became assistant chief upon entering the seminary. In 2000 he was named a dorm moderator for Saint Vincent Col-lege and assistant director of vocations (2001-2002). In 2001-2002 he served as building manager for the Saint Vincent Gristmill. In 2004, he was named elec-trician’s assistant in Facilities Manage-ment at Saint Vincent College.

Meeting with Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., recently to discuss ongoing educational exchanges with students from China, were visitors, from left, Professor Chen Rong, Chairman of the MBA School, Jiangxi University; Darcy Ye, Director of the International Office, Jiangxi University; Dr. Liao Jinqiu, Chairman (Equivalent to Chancellor), Jiangxi University; David Luo, Chinese Agent for Saint Vincent College; Glow Wan, Chinese Agent for Saint Vincent College.



* * * * *Father Mark

W e n z i n g e r O.S.B., assis-tant professor of philosophy, presented a paper at the biennial con-ference of the Centre of Theology and Philosophy of the University of Not-tingham (UK). The conference, en-titled “The Grandeur of Reason,” was held on the campus of the American University in Rome, Italy. The title of Father Mark’s paper is: “‘Philosophy Always Comes Too Late’. Michel Henry on the Priority of Natural Con-sciousness.”

* * * * *F a t h e r

Shawn Mat-thew Ander-son, O.S.B., is pursuing grad-uate studies at Virginia Com-m o n w e a l t h U n i v e r s i t y , Richmond.

* * * * *In his latest

book, Eros e Tâna-tos: a vida, a morte, o desejo (i.e., Eros and Thanatos: life, death, desire), published by the Jesuit publish-ing house Loyola, one of the largest in Brazil, Brother Rogério M. de Almeida, O.S.B., addresses the constant tensions between life and death, love and hatred, creation and annihilation, inclusion and sep-aration, as perceived by relevant phi-

Archabbey News (Continued from Page 8)

dents from various campuses of uni-versities in Pittsburgh, August 31 in the social hall of Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

Father Mark was invited by the Oratorian Fathers who oversee cam-pus ministry at Carnegie Mel-lon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Robert Mor-

ris University, and others to speak about an anthropological insight into the phenomenon of romance among the young, as well as the Christian ap-proach to social and mutual attraction. Father Mark also gave a weekend seminar to the Poor Clare Sisters of Barhamsville, Virginia, from August 22 to 24. The community of contempla-tive sisters, founded from Saint Clare of Assisi, is in the process of integrat-ing newer members from nations and cultures outside of the western pur-view, and had enlisted Father Mark to provide an anthropological and Cath-olic perspective to address them on various topics related to acculturation, ethnocentrism, multi-cultural appre-ciation and linguistic relativism.

Father Mark provided an hour-long interview on August 7 from Green Bay, Wisconsin on Relevant Radio, a na-tionally-syndicated Catholic radio sta-tion. He appeared on the Drew Mariani Show, and spoke on the anthropo-logical approach to religious diversity based upon respectful listening to dif-fering religious traditions according to the discourses held within each com-munity more than any religion’s public presentation to the outside world. Fa-ther Mark dealt especially with Islam based upon his doctoral ethnographic fieldwork in Egypt.

The book, Journey Back to Eden by Father Mark, published by Orbis

Books, entered a sixth printing in July. Originally published in 2002, the book tells the story of his year of anthropo-logical doctoral fieldwork in Egypt.

Father Mark has addressed various chapters of Legatus, a Catholic faith-based organization, this summer in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houma, Mobile, Lexington, Toledo, Covington, Atlanta, Detroit, and Appleton, Wisconsin. He has spoken about lay Catholic respon-sibility to cultivate cross-cultural respect in the present climate of world religions in tension.

He is also presenting a series of con-ferences at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. This Trappist monastery is most remembered popu-larly for its prolific author and spiritual commentator, Thomas Merton. Father Mark’s series of eight lectures concern aspects of the “Theology of the Body” especially as it involves the biblical tra-dition and the monastic life.

Father Mark gave an interview recent-ly at WDUQ, Duquesne University, with Liane Hansen for National Public Radio, NPR. The interview concerned the deli-cate ecological equilibrium of Egypt’s Sahara Desert in the vicinity of the Nile River Valley after the Aswan High Dam. Hansen invited Father Mark for the in-terview after reading his ethnographical research, Sacrifice in the Desert that concerns the desert communities of the Copts. The interview is part of an ongo-ing NPR series on global warming that airs on the Sunday morning edition, Climate Connections. The program is available online at NPR.com.

* * * * *Father Paul

Taylor, O.S.B, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Saint Vincent College, gave a presentation on “Honoring God with Our Work,” during a Campus Ministry Late Night Catechism meeting held recently.




Two Benedictines were among seven new full-time faculty members named this fall at Saint Vincent Col-lege

Father Stephen Concordia, O.S.B. is an assistant professor of fine arts. He earned a bachelor’s degree in piano p e r f o r m a n c e and a master’s degree in theo-retical studies from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in 1980 and 1984, respec-tively. He also received diplomas in organ and Gregorian chant from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. He was awarded a bachelor’s

Two Monks New To College Facultydegree in philosophy and theology from Sant’ Anselmo in Rome in 1996. Father Stephen was ordained a Bene-dictine priest at the Abbey of Monte-cassino in Cassino, Italy in 1995.

Brother Fer-nando Lanas, O.S.B. is an instructor of modern and classical lan-guages. A native of Ecuador, Brother Fer-nando earned his bachelor’s degree from the Univer-sidad San Francisco de Quito in 1997, a Master of Divinity from Saint Vincent Seminary in 2005 and a Master of Arts in Latin American Literature from the University of Pittsburgh in 2008.

From left, Duane Ashley, Reggie Butler, Julius Thom-as, Dr. Veronica Morgan-Lee, Melissa Parks, Archabbot Douglas and Amy Tran at Martin Luther King Day festivi-ties at Saint Vincent College, 2008. Dr. Morgan-Lee is on the College Board of Directors and is Executive Director of the Crossroads Foundations. The others are all current Saint Vincent students.

Scholarship Honors Archabbot DouglasMr. John C. Marous, Jr., Chairman

of the Saint Vincent Seminary Board of Regents, recently announced the estab-lishment of the Archabbot Douglas No-wicki, O.S.B. Minority Scholarship Fund at Saint Vincent College to recognize Archabbot Douglas for his leadership in providing educational opportunities to minority students.The eleventh Arch-abbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey and Chancellor of Saint Vincent College and Seminary, he is also the Major Superior of the Benedictines at the Priory and Benedictine Military School in Savan-

nah, Georgia, and the Benedictine Priories in Brazil and Taiwan.

The Archabbot’s ser-vice to minority students has a long history. In 1967, as a junior monk, he helped to establish Project Headway, a pro-gram for youths from Pittsburgh’s North Side, where the Benedictines have served for 150 years. These students

came to Saint Vincent to participate in a variety of educational and motiva-tional programs to enhance their skills and interest in or-der to prepare them for col-lege.

Prior to his election as Ar-chabbot, he served as Sec-retary for Education of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and as pastor of Queen of Peace Parish on Pittsburgh’s North

Side, where he was actively involved with St. Peter’s School (now Cardinal Wright School). He was Chairman of the Saint Vincent College Department of Psychology for six years and in addition, served on the staff of Children’s Hospi-tal of Pittsburgh and as a psychological consultant to Mister Rogers’ Neighbor-hood.

In his role as Chancellor of Saint Vin-cent College, Archabbot Douglas has taken a special interest in serving the needs of economically disadvantaged students, working with the Extra Mile Education Foundation and the Cross-roads Foundation in the Diocese of Pittsburgh to provide opportunity, and education, to these students.

Your gift will pay tribute to Archabbot Douglas, who has committed his priest-ly life to Saint Vincent and especially to helping minority students from eco-nomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Through contributions to this special scholarship fund, donors will help to provide a college education to a student who otherwise would not have this op-portunity.

For more information, contact: Rev. Paul Taylor, O.S.B, Vice President of In-stitutional Advancement, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690, Phone: (724) 805-2527.

William Thomas, a 2000 Saint Vincent College graduate, Janard Pendleton, a 2001 Saint Vincent College graduate, and Archabbot Douglas.



