heart to heart spring/summer 2006

Apostolic Nuncio Receives Honorary Degree

New Saint Vincent College President

Spring/Summer 2006

Saint Vincent Archabbey Heart to Heart Spring/Summer 2006

2 Volume 17, Number 1

erlet Collection. And we continue to celebrate the work of our Benedictine confreres, including the latest book by Father Demetrius Dumm.

We hope to be able to continue to draw on our heritage, while paving new and positive inroads in the educational vocations of Saint Vincent College and Seminary.

Sincerely in Christ,

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

Archabbot’s Message

Dear Friends,Fred Rogers once said “parents are

like shuttles on a loom. They join the threads of the past with threads of the future and leave their own bright pat-terns as they go.” That same tenet can be applied to Saint Vincent. This issue of Heart to Heart celebrates change, growth and development on many dif-ferent levels.

Our new College President Jim Towey will begin work this summer, building upon the outstanding work of outgoing President and current Vice Chancellor James F. Will. Mr. Towey talked about integrating the diverse student body with the Catholic Benedictine tradition of Saint Vincent to “reap a bountiful har-vest in the coming years.”

Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro Sambi, on campus to receive an honor-ary doctorate from Saint Vincent Semi-nary, spoke of the long history of service in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, and the wonders and joys of those called to a priestly vocation. Our newsletter notes the ordinations of two of our monks, one to the diaconate and one to the priest-hood, and the call of two more young men to solemn vows in 2006.

We celebrated the groundbreaking and dedication for the Fred M. Rogers Center at Saint Vincent, as well as for the Foster and Muriel McCarl Cov-

Inside This Issue . . . Archabbot’s Message ............ 2Gristmill Grants ....................... 2Apostolic Nuncio ................ 1, 3Abbey News .................4, 6, 8-9New President ..................... 1, 5Steelers at the White House .. 7Oblate Trip ............................... 9Diaconate Ordination ............. 9Prep Honors Three ..........10-11Gristmill Featured ................ 11Demetrius Dumm Book...12-13Bishop Wuerl ......................... 13Rogers Center Dedicated 14-15Coverlet Center .................... 15Brazil Mission............ 16, 18, 20Flood Cleanup ................. 17, 19Solemn Vows ........................ 20

Simple Vows .......................... 20Archbishop Gregory ............. 21Jonathan Kozol ..................... 22Oblates .................................. 22Savannah Commencement . 22Cardinal Maida Academy ..... 23Tribute to Dan Rooney ......... 23Candidacy ............................. 24Ministry of Reader ................ 24St. John’s Anniversary .......... 24Educational Legacy .............. 25Obituaries ...................26-27, 29Tribute Gifts ......................28-29Received Degree .................. 29CPA Awards .......................... 31Joins Staff ............................. 31Playground Dedication ......... 31Development Corner .......30-31Priesthood Ordination .......... 32

Historic Gristmill Receives Grants

The Saint Vincent Archabbey Gristmill has recently been awarded two grants that will continue to improve this historic structure which now houses an oper-ating mill, Museum and General Store, Coffeehouse and Environmental Educa-tion Center.

The Gristmill, which is operated by the monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey, recently received a $20,000 matching grant from the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks Program as part of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. The Heritage Parks Program, which is administered by the state Department of Conserva-tion and Natural Resources, focuses on building regional partnerships to con-serve, enhance and promote the com-monwealth’s rich industrial legacy and encourage regional tourism and new economic development opportunities.

Another grant of $25,000 came from the Allegheny Foundation of Pittsburgh whose grants support historic preserva-tion, civic development and education in Western Pennsylvania.

According to Fr. Paul Taylor, O.S.B., president of the Gristmill Committee, the recent funding will continue to improve access from the highway to the historic mill. The funding also will be used for additional lighting and for the paving of the entrance road.

Last year, a grant of $15,000 came from the Westmoreland County Tourism Grant program, which is administered by the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, to support continuing improvement projects at the Gristmill.

“We appreciate all the support that we have received that has enabled us to preserve what we consider to be an important part of the early agricultural history of our area,” Fr. Paul said. “We are especially grateful to the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor staff headed by Olga Herbert. We are also grateful to the support that we have received from both the Allegheny Foundation and the Laurel Highlands tourism group, which have recognized that we are interested in both preserving history and welcom-ing visitors to the area.”


Volume 17, Number 1 �

Heart to Heart,from the Latin

“Cor ad Cor Loquitur,” or “Heart Speaks to Heart,” is the motto of Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B. It refers to the Archabbot’s prayer that giving and receiving authentic love

may always be the chief char-acteristic of the Saint Vincent

monastic community. This was also the motto of

Cardinal John 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 AssociateTheresa Schwab

Contributors to this issue:

Michael AntonacciFather Fred Byrne, O.S.B.

Annette HartThe Latrobe Bulletin

Father Paschal Morlino, O.S.B.Theresa SchwabJosh Whiteside

Paul R. Whiteside

Cover photos:L’Osservatore Romano

Kim Metzgar

Saint Vincent Archabbey300 Fraser Purchase

Road, Latrobe,Pennsylvania 15650-2690

[email protected] http://benedictine.stvincent.

edu/archabbey/

Apostolic Nuncio HonoredHis Excellency Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, tells

the graduates of the Saint Vincent Seminary at Solemn Vespers and Conferral of De-grees on May 5, “The call to the Priesthood, the call to be configured to Christ, the call to Preach the Word of God and celebrate the Sacraments of the Church is a unique and precious one that is borne out of our Lord’s prayer and communion with the Father and brought about by the action of the Holy Spirit.” Offering remarks were the Most Rev. Lawrence E. Brandt, J.C.D., Bishop of Greensburg, and Dr. John C. Marous, Jr., chairman of the Seminary Board of Regents. Archbishop Sambi concluded his remarks by telling the graduates: “Together, you are a great sign of hope. Yes, to be a priest is a wonderful vocation! It is sacrifice, it is joy, it is gift and it is mystery. Your eagerness to serve in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, your willingness to sacrifice and your generosity of spirit gives joy to the Holy Father’s heart and also gives hope to the Church.” In the photo at top are, from left, Very Rev. Kurt Belsole, O.S.B., Rector; Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Chancellor; Archbishop Sambi; the Most Reverend Lawrence E. Brandt, Bishop of Greensburg; and Dr. John C. Marous, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Regents. In the photo at bottom, left, Rafael Carballo of the Archdiocese of Atlanta received the Omer U. Kline Homiletics Award.


� Volume 17, Number 1

News FromAround TheArchabbey

(Continued on Page 6)

The Mass in Honor of Saint Wal-burga, com-posed by the Rev. Cyprian G. Constantine, O.S.B., Organ-ist/Choirmas-

ter of the Archabbey and Academic Dean of the Seminary, had its Euro-pean premiere at the Abtei Saint Wal-burg, in Eichstätt, Bavaria, on Sat-urday, February 25, the feast day of Saint Walburga.

Saint Walburga (710-779) was one of several members of an An-glo-Saxon family who participated in the missionary activities that car-ried Benedictine monasticism from England to the Continent. Her relics are preserved today at the Abbey of Saint Walburg in Eichstätt, Bavaria, which was founded in the year 1035. The Bavarian abbey made new foun-dations in the 1930s in Pennsylvania and Colorado. For many years nuns from the Abtei Saint Walburg were a presence on the Saint Vincent cam-pus; now the monastery of Saint Emma in Greensburg carries on their tradition. In 1935, the abbey also made a foundation in Colorado, now the Abbey of Saint Walburga.

Father Cyprian, a native of Boulder, Colorado, was chaplain for the Ab-bey of Saint Walburga there for sev-eral years while on loan to the Arch-diocese of Denver. He composed the Mass in Honor of Saint Walburga to honor that saint, as well as to remem-ber the influence of the Benedictine nuns of the Abtei Saint Walburg and their daughterhouses. The Mass, composed for congregational use, is

regularly sung in the monastic services at Saint Vincent Archabbey.

Febraury 25, 2006, marked the first time the Mass has been sung outside the United States, and also marks the first time that an English-language Mass has been sung at the 970-year-old Abtei Saint Walburg in Germany.

* * * * *At the invitation of the editors of The

New Encyclopedia of Africa, successor to

the esteemed Scribner series of aca-demic reference books, Fr. Mark Gru-ber, O.S.B., has submitted an article en-titled, “Christianity: Coptic Church and Society,” to be placed in the upcoming edition. The editors had written: “Each article will be written by a recognized authority in the field, and we believe that you are the best person to write

“I always wanted to be a priest, as long as I can remember,” Rev. Omer U. Kline, O.S.B., told Richard Torio of the Tribune-Review for a feature story on the longtime Archabbey archivist. A native of Hastings, Cambria County, Father Omer’s father was a blacksmith in coal mining country. The young Urban Kline began studying at Saint Vincent Prep School at age 14, received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Saint Vincent College, then declared his intention to become a Benedictine monk. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1949.

He taught American history, social studies and economics at the prep school and did graduate work at the Catholic University of America and Columbia University. While at Columbia he lived at the Catholic Actors’ Chapel in New York and met and ministered to many famous actors and actresses, the article noted.