School of Natu-ral Sciences, Mathemat ics , and Comput-ing; Father Vernon Holtz, O.S.B., as-sociate profes-sor of psychol-ogy and Father Thomas Hart, O.S.B., instructor in Theology.

The Forum works to bring current issues in the dialogue be-tween science and religion to the Saint Vin-cent commu-nity. The forum is funded by a generous grant from the Metan-exus Institute, with matching funds provided by the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sci-ences, Math-

ematics, and Computing, the School for Humanities and Fine Arts, and the Office of Mission.

* * * * *Benedictines from Saint Vincent have

been conducting a series of monthly spirituality classes, coordinated by Fa-ther Donald Raila, O.S.B., director of Oblates. Presenters have included Fa-ther Maurus Mount, O.S.B., “Conver-sion of Heart”; Father Philip Kanfush, O.S.B., “Prayer in Benedictine Spiritual-ity”; Father Fred Byrne, O.S.B., “Holi-ness in Benedictine Spirituality”; Father Brian Boosel, O.S.B., “Obedience in Benedictine Spirituality”; Father Se-bastian Samay, O.S.B., “The Eucharist in Benedictine Spirituality”.

* * * * *Father Philip Kanfush, O.S.B., was

among twelve Saint Vincent College faculty members awarded ten research grants for the 2008-2009 academic year.

losophers through the ages. Moving from the pre-Socratics to Plato, and especially through Schopenhauer, Ni-etzsche and Freud, Brother Rogério presents the constant game of op-posing forces that make us who we are. He starts and concludes his book with the same question formulated by Saint Augustine: Is our existence a mortal life, or a vital death? Or both at the same time, reiterating the tension noted by the authors he considers?

* * * * *Father Mi-

chael Gabler, O.S.B., is pur-suing graduate studies in art at the Savan-nah College of Art and Design and residing at Benedictine

Military School in Savannah.* * * * *

Saint Vincent College faculty mem-bers participated in a summer reading and discussion session during July and August through the Saint Vin-cent Science and Theology Forum. The group discussed the impact that recent discoveries in neuroscience have on theology, the understanding of consciousness and the variety of religious experiences.

The group read and discussed Mark Salzman’s Lying Awake and The Acci-dental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams and God by David J. Linden. The Forum consisted of two face-to-face meet-ings including a guest speaker who gave an overview of neuroscience. Participants interacted using on-line discussion forums to share their in-sights about the readings.

Benedictine participants included Father Campion Gavaler, O.S.B., associate professor of Theology; Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., associate professor of mathematics and Dean of the Boyer


Father Philip, instructor in educa-tion, will team with Dr. Kristin Harty, assistant professor of education, to work together on a project entitled, “Us-ing Systemic Reading In-struction to Improve the Comprehen-sion Skills and Behavior for Children At-risk for these Deficits.” The pur-pose of their research is to determine if a systematic reading intervention using regular classroom materials will increase reading comprehension and decrease the behavior problems of at-risk students or those with behavior problems.

* * * * *Saint Vincent College Campus Min-

istry featured several Benedictines during its Breakfast with Benedict series, held in the fall of 2008. Father Philip Kanfush, O.S.B., procurator, spoke on “Goods of the Monastery.”

Brother Mark Floreanini, O.S.B., spoke about “Artisans of the Monas-tery.”

“Tools for Good Works” was the topic by Father Brian Boosel, O.S.B. Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., talked about the prologue of the Rule of Saint Benedict.

* * * * *Father Paschal A. Morlino, O.S.B.,

Founder and Director-Emeritus of Adelphoi Village, U.S.A., spoke during the Adelphoi F o u n d e r s ’ Day celebra-tion, marking 37 years of service to the community.

The Adel-phoi system on the Vincent Center cam-pus, Latrobe, represents only a part of the entire operation. “This system could not exist without the over 800




Children’s Literature Day At Rogers CenterBy Zheilla Cordero

On Saturday, September 6th, the Saint Vincent College School of Social Sciences, Communication, and Educa-tion teamed with the Western Pennsyl-vania Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators to hold its first Children’s Literature Conference, organized by Dr. Marybeth Spore, Dean. Twenty-three children’s authors, including Saint Vin-cent Benedictine Father Philip Kanfush, met at the Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media for “Good Books in Your Neighborhood.”

The day began with an introduction by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B. (top, left, photo) and was followed by a warm welcome from Joanne Rogers (top, right) thanking everybody who made the day, as well as the Fred M. Rogers Cen-

ter, possible. Each of the authors had something different to offer those who attended the conference—the subjects of their books ranging from science or

nature-related to adventure, puzzles or bedtime storybooks. Each author had a table where parents, children and edu-cators could visit and speak one-on-one to the authors. In addition to having ta-bles, each visiting author gave a twenty minute presentation, discussing his or her works and inspirations.

Also attending were Rita Catalano, of the Rogers Center; Maxwell King, Exec-utive Director of the Rogers Center, and Bill Isler, former Executive Director of the Center. In the bottom photo, Father Philip, a member of the Education De-partment faculty at Saint Vincent, dem-onstrates how a wetlands works with a model he created to Tessa, Michael Perez and Madeline Douglas, college student Alex Lynch, second from right, and other visitors. His book, Emma’s Wetlands Adventure, is the story of the passive acid mine drainage treatment wetlands at Saint Vincent and is aimed at readers in grades four and up.

Twenty-five years ago, Saint Vincent College students greeted the arrival of coeducation with a day-long celebration to mark the historic change. On Aug. 27, students celebrated the 25th anniversa-ry of coeducation and the contributions women have made at Saint Vincent dur-ing the past quarter-century.

While the college enrolled about 250 freshmen in the fall of 1983, this year’s freshman class is topping 450, confirm-ing a steady growth in student enroll-ment during that time. The percentage of women in that first freshman class was 33 percent while the current class is about 50 percent.

The move toward coeducation began

College Marks Coeducation Anniversaryin 1977 with a feasibility study which endorsed the admittance of women. Three years later, an ad hoc commit-tee to study coeducation noted that the positive indicators favoring coeducation far outweighed the negative factors. In the fall of 1981, the Board of Directors passed a resolution endorsing the con-cept, and in January of 1982, the Board of Directors unanimously endorsed co-education.

In addition to the opening ceremony, the college will present exhibits, lectures and special events throughout the year. The Saint Vincent Gallery presented “Women artists from around the world and from around the corner” this fall.



Brother Bonaventure Curtis, O.S.B., an attorney from southern California, and Father Peter Augustine Pierjok, a priest from the Diocese of Peoria, pro-fessed solemn vows as Benedictine monks before Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., July 11, in the Archab-bey Basilica.

Brother Bonaventure, a native of southern California, was raised in Min-neapolis, Minnesota. After successful business ventures in insurance, he en-tered Western State University/ Thomas Jefferson College of Law, San Diego, in the fall of 1975, where he completed his studies for the Doctor of Law degree in December of 1977. He was admitted to the State of California Bar Association and practiced law continuously thereaf-ter in California. Following the death of his wife, Roswitha, in 2000, he continued to practice law until he was admitted to the novitiate at Saint Vincent Archab-bey. He has three daughters, now in San Diego: Christina, a first grade teacher at Clearview Elementary School, Chula Vista; Stephanie Anne, a CPA and senior analyst for the Corky McMillian Com-

Two Monks Profess

Solemn Vows

panies, a publicly traded regional real estate developer; and Katherine Rose, a registered nurse in the Emergency Room at San Diego Hospital. Brother Bonaventure has served as an assistant in the Archabbot’s Office (2005-2007), was named assistant director of Archab-bey vocations and is a member of the faculty of Saint Vincent College.

Father Peter Augustine is a 1965 graduate of Nashville Community High School, Nashville, Illinois. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in design from

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1969, and studied philosophy at both Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, and at Saint Vincent College. He earned a mas-ter of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1987.

Before entering the Saint Augustine Community in 1983, he had a fifteen and a half year careeer in sales and market-ing.

On April 16, 1987 he made perpetual vows with the Benedictine Community of St. Augustine, Peoria. He was ordained a priest on May 28, 1988 by Bishop Ed-ward W. O’Rourke of the Diocese of Peoria. He served in various capacities in the Diocese of Peoria, and as pastor of several parishes. In June 2004, he transferred from the Diocese of Peoria to Saint Vincent Archabbey.

In August 2005, he was appointed Chaplain at Latrobe Area Hospital, where he served until 2006. He also served as the socius of novices and postulants for the Archabbey (2005-2007), as well as director of Archabbey guests and guest facilities and the assoicate director of vocations (2005-2007). From October of 2006 to August of 2007, he served as administrator of Forty Martyrs Parish, Trauger. In 2007, Father Peter Augustine was named pastor of Sacred Heart Par-ish, Youngstown, and Saint Cecilia Par-ish, Whitney.

Making their solemn profession of monastic vows before Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B. were, at left, Brother Bonaventure Curtis, O.S.B., and at right, Father Peter Augustine Pierjok, O.S.B.

Students affiliated with Saint Agnes, Saint Benedict the Moor, Saint James and Holy Rosary schools in the Diocese of Pittsburgh made a visit to the Fred M. Rogers Center, Saint Vincent College, recently, to view presentations about Saint Vincent and how to prepare for college. The program was made possible by the Extra Mile Foundation. Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., seen with the students, is a board member of the Extra Mile Education Foundation.

Pittsburgh School Visitors



Four Profess Simple Vows, Two Renew Vows

Renewing their vows on July 10 were junior monks Brother Nathanael Polinski, O.S.B., left, and Brother Elijah Cirigliano, O.S.B.

Making their first profession of vows on July 10 were, from left, Brother Michael Antonacci, O.S.B., Brother Maximilian Maxwell, O.S.B., Brother Jeremiah Lange, O.S.B., and Brother Gabriel Myriam Kurzawski, O.S.B.

Four novices made first vows as Benedictine monks during vespers July 10 at Saint Vincent Archabbey. The men include a Saint Vincent College gradu-ate from Jeannette, Brother Michael Antonacci, O.S.B.; a Carnegie native recently graduated from Saint John’s University, New York, Brother Gabriel Myriam Kurzawski, O.S.B.; a former Kis-simmee, Florida resident who served as a counselor in both Florida and South Carolina, Brother Jeremiah Lange, O.S.B.; and a former account manager from Philadelphia, Brother Maximilian Maxwell, O.S.B. All four men entered the novitiate in July 2007, and have spent a year in the monastic community prior to professing their first vows.

Two junior monks, Brother Natha-nael Polinski, O.S.B., and Brother Elijah Cirigliano, O.S.B., renewed their pro-fession of vows. Once simple vows are made, junior monks renew their vows for two more years before being considered for solemn vows.

All of the simply professed monks, as well as the junior monks, are enrolled in the graduate program of Saint Vincent Seminary.

Brother Maximilian is assistant cam-pus minister for athletics and assistant director of Archabbey Guests and Fa-cilities.

Brother Jeremiah is student advisor for the Opportunity Program, assistant archivist in the monastery, assistant di-rector of the Oblate Program and assis-tant baker of Saint Vincent bread.

Brother Michael is a teaching assis-tant in the Physics Department of Saint Vincent College and assistant miller of the Saint Vincent Gristmill.

Brother Gabriel Myriam is assistant master of ceremonies and sacristan, as-sistant to the Director of Vocations and an assistant in the summer retreat pro-gram.

Brother Nathanael is socius of novices for the abbey, assistant to the director of Archabbey Finances and Investments; and a faculty member at Saint Vincent College.

Brother Elijah is assistant organist/

choirmaster and schola director for the abbey, an assistant in the Archabbey

and Seminary Development Office and Benedictine resident in Wimmer Hall.



Mission To Brazil 2008

The monastic community of São Bento Monastery in Vinhedo, Brazil includes, front, from left, Father Filipe de Almeida, O.S.B., Prior Paulo S. Panza, O.S.B., Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Abbot Joaquim de Arruda Zamith, O.S.B., Brother Miguel Savieto, O.S.B.; back, from left, Postulant José Octávio Aranha, Brother Osvaldo Batista, O.S.B., Brother Rogério Miranda de Almeida, O.S.B., Brother Pedro Fonseca, O.S.B., Brother João Batista de Araújo Santos, O.S.B., Brother Elias Pinheiro da Silva, O.S.B., Brother José Matias, O.S.B., Brother Plácido Maria da Silva, O.S.B., Brother André Melli, O.S.B., Postulant Rafael Bres-sane de Oliveira.

Pictured, from left, are Archabbot Douglas, Father Filipe de Almeida, Prior Paulo Panza, O.S.B., and Br. João Batista, O.S.B. Archabbot Douglas and Father Filipe listen to the words of gratitude of Prior Paulo, on behalf of the Community of São Bento Monastery, for the courage and love shown by so many of their confreres from Saint Vincent Archabbey who accepted the challenge to go to Brazil and serve God and His People there over the years. He also thanked Archabbot Douglas for the ongoing support of the mission in Brazil.

Archabbot Douglas and Brother André Melli, O.S.B., with Brother André’s family after Sunday Mass at São Bento Monas-tery in Vinhedo. Brother André, who is from Vinhedo, has been studying and serving at Saint Vincent Archabbey for the past four years. He was in Vinhedo during Archabbot Douglas’s visitation for the celebration of his parents’ Golden Jubilee.



During his visitation of the São Bento Community, Archabbot Douglas visited one of the nearly 400 poor children who are assisted by the Missionary Sisters of Christ at their two schools and day-care centers. Saint Vincent Archabbey has been contributing to the sisters in their work with the children, which consists of caring for them in all their physical and emotional needs, as well as supplying them with the education and formation that they would not have access to otherwise. Also, during spring break, students from Saint Vincent College go to Jundiaí, Brazil, to work with the sisters and the children they serve.

Mission To Brazil 2008

On Monday, July 21, 2008, during the celebration of Vespers, Father Paulo S. Panza, O.S.B., was installed as the new Prior of São Bento Monastery in Vinhedo. Father Paulo renews the vows of his monastic profession before Archabbot Douglas and his community, and promises to serve them in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church and the Constitutions of the American-Cassinese Congregation. Father Filipe de Almeida, O.S.B., was the Master of Ceremonies.

Archabbot Douglas with Father Alexandre Souza e Silva de Moura, who completed his priestly formation at Saint Vincent Seminary, in December 2007, and was ordained by Archbishop Bruno Gamberini, on June 7, 2008. Arch-abbot Douglas visited Father Alexandre at the Parish of Saint Anthony in the city of Indaiatuba, where he served as a Deacon and which will now be under his care.

Archbishop Bruno Gamberini met with Archabbot Douglas during the Archabbot’s visitation of São Bento Monastery, which is located in Archbishop Gamberini’s Archdiocese of Campinas. The Archbishop presented Archabbot Douglas with the Commemorative Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Archdiocese, which was cel-ebrated on June 7, 2008. Archbishop Gamberini thanked Archabbot Douglas and the monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey for the ongoing service provided through the Monastery in Vinhedo since 1964, as well as through the formation of priests for the Archdiocese at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe.

The Pittsburgh Steelers spent their 42nd summer at Saint Vincent, opening training camp July 27. And once again Saint Vincent College was declared “the best training camp in the NFL” by popular Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King. Top row, from left, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and family; Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., with Dan Rooney, owner and chairman of the Pittsburgh Steel-ers (center) and Sy Holzer, president and chief executive officer of PNC Bank, Pittsburgh; cornerback Bryant McFadden intercepts a pass; running back Willie Parker observes from the sidelines. Middle row, from left, Ben Roethlisberger warms up; wide receiver Linus Sweed; Steeler helmets; rookie first round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall turns the corner; autograph seekers meet Steely McBeam, the Steeler mascot and Archabbot Douglas with Mendenhall. Bottom row, from left, Hines Ward makes a leaping reception; running back Gary Russell outruns Bruce Davis; Brett Keisel tries to knock down a Ben Roethlisberger pass; Max Starks, Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr., and Hines Ward; and safety Troy Polamalu observes from the sidelines.

Steeler Training Camp 2008



Five men have entered the novitiate at Saint Vincent Archabbey, where they will spend a year of discernment before pro-fessing first vows as Benedictine monks. They hail from Upland, Kersey, Bethel Park, Connellsville and Greenock.

BROTHER PIO ADAMONIS IIIBrother Pio (Peter Paul) Adamonis,

III, is the son of Peter P. and Catherine Adamonis of Upland. He has two sis-ters, Debbie of Boothwyn and Lisa Kei of San Diego, and one brother, Michael of Upland.