He taught speech and homiletics at Saint Vincent until 1987 and has since had an award in homiletics named for him at Saint Vincent Seminary. He became the archabbey’s archivist in 1966 and has written two books, one on the history of Sportsman’s Hall Parish, later named Saint Vincent, and the other on the Saint Vin-cent Gristmill and Brewery.

Father Richard Ulam met Father Omer upon entering the monastery and the two have been friends since that time. The fellow priests share interests in opera, history and current events. Father Richard, who was also interviewed for the article, noted that Father Omer “was an influence in everybody’s life.”



H. James Towey has been named the 16th president of Saint Vincent College, effective July 1, 2006, according to an announcement made in Latrobe and Washington, D.C. by Archabbot Doug-las R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Chancellor, and Mr. J. Christopher Donahue, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Mr. Towey has served since 2002 as Assistant to the President of the Unit-ed States and Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

“I think the educational value, the di-verse student body and the Catholic, Benedictine tradition that have thrived here for over a century place Saint Vincent College in a position to reap a bountiful harvest in the coming years,” Mr. Towey said. “The liberal arts educa-tion that is offered here is desperately needed in a culture often lacking direc-tion and values and intellectual curiosity. Saint Vincent is a treasure and what is taking place here in the foothills of the Laurel Mountains is poised to make even

greater contributions to our culture, our country and our world.”

Since February 2002 Mr. Towey has been Assistant to the President of the United States in Washington, D.C. where he directed the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He has served as a member of the Presi-dent’s Senior Staff and has reported directly to the President on matters pertaining to church-state and religious liberty issues, federal grants to religious and community-based charities, cor-porate and foundation grant-making to social service agencies, tax incentives for enhanced charitable giving, and the implementation of individual choice in drug treatment, mentoring, housing and other federal programs.

Prior to his work at the White House, Mr. Towey spent ten years as a senior advisor to Republican U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield and Democratic Governor Law-ton Chiles, serving the latter as secretary of Florida’s health and social services

agency and its 40,000 employees.After leaving state government he

created a planning document called Five Wishes that today helps millions of families maintain human dignity at the end of life. Mr. Towey’s work in support of those in need has led to numerous honors, including an honorary doctorate from Saint Vincent Seminary in 2004.

In April of 2000, Mr. Towey received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Papal Cross Award from Pope John Paul II. Most sig-nificant in Mr. Towey’s life, however, was his work and friendship with Mother Te-resa of Calcutta. He met Mother Teresa in 1985 and went on to serve as her le-gal counsel for 12 years. Mr. Towey lived for a year in Mexico in one of Mother Teresa’s missions and in 1990 worked full-time in her Washington, D.C., home for persons with AIDS. He had the privi-lege to travel occasionally with Mother Teresa and see firsthand her faith and compassion in action.

He has been honored many times for his public service including six honor-ary doctoral degrees, the Omicron Delta Kappa Award from Florida State Univer-sity, and the Archbishop John Carroll Award from the Archdiocese of Miami. He was also recognized by Church World magazine for being one of Fifty Most In-fluential Christians in America and by Non-Profit Times magazine for being among the Power and Influence Top Fifty of 2005. In September of 2005, Mr. Towey was keynote speaker at the Red Mass held in the Archabbey Basilica.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Mr. Towey graduated in 1978 from Florida State University where he earned a bachelor of science degree with high honors. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Florida State University College of Law in 1981. He and his wife, Mary, have five children, James Marion, Jo-seph Marius, Maximilian Marian, John Mariano and Marie Therese.

“In Jim Towey, I believe that the Col-lege will have an outstanding president,” Archabbot Douglas said.

White House Staff Member New Saint Vincent President

On hand for the announcement of the new Saint Vincent College president were, from left, J. Christopher Donahue, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vice Chancellor and President James F. Will, Chancellor Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., and H. James Towey, who will begin his tenure as president on July 1.



Archabbey News (Continued from Page 4)

on the topic described.” Father Mark has written extensively on the Copts in

books and ar-ticles, and did his doctoral fieldwork in anthropology living a year in their Sahara desert monas-tic outposts.

Father Mark also was invited to join the Walsh University Board of Direc-tors. Walsh University is in Canton, Ohio.

* * * * *“The Rooney family has been a vital

part of the life of the Catholic Church here in Pittsburgh for so many years,” said Bishop Donald Wuerl in a feature on the Rooneys, their Catholicism and the Pittsburgh Steelers, which ap-peared in The Pittsburgh Catholic prior to Super Bowl XL.

Starting with Art Rooney, “the Chief,” the article by William Hill traces the Rooney family’s support of good causes in Pittsburgh as well as their dedication to Catholicism.

Quoted in the article was Father Benjamin Walker, O.S.B., former pastor and now parochial vicar of Saint Peter Parish on Pitts-burgh’s North Side. He has known Dan Rooney for more than thirteen years.

“Humility explains him. He is a hum-ble and generous man. He contributes to numerous community affairs and is probably hit up for everything that goes on in Pittsburgh,” Father Ben said.

When Father Ben was hospitalized with leukemia, Rooney called to check on him, once from Indianapolis and on

another occasion from an NFL owners’ meeting.

“He is a good friend—the genuine ar-ticle—and a good family man,” Father Ben said.

* * * * *Father Rene Kollar, O.S.B., Dean of the

School of Humanities and Fine Arts and Professor of History, chaired a session on “Catho l ic ism, Protestantism, and Judaism in Britain” at the annual meeting of the Middle Atlantic Confer-ence on British Studies held at Rutgers University on April 8. He also comment-ed on the four papers delivered.

* * * * *Brother Nathan Cochran, O.S.B., is fea-

tured in an article in the Tribune-Review on his work to promote the canonization of Austro-Hungarian Emperor Karl I. The art history professor at Saint Vincent College and art curator of the campus Gallery became acquainted with family members of the last Austro-Hungarian emperor nearly twenty years ago. Since

that time he has served as a consultant on a documentary done on the em-peror, written articles for journals and worked at the Vatican for six months in 2004 to work on Emperor Karl’s beati-fication cer-emony.

E m p e r o r Karl was fea-tured in an episode of the 1992-93 television show, “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,” which is now being released as a DVD series. Brother Nathan was interviewed as part of the DVD production.

The on-camera interview took two hours and also featured two of Karl’s grandchildren and an expert on the Habsburg monarchy. It was produced by Lucasfilm.

* * * * *An article by Father Demetrius Dumm,

O.S.B., on Saint Benedict’s “Work of God,” which first appeared in “The Benedictine Handbook” (Liturgical

Press, 2003), has now been included in a later book, “Wisdom from the Mon-


Three Benedictines are featured in the January/February 2006 edition of The Bible Today. Brother Elliott Maloney, O.S.B., focused on the prologue of Mark’s Gos-pel in “Jesus at the River Jordan and Markan Symbolism.” Father Thomas Hart, O.S.B., looks at biblical and theological overtones in “The Bible and the Apostles’ Creed: ‘He Descended into Hell’.” Father Edward Mazich, O.S.B., who is working on his doctorate in philosophy at Oxford University, examines some critical texts in “Discipleship and the Cross in the Gospel of Mark.” The Bible Today is a bimonthly journal which explores Scripture from the most recent and best biblical scholarship, as well as the biblical basis or connection for Catholic traditions.


Volume 17, Number 1 7

Steelers at the White House

Saint Vincent Archabbey, College and Seminary were represented in Washington, D.C., recently, as Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., and Dr. and Mrs. John C. Marous, Jr., joined the Pittsburgh Steelers when they met with President George W. Bush, Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher, and members of the Rooney family, including Dan Rooney and Arthur Rooney II. Saint Vincent is the summer home of the Steelers, with training camp scheduled to be held on the Latrobe campus at the end of July. In the left-hand column, from top to bottom, are, Troy Polamalu, Jerome Bettis, Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward.


� Volume 17, Number 1


astery” (Liturgical Press, 2005). An ex-cerpt from Father Demetrius’ book on

John’s gospel has also been included in a German work, “Die Leben-skunst der Benediktiner” by Anselm Grün (2005).

* * * *Father Boniface Hicks, O.S.B., was fea-

tured on WJAC recently. The feature is available online at http://www.wjac-tv.com/video/7516590/detail.html. A link to the article is also available from the website of Father Boniface, http://www.fatherboniface.org.

He was co-author of an article, with Michael Hicks, Stephen Tse, and Steve Zdancewic on “Dynamic Updat-ing of Information-Flow Policies.” It was published in the Proceedings of the Foundations of Computer Security Workshop (FCS ’05), March 2005.

Additionally, he was co-au-thor, along with Dave King, Patrick Mc-Daniel, and Mi-chael Hicks, for “Trusted declas-sification: High-level policy for a security-typed language.” The article appeared in the Proceedings of the First ACM SIGPLAN Workshop on Program-ming Languages and Analysis for Secu-rity (PLAS ‘06), to be published June 10, 2006 by ACM Press, Ottawa, Canada.

* * * * *In February, 2006, Cistercian Studies

Quarterly published an article by Brother Bruno Heisey, O. S. B., “John Cassian and the Jews.” The May, 2006, issue of the Australian journal Tjurun-ga will publish Brother Bruno’s

article, “G. K. Chesterton and Monastic Renewal.”

* * * * *The March 20 edition of The Catholic

Register noted that parishioners Fran-cis and Nancy Krug gave a legacy in stone to Saint Benedict Parish in Car-rolltown—Carrara marble statues of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica, which now grace the entrance to the church.