He is a 1986 graduate of Saint James High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Penn State University in 1990.

BROTHER ALBERT SCOTT GAHRBrother Albert Scott Gahr is the son

of Raymond and Diana Gahr of Kersey. He is the brother of Wendy Gahr Noll, Grafton, WV; Stacy Gahr McKee, St. Marys; Andrew Gahr, St. Marys and Shelly Gahr Straub of Round Rock, Texas.

He is a 1991 graduate of Elk County Christian High School, St. Marys. He earned a bachelor of science degree in biology in 1995 from Saint Vincent Col-

lege and a doctorate in genetics and developmental biology from West Virginia University in 2002.

BROTHER JOHN PAUL HEISERBrother John Paul Heiser is the son of

Randy and Sherry Heiser of Bethel Park. He has three brothers, all of Bethel Park, Jeffery, Steven and Brennan.

He is a 2004 graduate of Bethel Park High School and earned a bachelor of arts degree in international politics and psychology from Penn State University in 2008. While at Penn State he served in various leadership roles, including as president of the Newman Catholic Stu-dent Association. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma.

BROTHER ISIDORE KENNETH MINERDBrother Isidore Kenneth Minerd is the

son of Timothy and Laura Lee Szepesi of Connellsville. He has a sister, Gina Marie Szepesi of Connellsville. He is a 2002 graduate of Connellsville Area High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree in computing and infor-mation science from Saint Vincent Col-lege in May 2006 and a bachelor of arts in Catholic theology from Saint Vincent in December 2006.

FATHER JEAN-LUC ZADROGAFather Jean-Luc (Clinton Paul)

Zadroga is the son of Pamela Faulk Bassett of Greenock and the late Paul A. Zadroga. He has a brother, Zachary of Irwin, and two sisters, Sarah Zadroga Cole of Irwin and Alexis Zadroga Yaroscak of Belle Vernon.

He is a 1992 graduate of Elizabeth Forward High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1997, a master of divinity degree and a master of arts in theology from Saint Vincent Seminary in 2001. He was ordained a deacon in 2000 and a priest in May 2001 in the Diocese of Pittsburgh by Bishop Donald Wuerl.

From 2001-2002 he served as paro-chial vicar of Saint Margaret of Scotland, Green Tree. He served as secretary and master of ceremonies to Bishop Wuerl from 2002-2003, then as parochial vicar of Saint Sebastian Parish, Ross Town-ship from 2003-2005. In December of 2005 he was named parochial vicar of Saint James Parish, Sewickley, where he served until July 2008, when he entered the novitiate at Saint Vincent. Addition-ally, he served as chaplain for North Catholic High School from 2004-2008.

Five Enter Novitiate In 2008

From left to right are, Brother Pio Adamonis, N.O.S.B., Brother John Paul Heiser, N.O.S.B., Brother Isidore Minerd, N.O.S.B., Novicemaster Father Sebastian Samay, O.S.B., Brother Albert Gahr, N.O.S.B. and Father Jean-Luc Zadroga, N.O.S.B.



1966, he has worked as a campus minis-ter, dorm mod-erator, assistant professor of business admin-istration, dean of students, and has been ath-

letic director for Saint Vincent College since 1983. Father Myron has overseen the addition of numerous new varsity sports and has led the athletic depart-ment in facilitating a smooth transition into NCAA Division III. In 2008 he was given the Boniface Wimmer Faculty

Jubilarian day was celebrated this summer at Saint Vincent Archabbey. Pictured at left is Father Flavian Yelinko, O.S.B., 75 years, ordination. Above are Father Louis Sedlacko, O.S.B., 70 years profession, and Archabbot Paul Maher, O.S.B. In the photo at top, left, are, from left, Father Daniel Wolfel, O.S.B., sixty years profession, Father Prior Earl Henry, O.S.B. and Father Roland Ripoli, O.S.B., 50 years profession. Also cel-ebrating jubilees were Father Donald Raila and Father Mark Gruber, 25 years ordination; and Brother Nathan Cochran, O.S.B., 25 years profession.

Jubilarian Day


dedicated staff that we have working tirelessly day in and day out with trou-bled youth and families,” he added.

* * * * *Father Myron Kirsch, O.S.B., was

recently inducted into the Saint Vin-cent College Athletic Hall of Fame. Fa-ther Myron graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1969. An exceptional baseball player, Father Myron earned a master of divinity de-gree with highest honors in 1972 from Saint Vincent Seminary. A member of the Benedictine community since

Award, which recognizes continuing, distinguished achievement and loyal service to Saint Vincent College.

* * * * *Brother Timothy Brown, O.S.B., is

working with a local television station to get students from Benedictine Mili-tary School in Savannah in “shorts” for broadcasts during the fall football season. He is also working with a local historian to get the Benedic-tine campus identified as an “historic site.”



Rogers Center Grand OpeningBy Liz Cousins

It was a beautiful evening in the Fred M. Rogers’ Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. The Rogers family, Public Broadcasting, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, joined with faculty and staff members from Saint Vincent Archabbey, College, and Seminary for the dedication and blessing of the new building on Thursday, October 2.

“Fred Rogers was a national cham-pion of children and education,” Max-well King, executive director of the Fred Rogers Center said. “And he was a champion of media that would serve children and parents, not exploit them for gain. The goal of the Fred Rogers Center is to develop and sustain a strong array of programs dedicated to helping parents and children.

“Our goal is to combat harmful pro-grams, and to champion programs that help children cope with an increasingly complex and fast-paced world,” he

added.The center is a two-story, 36,500

square foot, ultramodern green building which houses the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, the Fred Rogers Archive, the Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery, the Conference Center at Saint Vincent Col-lege, an Interactive Exhibit about Fred Rogers’ life and work, and WIM—the Upsidedown Mural by Roman Verostko.

The Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media was established by Saint Vincent College in September 2003 to serve as a national and international resource for address-ing emerging issues affecting children and families. Staying true to the vision of Fred Rogers, and emulating the guiding principles of his life’s work, the center’s mission is to advance the state of early learning and children’s media by acting as a catalyst for communication, col-laboration, and creative change across both fields.

“Fred invited children beyond the bar-riers,” Wayne Godwin, chief operating officer, Public Broadcasting Service, said. “They weren’t watching a televi-sion program, they were making a visit to the neighborhood.”

“What Fred gave to PBS and our chil-dren will never be forgotten,” Godwin said. “This center will make sure of that.”

Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., thanked the attendees for turning the vision of the Fred Rogers Center into “the reality we celebrate today.

“I am honored that he entrusted the care of his great legacy to Saint Vincent College,” the Archabbot said.

“Thank you with a big hug for every-one here to celebrate this special night,” said Joanne Rogers, who serves as the honorary chair of the Fred Rogers Center Advisory Council.

Ralph Smith, who served as the key-note speaker, talked about attending a




Blessing, Dedication Photos

Photos from the Fred M. Rogers Center October 2, 2008 dedication include, on this page, clockwise, from top, Archabbot Doug-las R. Nowicki, O.S.B., blessing the exhibit area, with Brother David Kelly, O.S.B., archi-vist, and Father Brian Boosel, O.S.B., assistant to the Archabbot in the background; Archab-bot Douglas with Nancy Crozier, sister of Fred Rogers; Mrs. Leslie Brockett Wohl, wife of the late (Chef) Dan Brockett of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Joanne Rogers and Archab-bot Douglas; a video of Fred Rogers shown at the opening of the ceremony; Maxwell King, Executive Director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, Saint Vincent College. On the opposite page are, at top, a view of the $14 million green building at night; bottom left, current Saint Vincent Col-lege President Jim Towey introducing keynote speaker Ralph Smith executive vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and chair-man of the board of the Council on Founda-tions; past Saint Vincent College President Jim Will with Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B.



Rogers Center Grand Opening, Dedication Held October 2conference where he heard Fred Rogers.

“It was a privilege to listen to and learn from a person who brought to a group of adults the same gentle persuasion that he brought to a group of children,” said Smith, executive vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and chairman of the board of the Council on Foundations. “The world we live and work in is the world we are creating for our children.”

Rogers had a “quiet insistence that all children matter, and all children should matter to all of us,” Smith added. “This

institution is poised to make the greatest possible contribution to the work of the media and to the work of the nation.”

Music was provided by Michael Moricz, former music director of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, who performed on a Steinway D grand piano that was recently given to the center by Joanne Rogers. The piano, made in 1920, was purchased for Fred Rogers in 1941 and was the instrument on which he com-posed many of the songs that he per-formed on his television show. It was completely restored by Steinway prior

to its installation at the Rogers Center. Moricz was accompanied by Katy Shackleton Williams, soprano, and Jeanne Tupper, cellist.

Archabbot Douglas reminded the audience of Rogers’ words before taping each episode: “Dear God, let some word that is heard be yours.” The Rogers’ Center, he added, will “carry on the legacy of Fred Rogers for future generations.” The audience joined in a rousing rendition of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? before the Archabbot blessed the facility.



Blessing, Dedication Photos

On this page, clockwise, from top, are, from left, Becky Kent, David Demor, Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Brian McCarl, son of Foster and Muriel McCarl, who donated the American cov-erlet collection to Saint Vincent College, and his daughter, Maura McCarl; guests browsing the first exhibit of the Foster and Muriel McCarl American Coverlet Collection, located on the ground floor of the Fred M. Rogers Center; retired Saint Vincent College faculty member Charles Manoli, Roman Verostko, a graduate of Saint Vin-cent College who designed the WIM exhibit on the ground floor of the Rogers Center and Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., Executive Vice President, Dean of The Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing, and Associate Profes-sor of Mathematics at Saint Vincent College; Cameron and Susan Eisaman, Joanne Rogers, Lauren Raimondo, Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Saint Vin-cent College and Ronald Raimondo. Below, the guests gather for the evening’s program in the large banquet room.

On the opposite page, clockwise, from top, left, Ralph Smith, keynote speaker; Wayne Godwin, chief operating officer, Public Broadcasting Service; William Isler, first Executive Director of the Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media chatting with Milton Chen, Board member of the center; Michael Moricz, former music director of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.



Benedictine Heritage Tour Visits Rome

Above, left, Father Brian Boosel, O.S.B., with Abbot Wolfgang Hagl of Metten Abbey, in Rome during the Saint Vincent Benedictine Heritage Tour this fall. The tour group, pictured below, celebrated Mass at Santa Ana with Archbishop Joseph De Andrea.



Gigapan FeaturesSaint Vincent Shots Arnold Palmer’s trophy room, a view

of downtown Latrobe from the hospital roof, and some shots of the Saint Vincent campus, including training camp and the Basilica, are among the images one finds when searching under Latrobe, Pa. on a new website. Gigapan.org is a site featuring panoramic photography of various places around the globe. As part of a summer job on campus, Kelly Bridges, a recent Saint Vincent graduate, learned about the Gigapan project from the Greater Latrobe Community Network. The GLCN had been given the opportunity to borrow one of the specialized cameras from Carnegie Mellon. A few members of the GLCN met with Kelly in order to discuss what areas of the campus would be great to photo-graph. She took pictures highlighting the campus, Latrobe, Chuck Noll field, the Archabbey Basilica, and the monastery, all of which are posted on Gigapan’s website. One of the hardest, but most successful photographs was of the Basilica. The lighting and scope of the structure made it difficult to take a panoramic picture. After several attempts, Kelly found a central location near the altar in order to take over 875 pictures in order to create one seamless panoramic photograph. Gigapan consists of three technological developments. The first is a robotic camera mount that is use for capturing high-resolution images using a standard digital camera. The second is custom software in order to construct the gigapixel panoramas, and finally the website itself where users can upload their own photographs as well as explore others.

Heritage TourMembers of the Benedictine Heritage Tour had the opportunity to meet with Cardinal Jozef Tomko while in Rome. Above left,

with Cardinal Tomko, second from left, are Archabbot Douglas, right, and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Stastny. Peter Stastny played for the Quebec Nordiques in the National Hockey League. In the photo at right are Dr. Robert and Rosemary Mazero, of Latrobe, who participated in the trip. Dr. Mazero was recently honored by Saint Vincent College for his service and visionary leadership in the health care of the people of the Latrobe area as a physician, medical director, educator, philanthropist, husband, father and man of faith.



The 2008-2009 Archabbey Publica-tions catalogue is now available. It is full of descriptions of more than fifty of the latest hand-crafted gifts, ornaments and books produced by and about monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey. There are two new books by Archabbey Publica-tions this year, which will be available in December.

The first is a compilation of 200 of the most important letters written by Boni-face Wimmer, edited and compiled by Wimmer’s biographer Jerome Oetgen.

The second is a picture book contain-ing many never before published images from the Archabbey’s glass plate nega-tive collection. The book traces Saint Vincent in a visual journey, from its Benedictine life to a growing college to early sports teams, local scenes and more.

For a free copy of the catalogue write to Archabbey Publications, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650, or email [email protected]. Most items are also available in the col-lege bookstore, the Basilica Gift Shop, and on the webstore, http://www.stvin-centstore.com.

Publications Catalogue Now Available

The 2008 Christmas ornament from Saint Vincent Arch-abbey is now available. This popular series of collectibles features aspects of the Archabbey Basilica.

The new ornament completes the series of four triptych windows with the scene of the Transitus of Saint Benedict. The 2007 ornament featured the Guardian Angels window, the 2006 ornament portrayed the Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica triptych window and the 2005 ornament fea-tured the Saint Vincent de Paul window. All of the triptych windows are available for $14.95 each, and are on sale in the campus bookstore, Basilica Gift Shop and the Arch-abbey Publications web store, http://www.stvincentstore.com.

Previous ornaments in the series, which are still available, include the Baptism of the Lord window, the Agnus Dei, a facade of the front of the Basilica, the Childhood of Jesus window, the Adoration of the Magi window, and the Nativity Window. Supplies are limited.

2008 Ornament Now Available

Heart to HeartMailing List

Has Been Updated

Many of our Heart to Heart (Arch-abbey newsletter) and Leaven (Sem-inary newsletter) readers have been very patient with us during the past few months as we have been in the process of updating our mailing lists, and we thank you for your patience.

The previous system involved combining two mailing lists and in that process, some duplication had occurred. In combining the newslet-ters into one mailing list, that duplica-tion should be eliminated. However, if it has not been, please continue to let us know your address changes. Please also let us know if you do not wish to receive one or both of our magazines as well, or if you wish to receive a free subscription to both Heart to Heart and Leaven. Email editor Kim Metzgar at [email protected] with your updates or call 724-805-2601.



Demonstrates ArtFather Thomas More Sikora, O.S.B., demonstrates his weaving to a volunteer in period dress at the Kutztown Arts Festival near

Allentown this summer. Father Thomas More and Brother Mark Floreanini, O.S.B., attended the festival for Archabbey Artisans to display their handcrafted work. Father Thomas More demonstrated weaving and presented many woven pieces to sell. Brother Mark had numerous stained glass pieces for sale, pictured at left. Their website is http://www.stvincentartisans.com/.

Father Stephen Peter Concordia, O.S.B., has transferred his vows to Saint Vincent Archabbey. The son of John J. Concordia of Shrewsbury, Massachu-setts and the late Joan B. Concordia, he has six siblings: George of Chicago; John of Westwood, Mass.; Patricia Concordia Lloyd of Hyde Park, Mass; Ann Concor-dia O’Connor of Mashpee, Mass.; Mary Concordia Quinn of Pawtucket, Rhode Island and Joan Concordia O’Brien of Worcester, Mass.

He is a 1974 graduate of Saint John’s High School, Shrewsbury. He has a bachelor of music degree in piano perfor-mance from New England Conservatory, Boston (1980), where he also earned a master of music in theoretical studies (1984). He studied organ and Grego-rian chant at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Rome, receiving the mag-

istero in organ in 2000 and in Gregorian Chant in 2004. He is a graduate of the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’ Anselmo, Rome, where he earned a baccalaureate in philosophy (1993) and a baccalaure-ate in theology (1996). He made simple profession of monastic vows in 1991 at Montecassino, Italy, and solemn profes-sion there in 1994. He was ordained a deacon at Montecassino by Archbishop Vincenzo Fagiolo on July 11, 1995 and a priest at Montecassino by Archbishop Loris F. Capovilla on Sept. 17, 1995.

Since coming to Saint Vincent, he has been named choirmaster, director of scholas, assistant director of monastery music and assistant organist at the Arch-abbey, and assistant professor of music at Saint Vincent College, director of the Saint Vincent Camerata and the Saint Vincent College Choir.