The statues were executed by Mauro Bigarani, a marble carver of Dolfi Statu-ary and Marble Works of Carrara mar-ble quarries in Marina di Carrara, Italy. Each statue started out as a marble block weighing about 4000 pounds.

The parish is staffed by Father Vincent E. Zidek, O.S.B. Saint Benedict is the oldest B e n e d i c t i n e staffed parish in the United States.

* * * * *Brother Francis Ehnat, O.S.B., was fea-

tured in the February 2nd edition of The Southern Cross, newspaper for the Dio-cese of Savannah. Brother Francis was among those interviewed for an article on the World Day for Consecrated Life, which was celebrated on February 2nd.

“Consecrated life reveals the inti-mate nature of every Christian vocation to holiness,” wrote Sister Virginia Gillis,

R.S.M. The call to consecrated life can be lived out by religious sisters, nuns, brothers, religious priests and monks.

“Consecrated life means serving God,” Brother Francis said. “I do this by living a lifelong commitment to the daily rhythm of work and prayer in a particular monastery, obedience to the Rule of Saint Benedict and the Abbot and persevering in living a moral life. Brother Francis lives at Benedictine Priory in Savannah and works at Bene-dictine Military School.

Brazilian ConfreresFather Anthony Grossi, O.S.B., front, left, and Father Brian Boosel, O.S.B., back,

right, met with some of their Benedictine confreres from Brazil during a spring break Campus Ministry trip to São Bento Monastery. They are, from left, Brother José Ma-tias, a novice; Father Anthony; Prior Lucas Torrell de Almeida Costa; Brother João Batista A. Santos; Brother Filipe de Almeida; Brother Emanuel Rodrigues, a novice, and Father Brian. For more on the trip see page 14. (Continued on Page 9)



* * * * *Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., exec-

utive vice president and dean of the School of Natural Sciences, Math-ematics and Computing at Saint Vin-cent Col-lege, co-au-thored a talk, “ C h a n g e s in Under-g r a d u a t e Te a c h i n g and Learning within the Math and Science Partnership of Southwest-ern Pennsylvania (MSP-SWPA).” The talk was presented by Dr. John Smetanka of the Physics Depart-ment faculty. It was one of four de-tailing the activities of the National Science Foundation-funded MSP/SWPA and focused primarily on se-lected course revisions at Saint Vin-cent College conducted as part of the project.

* * * * *Brother Nathan Cochran, O.S.B., cu-

rator of the Saint Vincent Archab-bey art collections, was the guest speaker at a meeting of the Oblates of Saint Benedict, Latrobe Deanery, on November 20. Brother Nathan talked about “The Role of Visual Arts in a Benedictine Monastery.”

* * * * *Father Thomas Hart, O.S.B., chair

of the Religious Studies Depart-ment, was invited to address The Theosophical Society of Pittsburgh December 11. The topic was the Catholic Church at the 40th anniver-sary of the Second Vatican Council. Special attention was given to the influence of Nostra Aetate (The Dec-laration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions), with the Church’s dual commitment to both evangelization and dialogue with the world’s great religions.

Diaconate OrdinationMost Rev. Bernard W. Schmitt, D.D., Bishop Emeritus of Wheeling-Charleston, West

Virginia, ordained two men to the diaconate at Saint Vincent Seminary on April 22. Brother Shawn Matthew Anderson, O.S.B. is a member of the Saint Vincent Archab-bey community, while the other, Stephen J. Pontzer is from the Diocese of Savannah. Brother Shawn Matthew is the son of Colleen L. Anderson of Clearfield, and the late James C. Anderson. He is a 1987 graduate of Clearfield Area High School. He received a bachelor of science in pharmacy degree from Duquesne University in 1992 and has studied philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He entered the novitiate at Saint Vincent Archabbey in July of 2001 and made his first vows on July 10, 2002, and solemn vows on July 11, 2005. He currently serves as an assistant in the Archabbey Vocation Office, as a teaching assistant in the Saint Vincent College Biology Depart-ment and as the monastery bread baker. In the photo are from left, Very Rev. Kurt Belsole, O.S.B., Seminary Rector; Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Chancellor; Bishop Schmitt and Brother Shawn Matthew.


The Oblate group from Savannah visited Mepkin Abbey, near Monks Corner, South Carolina on April 30. Members of the group included, from left, Lori and Mike Williams, Pam and Ben Perez, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Fitzgerald, Anne Antol and Ann Satt.

Savannah Oblates Make Trip



Vincent College. He was on the men’s retreat board from 1945-1952 and was chaplain at Saint Xavier Academy, Latrobe, from 1956 to 1967.

At this time he was assigned to the faculty of Benedictine Military School, Savannah, Georgia., where he taught physics, math and electronics from 1967 to 1996. For some years he served as procurator and Subprior of Benedic-tine Priory. After his retirement in 1996, he was assigned to serve as Director of Alumni for the school.

For Father Omer, who taught his-tory, social studies and economics at the Prep School, some of his best memories are trips with his students to his-toric sites. He also moderated the National Forensic League chapter and accompan ied the students on a variety of trips, including to three national tourneys.

He enjoys a good laugh about some of the mischief of the spirited students, but points out that there were many good students who have gone on to distinguished careers. “At one time, we had two Prep alumni (J. Wray Connolly, P’51, and Thomas A. McConomy, P’51) who were chairing the boards of direc-tors of both the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon.”

Father Omer taught at both Saint Vincent College where he was a prefect and Dean of Students, and the Seminary where in 1988 he was given the Nova et Vetera Award for excellence in teaching. Since 1991 the “Omer U. Kline, O.S.B., Homiletics Award” has been given each year to a seminarian who has demon-strated excellence in preaching.

In addition to his teaching duties, Father Omer was a member of the Board of Directors of the Saint Vincent College Corporation, where he also served as secretary. Since 1966 he has been sec-

made simple profession of vows on July 2, 1938, and solemn profession on July 11, 1941. He was ordained a priest on June 11, 1944.

At the Prep school, he taught Latin, algebra and chemistry. He also was a prefect, athletic director, prefect of studies and guidance director responsi-ble for administering educational tests. He served as assistant headmaster for four years and then was headmaster for ten years, starting in 1956. Later Father Louis served in various positions for the College and was pastor of Saint Boni-face Parish, Chestnut Ridge. He retired to the Archabbey in 1991.

Father Wilfred M. Dumm, O.S.B., always enjoyed science, and taught math and physics at the Prep School from 1946 until 1952. “We had good kids in the Prep School, some real scholars. They wanted to go on and study medicine or go into industry and knew they needed these (science and math) classes,” Father Wilfred says.

“It was never Dullsville around here,” he laughs. “Some of my students have confessed what they pulled on me back then, but they were good stu-dents.”

Father Wilfred was accepted into the novitiate of Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1939. After simple profession on July 2, 1940 he continued studies and was graduated from Saint Vincent College in 1942. He made solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1943 and was ordained a priest in the Archabbey Basilica on November 4, 1945. Later he pursued post-graduate studies in physics and mathematics at Fordham University, the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers, the University of Maryland, Temple and Penn State.

Over the years, he served in various posts including serving as dorm mod-erator and physics instructor at Saint

When the former Saint Vincent Pre-paratory School alumni gathered for a reunion weekend in June, their memo-ries turned to their beloved teachers with the presentation of faculty awards to three faculty members who were all graduates of the Prep School.

Father Louis S. Sedlacko, O.S.B., P’35, was presented with the Faculty/Head-master Award, and Father Wil-fred M. Dumm, O.S.B., P’37, and Father Omer U. Kline, O.S.B., P’41, were both presented with Faculty Awards. In addition, Prep alumni were named to the Prep Hall of Fame and presented with the Alumnus of Distinc-tion and the Social Service Awards.

At recent reunions of the Prep School, alumni have gathered around Father Louis laughing and sharing memories. As Father Louis looks back over his years with the Prep School, he says, “I enjoyed them all.”

With a generous smile, he says that he was pleased that so many of the Prep School graduates went on to impres-sive careers in law, medicine and other fields.

The Prep alumni seem to be devoted to their classmates and their teachers because of the closeness of the com-munity, he explains. “We lived with them, worked with them, played sports with them and taught them.” Father Louis also helped with the athletic teams and remembers the excellence of the teams (thanks to Coach William Rafferty) and the adventures of driving the basketball team, sometimes over icy roads.

A 1935 graduate of the Prep School, Father Louis received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Saint Vin-cent College in 1940 and completed his ordination studies at Saint Vincent Seminary. He also did graduate studies in mathematics and chemistry at Notre Dame University. He entered the Bene-dictine monastery community in 1937,

Three Honored By Saint Vincent Prep Alumni




retary of the Monastic Chapter of the Archabbey (The Benedictine Society of Westmoreland County). From 1966 through 2003, he was both a member and the secretary of the Archabbey’s Council of Seniors. Father Omer is the author of The Sportsman’s Hall Parish Later Named Saint Vincent, 1790–1846, published in 1990 by the Archabbey Press, and of The Saint Vincent Archab-bey Gristmill and Brewery, 1854-2000, published in 2000 by Archabbey Pub-lications.

The November-December 2005 edition of Pennsylvania Magazine included a two-page illustrated article on the Saint Vincent Gristmill. Writer Michael Dittman noted that “at a time when many colleges pride themselves on investing in the cutting edge of technology, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe is reinvesting in cen-turies-old machinery within the walls of a completely renovated and working 19th century gristmill and general store.” The mill, which dates to founder Boniface Wimmer, was a way of making the monastery self-sufficient, said archivist Father Omer U. Kline, O.S.B., who was quoted in the magazine piece. The renovation of the mill was begun in 1997 and a museum and general store opened in 2001. Depending on demand and harvests, the store offers refined flour, whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, buckwheat and wheat bran packaged in paper sacks decorated with a lithograph of the original gristmill and tied with a miller’s knot in the same manner that the abbey’s grains have been sold for over 150 years, Dittman noted. A coffeehouse in the mill offers a variety of drinks and free wireless internet access every day.

Gristmill Featured In Magazine

Prep Alumni(Continued from )

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

Gathered together for the first time ever in the eternal city of Rome in the fall of 2005 were 350 delegates and organizers of the First World Congress of Benedictine Oblates.

The group was greeted cordially by His Holiness Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the closing day of the weeklong Congress. He told the group that he has entrusted his pontificate to Saint Benedict and reminded the Oblates to follow the example of the saint and to seek his intercession that all may live in profound friendship with Christ and witness that closeness to all.

The coming together of various peo-ples from every continent and so many different cultures and backgrounds made the Congress extremely interest-ing and versatile. It did not take long for the group to meld together and become very united, especially in prayer.

The daily prayer and liturgical life of the Congress had much variety as each ethnic group was able to participate and contribute something of their particular culture to the celebrations. Hence the Oblates experienced a great sense of how different and yet how similar each person was, united in prayer.

One observer said: “This commu-nication festival was evidence of the shared values that the Benedictine Oblates brought to the Congress and recognized in each other. No matter where anyone was from, all had become

Oblates for similar reasons. Everyone brought those reasons to Rome and they bonded all as kindred spirits.”

The actual presentations of the Con-gress were well planned and of great interest and value on different levels.

It was truly a meeting filled with much joy and lively communication. The theme song which was “Ubi Cari-tas” was truly exemplified throughout the Congress by the openness shared by all.

The topics presented were: commu-nion with God through contemplation, communion with the monastery (at the center and heart), and communion with the world (family, work place and soci-

Oblate Congress Held In Romeety). The presentations and formal dis-cussions of the Congress focused on these three themes.

Everyone engaged as best they could in conversation, finding a common second language if possible, translating for each other so no one would be left out, seeking out familiar shared words, and learning how to say at least “how are you?” in each other’s language.

The recap sessions included lively discussions about the topics presented and the implementation of these ideas. The presentations are listed on the web page: http://www.oblatesworldcon-gress.com.



Book Contains83 Reflections

This book contains eighty-three short reflections on passages of Scripture which address, from various perspec-tives, the perennial human problem of mortality. A prominent theme in these reflections is, therefore, an invitation to trust the goodness of God in situations where we experience loss of control and the consequent need to rely on a higher power for love and support. These reflec-tions also remind us that reliance on the goodness of God need not be a desper-ate last resort but can be in fact a joyful discovery that will illuminate the whole landscape of our lives.

Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B., received a doctorate in theology from the Atheneum of Saint Anselm in Rome, and after gradu-ate studies at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusa-lem, was awarded the License in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Com-mission in Vatican City. Father Demetrius has taught Scripture at Saint Vincent Sem-inary for over fifty years and was rector of the Seminary for seventeen years.

So We Do Not Lose Heart is available for $12.95 plus $4 shipping from Arch-abbey Publications, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690, http://www.stvincentstore.com.

So We Do Not Lose Heart

Biblical Wisdom For All Our Days

Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.

So We Do Not Lose Heart

Biblical Wisdom For All Our Days

By Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.

Cover Has SymbolicMeaning

The cover of this book has a symbolic as well as an his-torical meaning. Historically, it is a photograph of five of my grandnieces and grandneph-ews who are gathered in the cemetery of Saint Vincent Ar-chabbey and Parish. They are children of my nephew, Pat, and his wife, Virginia, rang-ing in age from two to twelve. Their names are, from left to right, Adelaide, Nicholas, Car-olyn, Benjamin and Stephen. They are typical children who are full of life and who do not at all feel threatened by the ex-istence of cemeteries.

Symbolically, these children represent the ultimate victory of life in a society where death is feared and where the final victory of life seems to be little more than a fanciful dream. By contrast, these children are not at all concerned about the implication of the crosses and the tombstones in the cemetery where they are seated. In that respect, they are unwitting models for all of us who dare to dream of unending life through our union with Christ.

Our yearning for eternal life and happiness is also encouraged by the title of this book, which is taken from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians: “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day” (4:16). Vibrant children in a cemetery remind us therefore, through all our days but especially as we grow older, that the horizons of human life are constantly illuminated by God’s love for us, guaranteed by Jesus himself, who represents a resound-ing “Yes” to all God’s promises, including especially the promise of life (see 2 Cor 1:20).


Excerpt: The Joy That Lies Ahead of Us

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and per-fecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2).

As we grow older and the future seems dark with threats, it becomes ever more difficult to maintain a positive and cheer-ful attitude about our lives. However, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews


Volume 17, Number 1 1�

reminds us that we are not alone on this difficult journey. There is, first of all, that great multitude of people who have gone before us and who are so much a part of our lives that they are said to surround us on every side. These are not only the saints but also the many persons who have loved us and are still in touch with us even though they have gone ahead of us.

We are encouraged then to lay aside that heaviness and helplessness that often weighs us down and to run, on nimble feet, the path that so many others have taken. This is a well-traveled path and there are so many wonderful people who have walked it. In other words, as we grow older and approach the end of our lives, we are in very good company. So many people whom we admire and love, such as, parents, teachers and dear friends, have taken this same path and await us with open arms. Surely this cannot be such a dangerous road to follow.

But most of all we look to “Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” He has gone ahead of us and has blazed the trail for us. Someone has said that we should imagine that Jesus has gone ahead of us into the future and that, when we finish our journey, we simply “catch up” to him! What a joyful moment that will be, espe-cially if we have become very close to Jesus in this life.

What we see in Jesus, as he made his journey, is not an experience that was exempt from the hardships of human life. Indeed, very few of us will ever be asked to endure anything approaching his agony. But the secret of Jesus’ ability to endure the most severe trials was his conviction about “the joy that was set before him.” He was able to endure present suffer-ing because his future was bathed in the glory that comes from the totally reliable promises of his heavenly Father.

I have often thought that, if I were asked to summarize the entire Bible in one word, that word would be “promise.” Indeed, everything in the Bible points toward the

future and a true believer is not one who enjoys all kinds of satisfaction here but rather one who lives in promise. Jesus himself, as the promised Messiah, is at the center of this promise. As St. Paul says, we who believe are “marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people” (Eph 1:13-14). And St. Paul also writes that in Jesus “every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes’” (2 Cor 1:20).

Thus, God’s promise that our faithful-ness will be rewarded beyond our wild-est dreams constitutes that “joy” toward which we move in the company of Jesus and all the saints. Moreover, the older we grow, the closer we are to that joy, in spite of present weakness and fear. There can be no question that our condi-tion of weakness may make all this seem to be no more than “pie in the sky.” But we must read those comforting words of Scripture over and over again until we drive all negative and discouraging thoughts out of our minds and thus allow God’s promises to fill our being and illu-mine our path.

There is a wonderful passage in the First Letter of John that should be a constant reminder of the power of our God-given faith to overcome all obstacles: “And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith” (5:4). It is, therefore, our faith in God’s promises that gradually enables us to overcome all our fears and anxiety about the future as we begin to see a dawn of joy beyond the dark clouds.

When the First Letter of John tells us that our faith can conquer the world, he is reminding us that the world is a place where pessimism has the last word. The classic philosophy of secular culture is expressed in the sad command: “Eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow you die!” This may make sense for the young and strong but it represents nothing but des-peration and absurdity for those who grow older. It is this disastrous philoso-phy of hopelessness that is contradicted and “conquered” by our faith. For our faith puts us in touch with God who has assured us of a future that is better than any past could ever be.

(Continued from Page 12)

Archbishop WuerlTo Nation’s CapitalPope Benedict XVI has named the

Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl, Bishop of Pittsburgh, to succeed Cardinal Theo-dore McCarrick as archbishop of Wash-ington.

Bishop Wuerl currently serves on the Board of Regents of Saint Vincent Sem-inary and was presented with a Presi-dential Medal of Honor by Saint Vincent College in 2000 and an honorary doc-torate in 1992.

A native of Pittsburgh, Bishop Wuerl was installed as the 11th bishop of Pitts-burgh on February 12, 1988. In addition to his responsibilities as shepherd of the Catholic Church for the Diocese of Pitts-burgh, Bishop Wuerl has been involved in a wide range of community, ecumeni-cal and interfaith activities, joining with civic and business leaders in education-al and community-service initiatives.

Bishop Wuerl has hosted the nation-ally-syndicated television program, The Teaching of Christ, broadcast on CBS and the Christian Associates cable channel. His best-selling adult catechism of the same name, now in its 28th year of pub-lication, has been translated into more than 10 languages and is used through-out the world. His most recent publica-tion, The Catholic Way, was published by Doubleday in September 2001.