Benedictine Community Welcomes New Member

Father Stephen Concordia, O.S.B.



To give a tribute or memorial gift, please make a donation to Saint Vincent Archab-bey in honor of or in memory of a friend, colleague or family member. Donations should be mailed to Mr. Paul R. Whiteside, Archabbey Development Office, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pa., 15650-2690, 724-532-6740. Donors from May 10, 2008 to September 30, 2008, include:

IN HONOR OF:

BR. MICHAEL ANTONACCI, O.S.B.Mrs. Mary Ann E. Polinski

ROBERT N. AND SYLVIA S. BELLINOTTIMs. Irene E. Surmik

BENEDICTINE PRIESTS WHO HAVE SERVED AT ST. PAUL PARISH CHICAGO

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. SniegowskiBR. BONAVENTURE CURTIS, O.S.B.

Rev. Deacon and Mrs. John M. HanchinREV. WILFRED M. DUMM, O.S.B.

Ms. Lois M. DowellINFIRMARY STAFF AT SAINT VINCENT ARCHABBEY

Mrs. Helen K. BarnettREV. PASCHAL N. KNEIP, O.S.B.

Mrs. Barbara SauterBR. GABRIEL MYRIAM KURZAWSKI, O.S.B.

Mrs. Mary Ann E. PolinskiBR. JEREMIAH LANGE, O.S.B.

Mrs. Mary Ann E. PolinskiBR. MAXIMILIAN MAXWELL, O.S.B.

Mrs. Mary Ann E. PolinskiREV. PETER AUGUSTINE PIERJOK, O.S.B.

Rev. Deacon and Mrs. John M. HanchinMr. and Mrs. Peter D. Hanley

BR. NATHANAEL POLINSKI, O.S.B.George and Carolyn HallerMrs. Mary Ann E. PolinskiMr. Joseph Seman

REV. DANIEL C. WOLFEL, O.S.B.Mrs. Ada Steinbach

REV. FLAVIAN G. YELINKO, O.S.B.Dr. and Mrs. Ferdinand L. Soisson

REV. JEAN-LUC C. ZADROGA, O.S.B.Ms. Mary Lou EinlothMr. and Mrs. Thomas L. HajdukiewiczMr. and Mrs. S. Clayton SaftnerMr. and Mrs. Alan C. Veeck

MEMORIAL:

+TONY ADAMIKMs. Pearl Karawsky

+REV. ALBERT C. BICKERSTAFF, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. William W. Shearouse, Jr.

+REV. BONIFACE BUERKLE, O.S.B.Jeanne and Jim Murray

+MR. FREDERICK BYRNEMarian Goetz

+DONNA CHELKO BONOMrs. Lena A. Chelko

+REV. J. DAVID CROWLEYMrs. Patricia A. Crowley Stark

+ALBERT DEMICHELEMs. Pearl Karawsky

+REV. THOMAS W. DEVEREUX, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. GuskiewiczZoltan and Laurene KristofMr. and Mrs. John M. LallyMr. and Mrs. Roland J. MuellerMrs. Josephine M. SmartMrs. Winifred Yanity

+BENJAMIN B. DIAZSyma and Patrick Mulich

+MR. HENRY DI PIETRODr. Beth A. Troy

+MRS. MARY FOLBYJack and Maryann CherubiniMr. and Mrs. Richard B. GuskiewiczBen and Barbara Troy

+SHIRLEY GRAYTom and Kathy Herald

+JIMMIE GREEKTom and Kathy Herald

+MRS. SOPHIE GROSSWEILERMrs. Naomi S. Costello

+MR. AND MRS. WALTER HARVEYMrs. Loretta M. Durishan

+HARRY HASLAM, SR.Mr. J. Harry Haslam, Jr.

+BROTHER GERARD F. KLARIC, O.S.B.Mrs. Helen K. BarnettMrs. Anne K. ByrneRev. Robert R. ByrnesMr. John S. DeLormeMr. and Mrs. D. L. DouglassMr. and Mrs. Robert H. FennellMs. Madeline FerrarottiJim and Mary ForbesMr. Michael R. HalliganDr. and Mrs. Douglas A. HanzelHarry and Kimi HaslamTed and Lucy HavilandMr. and Mrs. Leonard J. HvizdosMs. Marie KlaricMs. Catherine KonculMr. and Mrs. Mark J. LiebDr. Ronald J. LiebMs. Theresa LiebRichard and Lucille (Hvizdos) MarshMr. Melvin J. MattyBob and Marion NeimanMs. Carolyn M. O’Hayer

Mrs. Josephine M. SmartJohn and Shirley TagueMr. and Mrs. James M. TaylorMary Ann WuyscikMrs. Rita A. Zellner

+WILLIAM L. KUBICAnonymousRay and Linda CharlesMrs. Naomi S. CostelloMr. Mike KubicMr. and Mrs. John LauroMr. and Mrs. Paul C. OhrQZO Construction ServicesMs. Michele L. SolaroliMs. Pauline M. Sullivan

+DIANE L. MARTINMr. Leonard Gantler

+VINCENT T. MENDICINODr. and Mrs. Michael T. JamisonCarole A. LawsonMr. and Mrs. Nicholas A. Petrucci

+LOUIS MERSKYFloyd Browne GroupPaul and Sandra HartonDaniel and Sherren Elias Pensiero

+MARJORIE METZLERMr. Patrick A. Mulich

+MR. CALLISTUS W. MILANMs. Mary Diane Zelenak

+JAMES P. RAMETTAMr. and Mrs. Salvatore FasanoMr. and Mrs. Vito Palatella

+JOHN AND CATHERINE REBIMrs. Irene B. Pocratsky

+MRS. CLARE RICHARDSMs. Pearl Karawsky

+ROBERT A. SEABOLMrs. Margaret Seabol

+WILLIAM W. SHEAROUSE, SR.Mr. and Mrs. William W. Shearouse, Jr.

+REV. SIMON J. TOTH, O.S.B.AnonymousMary Jean HasychakMs. Marilyn HillinMr. and Mrs. John M. LallyMs. Doris I. LangMr. John P. McKeownMiss Dorothy M. Petrosky

+MRS. AGNES E. URIKMr. Brian D. Urik

+REV. REMIGIUS B. VEROSTKO, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. Donald S. Pawlak

+LUELLA WEBERTom and Kathy Herald

+ARTHUR ZITTERBART, JR.Mrs. Jane Zitterbart and Family

+ARTHUR ZITTERBART, SR.Mrs. Jane Zitterbart and Family

Tribute, Memorial Gifts



2009 Archabbey Retreats ScheduledBrother Hugh Lester, O.S.B., Retreat

Program Director, has announced the dates for the 2009 Archabbey retreats.

Father Donald Raila, O.S.B., will give a retreat directed toward Oblate men and women from May 15-17. Director of the Saint Vincent Ar-chabbey Oblate Program since 1988, Father Donald is also as-

sistant director of monastery music.Father Wulfstan Clough, O.S.B., will

conduct the retreat for married couples May 29-31. Fa-ther Wulfstan is currently an as-sistant professor in the English De-partment at Saint Vincent College. He also serves in various par-ish apostolates in the Diocese of

Greensburg on weekend mission.

Father Thomas More Sikora, O.S.B., will give the silent retreat June 5-7. Father Thomas More has served on the Saint Vincent College faculty and has been a director of spiritual formation for Saint Vincent Seminary. He is socius of novices for Saint Vincent Archabbey, and is the director of Saint Vincent Archabbey Arti-sans.

Father Boni-face Hicks, O.S.B., will con-duct the charis-matic prayer re-treat June 26-28. Ordained a priest in 2004, he is a faculty member at Saint Vincent College.

Father Thom-as Hart, O.S.B., will give the men’s retreat July 23-26. The Arch-abbot’s Advisor for Educational Missions. Father Thomas is also a member of the Religious Studies Department at Saint Vincent College.

Father Fred Byrne, O.S.B., will con-duct the father and son retreat July

31-August 2. The Vocation Di-rector for Saint Vincent Archab-bey, Father Fred has also served as campus min-ister for Saint Vincent College

and the Penn State University Catholic community.

For more information on the Archab-bey retreat program, visit the website: http://www.saintvincentretreats.org/.