Bishop Wuerl has served on a number of national and international bodies and has been honored by numerous organi-zations.

Excerpt: The Joy That Lies Ahead of Us


1� Volume 17, Number 1

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on May 19 to launch the start of con-struction for the $12 million building that will house the Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media and the new Saint Vincent College Confer-ence Center.

On a chilly, gray day, a crowd of about 150 gathered to mark the start of con-struction with a symbolic turn of the shovel for the Center. The Rogers Center project was established three years ago as a unique resource planned in collabo-ration with the late Fred Rogers to pro-mote early learning, the primacy of caring relationships between children and adults and responsible uses of media.

“We began this project with profound respect for Fred’s lifelong commitment to children and families, with sincere grati-tude to the Rogers family, and with deep resolve to honor the teacher, man of faith and friend who touched so many lives,” said James F. Will, Saint Vincent College Vice Chancellor and President. “Today, we mark the completion of the final archi-tectural designs and the beginning of site preparation and actual building construc-tion.”

Also welcoming members of the Rogers family, the Rogers Center Advi-sory Council, the Center’s Building Com-mittee, representatives of foundations and other guests was Saint Vincent Arch-abbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., who recalled his friendship with the late Fred Rogers, “a remarkable human being who cared deeply about children.”

Archabbot Douglas commented that “Fred Rogers said a number of years ago that imagining something may be the first step in making it happen, but it takes the real time and real efforts of real people to learn things, make things, turn thoughts into deeds or visions into reality. My thanks to all of you—the real people gathered here today—who have given real time and real efforts to turn this vision of years past into the reality which we cel-ebrate today.’”

Milton Chen, Executive Director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, and chair of the Rogers Center Advi-sory Council, described the building plan and noted that Saint Vincent College will apply for national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED certifi-cation) for the “green building” features

included in the design.“The Rogers Center will be a place

to gather, to embrace the natural envi-ronment and campus community, to encourage creative interaction, exude peacefulness and serenity, encourage participation in campus life, embody the Benedictine spirit of hospitality, commu-nity and stewardship, and be modest in character,” Mr. Chen said. “I am confi-dent that the building we break ground for today will be one that accomplishes all of these goals in a design that is visu-ally striking and distinct as well as highly functional.”

The 36,000-square-foot project is expected to be completed by January 2008. The architectural firm, Davis Gard-ner Gannon Pope Architecture (DGGP) of Pittsburgh, was selected through a national design competition.

The Rogers Center portion of the build-ing is about 9,000 square feet and will include space for preservation of the Fred Rogers Archive, a library/research area, a lab/workshop for development and dem-onstration in early learning and children’s media, a Fred Rogers exhibit, meeting

Groundbreaking Held for Rogers, Conference Center


Members of the Rogers Center Advisory Council joined Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., and College Vice Chancellor and Presi-dent James F. Will in hoisting the ceremonial shovels at the Rogers Center groundbreaking. Shown from left are Dr. Thomas C. Mans, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Nancy E. Curry, Professor Emeritus - University of Pittsburgh Director of Child Development; Dr. Everette E. Dennis, Felix E. Larkin Distinguished Professor Fordham University; Dr. Robert C. Wilburn, President and CEO, Gettysburg National Battle-field Museum Foundation; William H. Isler, Executive Director, Rogers Center, and President, Family Communications, Inc.; Mr. Will; Joanne Rogers, Honorary Chair of the Advisory Council; Archabbot Douglas; Milton Chen, Executive Director, The George Lucas Educational Foundation; David Hartman, television producer; James R. Okonak, Executive Director, McFeely-Rogers Foundation; Margaret M. Petruska, Director, Children, Youth & Families Program, The Heinz Endowments; Dr. Doreen E. Boyce, President, The Buhl Foundation; and Dr. James J. Ragan, Director, Master of Professional Writing Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.



With the construction of the new Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media and Saint Vincent Col-lege Conference Center will come the permanent display of the Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Collection.

Among those welcomed at the cer-emonial groundbreaking launching the construction of the new building were members of the Foster and Muriel McCarl family whose $1 million gift to Saint Vin-cent last fall has made possible a perma-nent home at Saint Vincent for the family’s prized collection of antique American coverlets.

The Beaver Falls couple last October conveyed more than 300 coverlets from their antique coverlet collection—one of the premier collections in the country—to Saint Vincent College along with funds for the care and preservation of the prized antiques.

Selections from the McCarl collection will be permanently displayed in the new

Coverlet Collection To Be Displayed In New CenterConference Center where a special area is being set aside for display and storage. Special exhibitions of the collection will also be featured from time to time.

At the time of the announcement of the presentation of the collection, Saint Vin-cent Archabbot and Chancellor Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., said, “We appreci-ate the generosity of the McCarl family in sharing these treasures of American his-tory. For many years, the McCarl family has carefully acquired and preserved this valuable collection which many people will now be able to enjoy as a splendid example of America’s tradition of crafts-manship.”

The couple bought their first two cov-erlets in August 1959 in Ephrata, Penn-sylvania; three months later they bought five more coverlets, and the collection was begun.

These 19th century bed coverlets, which are woven with intricate patterns in vibrant colors of red, blue, white and green, were woven almost exclusively by professional male weavers, usually in the Middle Atlantic states and the Midwest, and were affordable enough for middle-class, rural Americans.

Described as “figured and fancy,” these coverlets were most popular between

1824 and the Civil War, and reflected the Victorian sensibilities of the time offering intricate designs with a wealth of flow-ers, trees and popular patriotic emblems. Usually woven from a blend of cotton and wool, the coverlets were often com-missioned for particular occasions such as a marriage or birth. The names of the weaver and recipient, as well as the loca-tion and date, were often woven into the corner blocks. With that information, cov-erlets help tell the stories of the people who made and used them, and serve as a springboard to studying craftsmanship and history.

Museum curators now recognize cov-erlets as works of decorative art, hanging them on walls where visitors can admire them for their fascinating patterns while learning about their intriguing history.

The McCarl coverlets have been fea-tured in an exhibition at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in Williams-burg, Virginia.

Foster McCarl in 1946 founded McCa-rl’s Plumbing & Heating Company, which became a leader in the mechanical con-tracting industry and 30 years later was renamed McCarl’s, Inc. In 1999, McCarl’s became a wholly owned subsidiary of PPL Corporation.

rooms and informal gathering space and offices for staff and visiting experts.

The Conference Center portion of the building is about 23,000 square feet and includes a main banquet room with seating for up to 300 persons, a large classroom-style meeting room that can accommodate up to 150 persons, break-out rooms, support facilities, an adminis-tration suite and an outdoor area suitable for events. The entire facility will be outfit-ted with state-of-the-art technology.

Other elements of the overall facility include a display and storage area for the Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Col-lection and a welcome area.

The building program is being funded by public and private sources. Funding commitments include $5 million from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, $5 million for the Busi-ness/Conference Center from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, $1 million from the Heinz Endowments and $1 million from other sources.

Rogers CenterGroundbreaking


Members of the McCarl family and guests were on hand for the ceremonial ground-breaking for the new conference center which will include a display and storage area for the Foster and Muriel McCarl coverlet collection which was given to Saint Vincent College last fall. Shown from left are grandson Michael McCarl, Foster McCarl, author Clarita Anderson, who wrote a book about the McCarl collection, Archabbot Douglas, and son Kevin McCarl.

By Theresa Schwab

When Campus Ministry Director Father

Brian Boosel, O.S.B., led a group of Saint

Vincent students to Brazil during the Col-

lege’s spring break in March, he wanted

them to experience Benedictine life in Latin

America.

The trip that took a dozen college stu-

dents and four administrators to visit the

Benedictine priory in Vinhedo and to work

with students in schools run by the Mis-

sionary Sisters of Charity in Jundiaî,

São Paulo, was faith-affirming, Father

Brian said.

“It was a week that demonstrated

the power of God’s love. Our students

hadn’t experienced anything like this

before; it was an opportunity for the

collegians to use their gifts of love and

nurturing, and an experience for the

school children to receive love and give

love. By the end of the week, the col-

legians didn’t want to leave, and every-

one was in tears.”

Last year, Campus Ministry had

sponsored a spring break trip to work

with inner-city families in Pittsburgh.

This was a first international service trip

to be sponsored by Campus Ministry

and led by Father Brian and Campus

Minister Katie Wojtunik.

“This was one of the most rewarding

trips of this kind that I’ve ever experi-

enced,” Father Brian said. “We had stu-

dents of all backgrounds taking part,

and everyone got along so beautifully.

It was really a Christian community of

young people who came together in

the name of Christ and are now friends.

There was real growth experienced

over the five days. I think our students

let God into their heart in a very deep way in

the person of these children—our students

were changed, and they changed the lives

of these children, and I told them, this is

how God changes the world.”

What impressed the Saint Vincent

group, Father Brian said,

was the hospital-

ity of the monks

at the Benedictine

priory as well as the

graciousness of the

Missionary Sisters

of Charity who pro-

vided accommodations

and delicious meals and

allowed the College stu-

dents to work in the schools

which they run for disadvan-

taged youngsters.

Saint Vincent Monks, Students Reach Out Via Missions


Brazil

Both Brazilian and Saint Vincent participants on the spring break trip include, front, from left, Michael Antonacci, Erin Langen-

bacher, Sister Sylvana, Bethany Evans, Kristin Cullen, Bekah Hawrot, one of the sisters, Ana Lucia Pereira; middle, from left, Steven

Leuschel, Br. Emanuel Rodrigues, Saint Vincent Dean of Students Jamie Caridi, Br. Joaõ Batista A. Santos, Katie Herzing, Kelsey

Lind, Señora Laura, Father Anthony Grossi, Katie Wojtunik; back row, from left, Br. José Mathias, Postulant Narcio Cardoso, Prior

Father Lucas Torrell de Almeida Costa, Josh Uschock, Joe Astorino, Aaron Conway, Father Brian Boosel, Brother Filipe de Almeida,

Sherrie Dunlap, Brother Agostinho da Silva.

trees on the property were lost.

The Saint Vincent group was assigned

to work in the badly damaged neigh-

borhood of Gentile which was reached

by traveling a 24-mile causeway over

Lake Ponchartrain. There, storm-bat-

tered houses sit empty and damaged.

Even the trees and shrubs have died.

A representative from Catholics Help-

ing Rebuild New Orleans welcomed the

Saint Vincent group which was given

the assignment to gut homes as part of

Hurricane Katrina

Helping Flood Victims Part Of Spring BreakBy Theresa Schwab

After making nearly two dozen volun-

teer trips with students, Father Fred Byrne,

O.S.B., Archabbey Vocations Director,

never loses faith in the value of these trips

to make profound changes in the lives of

young people.

A Prayer and Work Pilgrimage organized

this spring break by Father Fred took seven

students to do hurricane cleanup work in

Louisiana—a trip that again affirmed what

Father Fred believes about the life-chang-

ing power of these trips for those who have

an opportunity to put their faith into action

by helping others.

“This was a wonderful trip. I’ve been

doing trips like this for years as a campus

minister to places like Haiti and inner cities

because I see how it changes young peo-

ple’s lives,” Father Fred said. “I’d give up all

my vacations to take a trip such

as this.”

The idea to go to Loui-

siana to help hurricane

victims who are still

struggling to recover

started as a sug-

gestion by Father

Fred to his group,

Men Seeking God,

young men who

meet weekly at

the Abbey to focus

on their spiritual life. Eventually

the group that went to Louisiana included,

in addition to Father Fred, five Saint Vin-

cent College students, Nathan Hoxie, Nick

Krause, Mark Maxwell, Thad Pajak and

Matt Robson, along with Penn State stu-

dent David Sao, high school student Josh

Tomasky, and Jarod Trunzo, Youth Minister

for Holy Family Parish in Latrobe.

Traveling by van, the group made a 19-

hour trip to Louisiana. The men were wel-

comed and given accommodations at the

Saint Joseph Seminary College in Saint

Benedict, Louisiana. Father Fred stayed in

the monastery with the monks, while the

students stayed with the seminarians. The

monastery buildings had not been damaged

by the deadly storm, but about a third of the

the cleanup.

“After we had breakfast and prayed with

the monks, we would go to the site, put

on masks and gloves and begin working,”

Father Fred said. “We had to wear masks

because of all the dust and mold. The smell

of all the rotting food in these houses was

just awful; it was horrendous.”

In one house, no reclamation work had

been done. There, the group members

began removing everything, all the rotting

and moldy items which were piled in an

ever-growing heap in the front yard near

the street. After all the contents—every-

Students, from left, Thad Pajak, Nick Krause, Matt Robson, Josh Tomasky, Nathan

Hoxie and David Sao with Father Fred Byrne, O.S.B., at Saint Vincent, before departing

for their service trip. Not pictured were Jarod Trunzo, Youth Minister for Holy Family Parish

in Latrobe, and Mark Maxwell. The men are all Saint Vincent College students, except for

Trunzo; Sao, who attends Penn State; and Tomasky, who is a high school student.

Gutting out the inside of a flood-damaged house in New Orleans is one of the first steps in making it safe for rehabilitating it. The crew had to be wary of airborne molds and dusts and insulation when they were stripping the house back down to its wood frame structure. They are, front, from left, Nathan Hoxie and Dave Sao; back, from left, Matt Robson, Thad Pajak, Jarod Trunzo, Father Fred Byrne, O.S.B., Mark Maxwell, Nick Krause and Josh Tomasky.




The heartbreaking poverty of the

favelas (Portuguese for slum) where the

children lived also touched the Saint

Vincent students, Father Brian said.

Along dirt roads sat houses cobbled

together of boards and plastic. Thou-

sands live in these communities of

small dilapidated houses which blow

over in storms. There was no running

water, not even any outhouses in these

neighborhoods where drug lords recruit

young children into their deadly trade,

and children have learned to fear most

adults.

“Our College students were able to

see very poor people who didn’t have

anything, but were so full of faith,”

Father Brian said. “We were so affected

by the children as well as the sisters

and monks—it was a mutual mission of

God’s love. We felt we were participat-

ing in a very real way in the Benedictine

missionary tradition.”

Father Brian said he was grateful

to the Prior of the Benedictine Priory,

Lucas Torrell de Almeida Costa, and

Mother Superior Maria de Lourdes.

“They extended to us the warmest wel-

come and literally welcomed us like

Christ,” Father Brian said. The group

also appreciated the efforts of Saint

Vincent Seminary alumna Ana Lucia

Pereira, who made all the arrange-

ments for the trip and served as escort

and translator.

During the five days the students

were there, the Saint Vincent group

rose early and helped serve breakfast to

the youngsters at the schools. Though

they couldn’t speak the Portuguese

language, the college students enjoyed

sharing fellowship with the youngsters

through dancing and music. In the eve-

ning the Saint Vincent group dined with

the sisters, attended Mass and gath-

ered together for a nightly reflection

that often brought tears. Before going

to bed, the students would enjoy tea

and storytelling with the sisters, com-

municating through the “language of

the heart.”

Brazil Mission

Father Anthony Grossi, O.S.B., with some children at a playground.

Some of the children express their gratitude to Father Brian Boosel O.S.B.





thing from couches to kitchen appli-

ances—had been removed, the men

began the hard work of ripping into the

plaster and tearing out insulation which

was carried out and heaped on the

mountain of refuse.

“Everything had to be removed down

to the frame,” Father Fred explained.

“Once the levees are repaired, they’ll

come into these houses and treat the

lumber with fungicide, and then they’ll

replaster and start rebuilding. For one

homeowner, Anne Lyons, we saved her

$6,000 by gutting her house. We met

the owner of the second house where

we worked and he told us that we had

given him hope because he thought he

was going to desert the house, but now

he thinks he’ll rebuild.”

The trip was a chance

to share the experience of

monastic life, Father Fred

pointed out. The volun-

teers joined the monks for

prayers and daily celebra-

tion of the Eucharist. They

also joined the monks for

dinner, which was eaten

in silence. Besides enjoy-

ing the hospitality of the

monastic community,

the group also was given

Spring Break(Continued from Page 17)

accommodations by a lay

Dominican community.

On the trip to Louisiana,

the pilgrims stopped at

the Abbey of Gethsemani

in Kentucky and visited a

daughterhouse, Saint Ber-

nard’s Abbey in Cullman,

Alabama, where they also

visited the Mother Angelica

shrine.

For students, a prayer

and work experience such as this can

be “an occasion of transformative

grace,” Father Fred said. “When you

go on retreat or a pilgrimage, you are

moving out of your comfort zone. When

you’re in your comfort zone, it is hard

to hear God; you’re anesthetized by

comfort and all the things that you’re

used to like radios and DVD players.

A pilgrimage or journey helps you to

break out of that, and you can hear

God speaking to your heart.”

The volunteer group started out with a small molehill of easily removable items from the flood-damaged house, which quickly grew to a large mountain during their work session. At the end the mountain of debris needed to be removed by a truck.



Two To Profess Simple VowsBrother Nathanael Polinski, left, and Brother Elijah Cirigliano, right, discuss The Rule

of Saint Benedict with Novice Master Father Sebastian Samay, O.S.B. The two will make simple vows on Monday, July 10. Brother Elijah, of Waccabuc, New York, is the son of Caesar and Patricia Cirigliano. He is a 1990 graduate of John Jay High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from Duke University in 1993. His sister is Patricia Cirigliano Kohn of Weston, Connecticut. His brother, Caesar, is from Nash-ville, Tennessee. Brother Nathanael is the son of Mary Ann Polinski of Duquesne and the late Raymond E. Polinski. He is a 1983 graduate of Serra Catholic High School and earned a bachelor of science degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1987. He received a master of business administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993. He has two brothers, Raymond J. of New Kensington and Richard V. of Bethel Park.

Two Benedictines will make solemn

profession of monastic vows on Tues-

day, July 11, at 10 a.m. in the Archab-

bey Basilica. They are Brother Michael

J. Gabler of Saint Marys and Brother

Fernando P. Lanas of Ecuador.