Br. Nathan Cochran, O.S.B., was recently awarded the Civilian Medal of Honor “Signum Memo-riae” by H.I.R.H. Otto von Habsburg, Crown Prince of Austria and King of Hungary. The medal was awarded in honor of Arch-duke Otto’s 95th birthday. Archduke Otto is the last Crown Prince of Austria and the last King of Hun-gary (although uncrowned). The medal is only awarded in jubilee years of the Aus-trian monarch. The last time it was awarded was in 1898 during the reign of Emperor Franz Josef in honor of his 50th jubilee on the Austro-Hungarian throne.

Brother Nathan Receives Medal of Honor



A Life of ServiceThe Benedictine Community of Saint Vincent has 200 monks who de-vote their lives to serving the needs of people through a wide variety of pastoral, educational, and mission-ary works, both at Saint Vincent and throughout the world. While the older monks remain active well past retire-ment age, they face the same finan-cial hardships that other retirees do — rising health care costs and in-creasing living expenses. The Mon-astery Health and Welfare Fund pro-vides older priests and brothers the care they need after their many years of service to the people of God.

Enclosed is my gift of:

$50 $100 $500 $1000 Other __________

My company will match my gift.

Enclosed is the form. Gifts are tax-deductible.

Please make checks payable to Saint Vincent Archabbey

Benedictine Health and Welfare FundSaint Vincent Archabbey

300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690.

Name

Address

City State

Zip Phone

E-Mail

Father Philip M. Kanfush, O.S.B., has been elected to the Saint Vincent College Board of Incorporators for a six-year term. He was also elected to the Saint Vincent Archabbey Council of Seniors in 2008. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of Benedictine Military School in Savan-nah, Georgia in 2007. His service to the college has also included working with three Saint Vincent College committees in 2008: the Student Faculty Administration Board, the Faculty Compensation Com-mittee, and the Who’s Who Committee. He was also named an alternate faculty representative to the Hourly Employee Grievance Board of Saint Vincent College in 2008.

Before entering the monastery, Father Philip was Assistant Director of Finan-cial Aid and served as a part-time faculty member at the Community College of Allegheny County. He has served as an adjunct member of the faculty at Saint Vincent College in the Business Adminis-tration and Education Departments since 1993. He has been an assistant in the Benedictine Annual Appeal (1994-1996), assistant at the Archabbey Gristmill (1994-1996), director of the Basilica Gift Shop (1997-2001) and founder and director of the Gristmill General Store (2001-2002). From 1998 to 1999 he was Administrative Secretary to the Archabbot. He served as parochial vicar of Saint Vincent Ba-silica Parish (2000-2003), and has been a weekend assistant at various parishes in the Diocese of Greensburg, including All Saints Parish, Masontown (2003-2007), Saint Martin Parish, New Derry and Saint Joseph Parish, Derry (2007-2008), as well as a chaplain for the Carmelite Nuns, La-trobe, and other parishes as assigned. He was a teacher at Clelian Heights School for Exceptional Children from 2002 to 2007. In 2007 he was named Procurator of the Archabbey. He assumed a full-time position in the Education Department at Saint Vincent College in August 2007.

He holds teaching certifications in the areas of Early Childhood Education; El-ementary Education; Secondary Educa-tion; Business, Computers and Technol-ogy Education; and Special Education.

Additionally, he is certified as a Reading Specialist and as a Program Specialist in English as a Second Language in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Father Philip Kanfush ElectedTo College Board of Incorporators

Vocation Office Sponsoring PilgrimageThe Saint Vincent Archabbey Voca-

tion Office is sponsoring a trip to Norcia, Italy, birthplace of Saint Benedict, for young, single Catholic men who are dis-cerning a religious vocation.

Taking place from December 27, 2008 to January 4, 2009, the trip will include daily Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. Guests will stay at Sant’ Anselmo, the International Benedictine House of Studies in Rome.

Pilgrims will visit Saint Benedict’s birthplace, as well as his first monastery, Subiaco. They will attend solemn ves-pers of New Year’s Eve at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, and attend Mass on January 1 in one of the four major basilicas of Rome. They will visit Mon-tecassino Abbey, where Saint Benedict wrote the Holy Rule, the Roman Forum, Vatican Museums and other ancient and sacred sites in and around Rome.

For further information, contact Father Fred Byrne, O.S.B., Archabbey Vocation Director, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650, 724-532-6708, [email protected].

PLEASE ADD ME TO THE HEART TO HEART MAILING LIST

Name ___________________________ Address _________________________

________________________________

City ____________________________

State _________ Zip Code __________



Obituaries

Rev. Thomas Devereux, O.S.B.

Father Thomas Devereux, O.S.B., died Saturday, June 21, 2008. He was born May 23, 1932 in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, a son of the late Wil-liam and Isadora Devereux. He had one brother, the late Father Alexander W. Devereux of Saint Vincent Arch-abbey, and one sister, the late Mrs. James (Mary) Case of New Jersey. He is survived by three nieces, Jane Case of Tampa, Florida; Susan Constant of Pittsburgh; Kathrynn Hammaker of Mechanicsburg; and one nephew, William Case of Courtland, Ohio. He is also survived by five grand nieces and one grand nephew.

He attended Saint Vincent Prepa-ratory School, earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1952 from Saint Vincent College, and graduated from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1959. He also studied drama at Catholic University of America.

He made simple profession of mo-nastic vows on July 2, 1953, and sol-emn profession of vows on July 11, 1956. He was ordained a priest on May 23, 1959 by the late Bishop Hugh L. Lamb of the Diocese of Greens-burg.

Father Tom served with the stage

department of the Saint Vincent Pre-paratory School from 1955 to 1960 and was appointed director of the Saint Vincent Stage Guild in 1961. In 1969, he was named producer of Saint Vincent Summer Theatre. For more than 40 years, he shaped and molded the theatre. He directed and produced hundreds of shows, including Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story and Ar-senic and Old Lace.

“Father Tom built a web of friend-ships that runs across the country and across generations,” said Joe Reilly, longtime theatre director and friend, along with his wife, Pat, and daugh-ters Colleen and Anne. The Reilly fam-ily worked closely with Father Tom di-recting and producing performances for Saint Vincent Summer Theatre.

He also worked with hundreds of actors and actresses, including Stu-art Pankin, well known from television and films, and Mrs. Joy Pankin, who performed with the theatre in its early days.

“Something that I’ve always loved here is the relationship between the Benedictines and the theatre,” Joy Pankin stated. “Our friendship not only with Father Tom —for whom we have more respect, admiration and affection than we can say—but also friendships with other monks has been a wonderful part of our lives.”

Until 2003, when Father Tom suf-fered a stroke, he could be seen be-fore every performance, standing at the top of the hill near the Science Center Amphitheatre, waiting for the-atre patrons to arrive, where he greet-ed them and directed them to a park-ing space.

In 1984 he received the Commu-nity Service Award at the 40th annual meeting of the Latrobe Area Chamber of Commerce. He also received the Saint Vincent College Student Faculty Award and a Special Award in honor of his outstanding contributions to the improvement of student life on cam-pus. He was a member of the National Catholic Theater Association and the

American National Theater Associa-tion.

In 2007, Saint Vincent College es-tablished The Father Tom Devereux, O.S.B., Endowed Directorship in Dra-ma and Stage, recognizing his contri-bution to the cultural heritage of Saint Vincent and the region. The event was highlighted with a tribute, “Father Tom Devereux: A Celebration of Service,” an evening of memories and laughter.

In addition to his theatre work, Fa-ther Tom served as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Parish, Jeannette (1960-1961); residence hall counselor at Saint Vincent College, dean of stu-dents at Saint Vincent College (1975-1984); director of campus safety; and director of sports recreational facilities and special events (1989-2003).

Mass of Christian Burial was cel-ebrated in the Archabbey Basilica by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., on Wednesday, June 25, fol-lowed by the rite of committal in Saint Vincent Cemetery. Memorial contribu-tions may be made to The Father Tom Devereux, O.S.B., Endowed Direc-torship in Drama and Stage at Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690.

Brother GerardKlaric, O.S.B.(Continued on Page 34)



(Continued from Page 33)

Obituaries

Rev. Louis Sedlacko, O.S.B.

MemorialContributions

Brother Gerard J. Klaric, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Monday, August 4, 2008. He was born in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Septem-ber 2, 1912, a son of the late Joseph and Anna Klaric. He is survived by three sisters, Anne Byrne and Marie Klaric of Apollo, and Helen Barnett of Timmonium, Md.

He entered the novitiate of the Benedictine monastic community of Saint Vincent Archabbey on May 29, 1935. He made triennial vows on July 2, 1936, and perpetual vows on July

Father Louis S. Sedlacko, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Friday, October 10, 2008. He was born in Hostetter, Pennsylvania, on August 17, 1917, a son of the late Stephen and Anna (Sobota) Sedlacko. He was one of six children. His broth-ers were the late Joseph and George Sedlacko. His sisters are Mrs. Andrew (Helen) Pavlock of McKeesport, Mrs. John (Magdalen) Hertneky of Aliquip-pa and Mrs. Richard (Josephine) Pav-

2, 1939. In 1942 he was appointed to the

Archabbey’s farm on Chestnut Ridge. His duties included overseeing the farm and the blacksmith shop, as well as fixing tractors, digging coal, logging, and cutting fence posts. He was active in sports, and enjoyed ice skating, hunting, and watching sport-ing events. In 1967 he was assigned to the Benedictine Priory in Savannah, Georgia, working in the maintenance department at the Priory and at Bene-dictine Military High School. He re-tired in 1986, but continued to work part time at the School and Priory for the next 15 years.

Following Brother Gerard’s re-

tirement, Benedictine Military High School presented him with the Bene-dictine Gold Medal of Excellence for his valuable contributions to the Priory and School for over 25 years. He con-tinued living and working at the Priory there until 2002, when he returned to the Archabbey.

A Mass of Christian Burial was cel-ebrated on August 4, 2008, at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica, followed by interment in the Saint Vincent Benedictine Community Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Benedictine Health and Welfare Fund, Saint Vincent Archab-bey, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, La-trobe, PA 15650-2690.

lock of McKeesport.He attended Saint Cecilia Grade

School in Whitney, and is a graduate of Saint Vincent Prep School, College, and Seminary. He also did graduate studies in mathematics and chemis-try at Notre Dame University. He en-tered the Benedictine community at Saint Vincent in 1937, making solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1941. He was ordained a priest on June 11, 1944.

Father Louis served the Archabbey both in its educational and pastoral apostolates. At Saint Vincent Prep he was a teacher of Latin, mathematics and chemistry, and served as head-master from 1956 to 1966. At Saint Vincent College, Father Louis served as registrar and director of admission from 1966 to 1985. In 1975, he was appointed pastor of Saint Boniface Parish, Chestnut Ridge, serving in that position until his retirement in 1991.

He was an avid gardener. In Slovak Sedlack means farmer, a man of the earth. Sedlacko means a small farmer, that is, a gardener. Father Louis loved to share what he had been given by the Lord: his talents as teacher, head-master, and pastor, the Job’s Tears ro-saries that he made, his vegetables—the last, even with animals as long as they were not too greedy.

Father Louis shared his life with a generous spirit because he was given the gift of sharing in the self-giving life and love of the Lord. A life of generous sharing in the Spirit of Jesus may be the gift of Father Louis’ legacy to us. If we accept the gift of Jesus giving himself to us as our bread and wine, because we thereby share his life, we too must become bread and wine for the life and joy of others. Father Louis got a special kind of enjoyment when he brought a basket of those wonder-ful vine-ripened tomatoes from his garden to share with his confreres. Perhaps we too will discover that the deepest joys in life come in giv-ing ourselves to others with generous love. Jesus seems to be telling us this deep truth about life when he was ex-plaining the meaning of his dying at the Last Supper: “All this I tell you that my joy may be yours, and your joy may be complete.”( John 15:11).

A Mass of Christian Burial was cel-ebrated on October 13, 2008, at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica, followed by interment in the Saint Vincent Benedictine Community Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Benedictine Health and Welfare Fund, Saint Vincent Archab-bey, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, La-trobe, PA 15650-2690.



Development CornerAn End of the Year

Christmas GiftIt is hard to believe that the Christ-

mas season is almost upon us. I thought it might be helpful to offer some Christmas gift ideas I recently read.

“Christmas gift suggestions:To your enemy, forgiveness.To an opponent, tolerance.To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”All of us could take heed to these

words of wisdom from author Oren Arnold. This time of year is a wonder-ful time to reflect on the gifts that have been bestowed on us, and how we might share those gifts with others. As the Director of Development for Saint Vincent Archabbey, I am constantly humbled and amazed by the charity we experience from our friends and benefactors. As one simple example, we have a very generous business owner who tithes a percentage of his income to the vocations program here at Saint Vincent. The concept of “tith-ing” is unfamiliar to most of us in the Catholic faith, yet in this case, it is an important and disciplined manner in which this donor shows his support for vocations to the priesthood.

Name

Address

City State

Zip Phone

Enclosed is my year-end gift. I am interested in discussing estate planning. I am interested in discussing a contribution of: I am interested in supporting the education of a monk. Stock Real Estate Annuities I would like to pledge $ _______ per month.

Please Return Card To:Mr. Paul R. Whiteside, Director of Development

Saint Vincent Archabbey300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690,

Phone: 724-532-6740E-mail: [email protected]

Paul R. WhitesideDirector of Development

Father Fred Byrne, O.S.B. has done an excellent job recruiting vocations for Saint Vincent Archabbey. In the last two years, nine new monks have joined the Order of Saint Benedict at Saint Vincent. That is a tremendous track record, superceded only by the quality of the men who are now nov-ices and junior monks in the commu-nity. Your support of the Archabbey is vital to the ongoing success of this recruitment effort.

Other areas of need in the Arch-abbey include the Health and Wel-fare Fund that is used to support the

elderly and retired monks of the com-munity. If your main interest is educa-tion, you have the opportunity to assist the young monks who are studying to hone their skills so that they may be effective in their particular area of service to the people of God. Finally, the Archabbey has several building and maintenance projects in various stages of completion. The renovation of the crypt, upgrades to the Basilica, and the construction of a new guest house are on the near term list of physical plant upgrades.

As you are developing your Christ-mas list for 2008, please remember to add Saint Vincent Archabbey. As always, we promise to be good stew-ards by ensuring that your gifts are put to good use for the ultimate goal of continuing to spread the Good News of the Gospel to the People of Christ’s Church. You, in turn receive the peace of mind and heart that you are help-ing to promote the Church in our area and in far-reaching areas throughout the world.

Please feel free to write or email me at [email protected].

Paul R. WhitesideDirector of DevelopmentSaint Vincent Archabbey300 Fraser Purchase RoadLatrobe, PA 15650724-532-6740Thank you and have a peaceful and

grace-filled holiday season.

Saint Vincent Archabbey300 Fraser Purchase RoadLatrobe, PA 15650—2690

724-539-9761http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

The First Benedictine Monastery in the United States, Founded in 1846

NON—PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 110

Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., received the North Side Hall of Fame Award for his support of the Car-dinal Wright Regional School by North Side Friends and Neighbors Commit-tee during a recent banquet in the East Lounge at Heinz Field. Taking part in the award presentation (at right) were Pitts-burgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchey, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney and Most Rev. David Zubik, Bishop of Pittsburgh.

The Archabbot is pictured with stu-dents and recent graduates of Saint Vincent College who have benefited from his work with the Extra Mile Edu-cation Foundation and the Crossroads Foundation in the Diocese of Pitts-burgh. Both foundations help students from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods with scholarship funds for college. Pictured are, from left, Melvin Cherry (SVC ‘04), Lloyd Chea-tom (Senior at SVC), Arnel V. Farmer, Jr. (Freshman at Pittsburgh Central Cath-olic High School), Janard Pendleton (SVC ‘01), Archabbot Douglas Now-icki, O.S.B., John Hill (SVC ‘99), Eris Symms (SVC ‘01) and Brandi Cheatom (SVC ‘05). In recognition of his work

Hall of FameDinner at Heinz Field

with these students, Saint Vincent Col-lege recently established the Archab-bot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., Minority Scholarship Fund, an opportunity to recognize Archabbot Douglas for his leadership and service to Saint Vincent and the community, as well as his com-

mitment to minority students.For more information on the special

scholarship contact: Rev. Paul Taylor, O.S.B., Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650, 724-805-2527.

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heart to heart fall 2008

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