Brother Michael is the son of Michael

F. and Margaret A. Gabler. He is a 1985

graduate of Elk County Catholic High

School. He earned a bachelor of sci-

ence degree in M.I.S. from Penn State

University in 1989. From 2003-2004 he

was assistant manager and assistant

building manager of the Gristmill Gen-

eral Store. He has been miller of the

Saint Vincent Gristmill since 2003, and

was named building manager of the

Gristmill in 2004. He also has served

as an assistant in the Archabbey Public

Relations office since 2003. He has two

sisters, Lori A. Lingenfelter of Ridgway,

Melanie A. Meyer of St. Marys and a

brother, Sean, of St. Marys.

Brother Fernando is the son of

Fernando and Guadalupe Medina

de Lanas. He is a 1989 graduate of

Colegio Benalcazar in Quito. He earned

a bachelor of arts degree in finance

and management from Universidad

San Francisco de Quito in 1997. He

served as a sacristan from 2003-2005,

and is currently assistant to the prior,

a position he has held since 2005. His

sisters are Elisa and Vanessa Lanas of

Quito.

Two To Profess Solemn VowsBrother Michael Gabler, O.S.B. Brother Fernando Lanas, O.S.B.

Father Brian said he wanted the

College students to appreciate “that

around the world the key hallmark of

Benedictinism is hospitality—that all

are welcome as Christ.”

Since this trip, two students have

already made plans to return to Brazil;

another has expressed an interest in

becoming a missionary.

One Saint Vincent student, freshman

Sherrie Dunlap, in a written reflection

on the trip, said, “Our mission now is to

share our story and their (the children’s)

stories and to live the lessons in love

we learned in Brazil. This experience

changed my life, and a piece of my

heart will always remain in Jundiaí and

with each person whom I was blessed

to work with on this trip.”

Brazil Mission(Continued from Page 18)



“The Passing of Our Holy Father Benedict”

Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory

Archbishop of Atlanta

What’s in it for me? Isn’t that really

an accurate contemporary transla-

tion of Peter’s question in the Gospel

today? No doubt Christ had spoken of

the cost of discipleship often with his

fickle friends on several other occa-

sions. But just as frequently, He had

to remind them of what it would cost

them personally to be one of His fol-

lowers and what friendship with Him

promised for them in the future.

The disciples that the Lord Jesus

first selected are so like us in almost

every way. The pettiness, the avarice,

the cowardice, the competitive spirit

that we so frequently read about in

the Gospels are all emotions and

faults that, if we are really honest, we

have often also discovered in our own

lives. In almost two millennia, most

of the Lord’s followers have not yet

been truly convinced of the security

of postponed gratification. We are still

included to believe that the best way

to preserve our life is to cling to it and

to enrich it with possessions, influ-

ence, power and indulgence.

Seeking perfection has long been an

aspiration of a few truly virtuous men

and women in the life of the Church.

Today, we honor the memory of the

passing of one of the great holy men

of the Church. Benedict fell asleep

in Christ on this day in the Church’s

remembrance, and all those who dare

to follow his path to holiness rejoice

in Benedict’s triumph in his pursuit of

sanctity. The monastic life that is lived

within this Abbey and in hundreds of

others throughout the world is the

legacy of Benedict’s quest for holi-

ness. Those who seek to follow him as

his sisters and brothers in consecrated

life are the inheritance that Benedict

has bequeathed the Church.

Those who embrace the Evangeli-

cal Counsels are called to live a life of

perfection. Yet the perfection that they

seek to witness is nothing more than

the daily and conscious dying to one’s

self that we all find so difficult—per-

haps at no time more intensely than

during the season of Lent.

Today we recall that day when

Benedict completed his quest for

Perfection and handed over his life

to God. His death is the culmination

of a lifetime of day after day handing

himself over to Christ. What lesson is

there to be learned by those of us who

are not called to the consecrated life?

Are we not all filled with different ways

of expressing the timeless question:

What’s in it for us?

Those who choose to live the Evan-

gelical Counsels are beacons that illu-

minate the Church by shining brightly

even in the glare of worldly activities.

Those who choose to live a radi-

cally simple, chaste and obedient life

remind all of the Church that nothing

is more important than Christ Himself.

Those in consecrated life whisper to

our distracted ears—Prefer nothing to

Christ!

Benedict wrote what is now a world

famous rule of life for his confreres,

but even more importantly, he lived an

order of life that taught them more by

his example than through his written

wisdom. Today, Benedictines through-

out the world celebrate with joy, this

final witness of his life—the serenity of

his death.

What’s in it for me? That is not

only the question of the contempo-

rary world, it has been the question

of disciples since the beginning and

the answer is always the same—more

than what you surrender in love for

Christ and then life everlasting.

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of the Archdiocese of Atlanta gave the homily at the Mass for the Solemnity of the Passing of Saint Benedict on Tuesday, March 21, in the Archabbey Basilica. Archbishop Gregory is the former President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Archbishop GregorySaint Benedict’s Day

Mass Homilist



Oblates of Saint Benedict are Christian men and wom-en who choose to associate themselves with a Benedictine religious com-munity in order to strengthen their baptismal c o m m i t m e n t and enrich their Christian way of life. If you are interested in en-tering the Oblate Program and committing yourself to this way of life, you are welcome to con-tact:

Director of OblatesSaint Vincent Archabbey

300 Fraser Purchase RoadLatrobe, PA 15650-2690

Oblates ofSaint Benedict

Jonathan KozolEducator, writer and social activist Jonathan Kozol spoke about education in the United States as the 55th speaker in the Saint

Vincent College Threshold Series recently. Mr. Kozol, whose talk was co-sponsored by the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, is the recipient of numerous awards and earned a National Book Award in 1968 for his first non-fiction work, “Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools.” In 2005 he published ‘The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America” in which he documents the continuing and often worsening segregation in public schools in the United States particularly in the way children of color and poor children are educated. Jonathan Kozol, center, is greeted by William Isler, executive director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, left, who introduced Mr. Kozol at the Threshold Series lecture, and James F. Will, Saint Vincent College vice chancellor and president.

Commencement in Savannah Benedictine Military High School in Savannah graduated more than eighty students

on Sunday, May 14. Saint Vincent Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., attended the commencement to help confer diplomas to the graduates and gave the commence-ment address.



“The Cardinal Maida Academy,” reports Saint Gertrude Pastor Father Chad Fico-rilli, O.S.B., “provides positive spiritual and educational guidance for our students by bringing together traditional and innovative teaching models, the use of technological resources and dedicated faith-filled, caring faculty and staff. We envision each stu-dent having a foundation of morals and values necessary to make a difference as they progress through life.” The new Cardinal Maida Academy has been selected by Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of Greensburg to become a Regional Catholic Academy as well. For further information on the Academy, call 724-568-3304.

Vandergrift ParishHonors Cardinal

Saint Gertrude Parish in Vandergift, staffed by Benedictine Father Chad Fi-corilli, recently honored Adam Cardinal Maida by naming the parish school The Cardinal Maida Academy. Cardinal Maida is a native of East Vandergrift, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1952 from Saint Vincent College. In 2002 he received an honorary doctorate from Saint Vincent Seminary. Cardinal Maida was ordained a priest in 1956 in Pitts-burgh, and served in the Pittsburgh Dio-cese before being installed as the ninth Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1984, and Archbishop of Detroit in 1990. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II on November 26, 1994, at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Tribute to Dan RooneySaint Vincent College students and graduates who are affiliated with the Extra Mile

Foundation were in attendance at the Tribute to Dan Rooney held in the Diocese of Pittsburgh recently. Mr. Rooney received the Sister Thea Bowan Award. Among those with Mr. Rooney, were, from left, Janard Pendleton, Melvin Cherry, Chris Plunkett, Ste-van Pierre-Louis. Lloyd Cheatom and Eris Simms. At right is Steeler Troy Polamalu, who served as Honorary Host for the Tribute. Mr. Pendleton, Mr. Cherry, Mr. Simms and Mr. Pierre-Louis have all worked assisting the Archabbot’s Office while at Saint Vincent.



First Of Saint Vincent Daughterhouses

Celebrates ItsSesquicentennial

As a reminder of the vast educa-tional legacy of Boniface Wimmer, Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, this year celebrated the sesquicentennial of its founding in 1856. Saint Vincent Archabbot Doug-las R. Nowicki, O.S.B., was a guest speaker at the special anniversary at Saint John’s, which is a daughter-house of Saint Vincent.

Saint John’s was established to provide priests to serve the German immigrants who had come to farm the plains of Minnesota in the 19th cen-tury. Saint Vincent founder Boniface Wimmer, had been asked by a Min-nesota bishop to establish a Bene-dictine monastery in the diocese. That request was among many Abbot Wimmer received over the years for help in establishing other Benedictine houses.

Because of the large German immi-grant population in Minnesota in need of priests, Abbot Wimmer agreed to send assistance to Collegeville, and, at his direction, a group of five monks was sent in 1856. Though the next ten years would at times be a trial, the Saint John’s monastic community would grow and attain abbey status. A seminary would be established as well.

The following year—1857—saw the establishment of two other abbeys, Saint Benedict’s Abbey in Kansas and Saint Mary’s Abbey in New Jersey.

From those foundations began what has come today to be a network of eleven abbeys which operate colleges and eleven abbeys or priories which operate secondary schools. Shown in the diagram are the daughterhouses as well as their dependent priories.

Now the American Cassinese Con-gregation stands as a tribute to the vision, courage and hard work of Bon-iface Wimmer.

Fourteen seminarians from Saint Vincent Seminary were installed to the Ministry of Reader on March 20, 2006, by The Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory, S.L.D., Arch-bishop of Atlanta in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. The seminarians are from two religious orders and eight dioceses and archdioceses. From Saint Vincent Archabbey were Brother Joseph M. Adams, O.S.B., and Brother Michael J. Gabler, O.S.B. Pic-tured, from left, are Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Chancellor; Brother Michael; Archbishop Gregory; Brother Joseph and Very Rev. Kurt Belsole, O.S.B., Rector.

Eight men studying at Saint Vincent Seminary were admitted to candidacy for the priesthood during a Mass on October 31 celebrated by The Most Rev. Roger J. Foys, D.D., Bishop of Covington. Brother Shawn Matthew Anderson, O.S.B., and Brother Matthias Martinez, O.S.B., of Saint Vincent Archabbey, were among those installed. In the photo are, from left, Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Chancellor; Br. Shawn Matthew; Bishop Foys; Br. Matthias; and Very Rev. Kurt Belsole, O.S.B., Rector.

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Obituaries

Father ErminR. Smith, O.S.B.

Father Ermin R. Smith, O.S.B., died Friday, January 13, 2006, after a long ill-ness. He was 88 years old. Father Ermin was born in New Germany, Pa., on Feb-ruary 7, 1917, the son of the late Joseph and Margaret (Long) Smith. He was

one of twelve children. He was prede-ceased by six brothers, Vincent, Clem-ent, Cletus, Benno, Thomas and Father Julian Smith, O.S.B., who was also a Benedictine of Saint Vincent Archab-bey; and three sisters, Mary Chirdon, Sister M. Basil Smith, R.S.M., and Sister M. Matthew Smith, R.S.M. Surviving are two sisters, Elizabeth Ryan and Helen Smith of Florida.

He attended Wilmore Public Grade School, New Germany, and is a 1937 graduate of Saint Vincent Preparatory School. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Saint Vincent College in 1943, and a master of arts degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1945. He also did graduate study in theology at the University of Notre Dame. Father Ermin entered the Benedictine monastic community of Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1939. He made simple profession of vows on July 2, 1940, and solemn pro-fession of vows on July 11, 1943. He was ordained a priest in Saint Vincent Archabbey Church by the late Hugh C. Boyle, Bishop of Pittsburgh, on Novem-

ber 4, 1945.He served the Archabbey in a variety

of positions. He served on the faculty of Saint Emma Military Academy, Belmead, Virginia (1945-1947); was prefect and teacher at Saint Vincent Preparatory School (1947-1948) as well as Saint Vincent Scholasticate (1948-1952). He was vice rector of Saint Vincent Semi-nary (1952-1955); professor at Saint Vincent College (1960-1966) and pro-fessor at Saint Vincent Seminary (1954-1960,1974-1980), as well as spiritual director at the Seminary (1974-1980). He was socius of clerics (1955-1961) and master of novices (1961-1966) at the Archabbey. From 1967 to 1973 he was stationed at São Bento Priory in Vin-hedo, Brazil, serving as novice master and subprior and teaching religion. He was appointed chaplain at Latrobe Area Hospital in 1980, where he served until his retirement in 1999.

A Mass of Christian Burial was cel-ebrated at the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica Friday, January 20, 2006. Inter-ment followed at Saint Vincent Cemetery.

diocese of Campinas, Brazil, a depen-dent priory of Saint Vincent Archab-bey, died Monday, January 23, 2006, as a result of an automobile accident.

He was born in Petrópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 5,1964. As a child, he was a member of the famous Brazilian Boy’s Choir “Canarinhos de Petrópolis.”

He completed his high school stud-ies in Petrópolis. He liked languages and completed an English Language course after school. He also com-pleted a course on Museum Assets and Files Management. In December of 2005, he completed his bachelor of arts degree in philosophy at the Pon-tifical Catholic University of Campi-nas.

He made first profession of monas-tic vows on October 12, 2001, and solemn profession of vows on July 24, 2004.

Brother Adriano served the monas-

tic community in several different ca-pacities. From 2001 to 2003 he was assistant librarian. He served as li-brarian from 2003-2004. He directed the Siloé Retreat Center from 2002 to 2004 and from 2004 to 2005 he served the community as procurator.

Brother Adriano was active as a soloist of the monastic choir at São Bento Monastery in Vinhedo.

For the past two years, Brother Adriano worked as a student teacher for two different philosophy courses at the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. He also participated in an interdepartmental study group at the university that recently completed a study on the various aspects of death and dying.

Brother Adriano was buried on Jan-uary 24, 2006 in Petrópolis. A Memo-rial Mass was celebrated at São Bento Priory in Vinhedo on Wednesday, Jan-uary 26.

Brother Adriano Goldoni de Sá, O.S.B.

Brother Adriano Goldoni de Sá, a monk of São Bento Priory in the Arch-



Father Joachim R. Fatora, O.S.B.

Father Joachim R. Fatora, O.S.B., died February 17, 2006, after a short illness. He was born June 7, 1928, in Blairsville, a son of the late John A. Fa-tora and Susan E. (Ritz) Fatora.

Surviving are one brother, Jerome F. Fatora of Cincinnati, Ohio; two sisters, Sister M. Monica Fatora, S.C., of Pitts-burgh; Maryanne C. Fatora of Latrobe, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by one brother, John A. Fatora and one sister, Sister Mary Raymond Fatora, S.C.

Father Joachim attended Saints Si-mon and Jude Parochial School in Blairsville and graduated from Saint Vincent Preparatory School in 1946. He graduated from Saint Vincent College in 1951, and received a master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1954. Other studies were pursued at Carlow College, Pittsburgh, and at the Scripture Institute, Georgetown Univer-sity.

He made simple profession of vows on July 2, 1948, and solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1951. Father Joachim was ordained a priest on May 22, 1954, by the late Bishop Hugh L. Lamb of the Diocese of Greensburg at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. He served primar-ily in the pastoral apostolate. He was an

assistant pastor at Saint Joseph Church, Johnstown (1954-1957); Queen of the World Church, Saint Marys (1957-1959); Saint Benedict Church, Canton, Ohio (1959-1966); Saint Boniface Church, North Side, Pittsburgh (1966-1970); Saint Mary Church, North Side, Pitts-burgh (1970-1974). He was administra-tor of Immaculate Conception Church, New Germany (1974-1976) and pastor at Saint Vincent Parish, Latrobe (1976-1980); Sacred Heart Church, Jeannette (1980-1987) and Saint Benedict Church, Marguerite (1987-1995). He served as the pastor of Saint Bernard Church, Hastings (1995-2003) before his ap-pointment as pastor of Forty Martyrs Parish, Trauger in 2003. In 2005, he re-tired to the Archabbey.

Father Joachim was a Fourth Degree member of Knights of Columbus, and served as chaplain for councils in Can-ton, Pittsburgh, Portage and Latrobe.

A Mass of Christian Burial was cel-ebrated at the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica Tuesay, February 21, 2006. Inter-ment followed at Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Surviving is a brother, Paul Lieb of Carrolltown and numerous nieces and nephews. Father Germain was prede-ceased by seven brothers, including Arthur, Gerald, Charles, Alfred, Edgar, David and Robert, and four sisters in-cluding Blanche Hipps, Pauline Lieb, Ellen Lieb and Gertrude Smith.

Father Germain attended Saint Benedict Grade School, Carrolltown, and was a 1937 graduate of Saint Vin-cent Preparatory School. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Saint Vincent College in 1942, and a mas-ter of arts degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1943. He also received a licentiate in medieval studies from the Institute of Medieval Studies, Toronto, Canada, in 1948.

He entered the Benedictine mo-nastic community of Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1939. He made simple profession of vows on July 2, 1940, and made solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1943. He was ordained a priest in Toronto, Canada by the late Ildebrando Antoniutti, Apostolic Del-egate to Canada, on May 26, 1945. (Continued on page 29)

Father Germain L. Lieb, O.S.B.

Father Germain L. Lieb, O.S.B., died Sunday, April 30, 2006. He was born on July 2, 1919 in Carrolltown, Pa., a son of the late Augustine and Clara (Williams) Lieb.

Father Germain served the monastic community in a variety of positions. He was prefect of Saint Vincent Scholasti-cate (1940-1943); bookstore manager for Saint Vincent College, Greensburg (1981-1982); pastor of Saint George and Saint Lawrence Churches, Patton (1982-1987); parochial vicar of Saint John Parish, Summerhill in charge of Immaculate Conception Parish, New Germany (1987-1989) and pastor of Saint John Church, Summerhill and of Immaculate Conception Church, New Germany (1989-1992). In 1989 he was named Professor Emeritus of Dogmat-ic Theology of Saint Vincent Seminary. He served as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Patton (1992-1995); was in residence at St. Bernard Parish, Hastings (1995-1997), and was director of the Porter’s Office at Saint Vincent Archabbey. He also cu-rated the Archabbey stamp collection. In 2003 he was named an Alumnus of Distinction of Saint Vincent Prepara-tory School.

JOHN F. GRITZER AND FAMILYDebra Gritzer Henderson and Family

REV. BONIFACE P. HICKS, O.S.B.Ms. Amy Forbes

REV. PASCHAL N. KNEIP, O.S.B.AnonymousMr. and Mrs. Richard BishMrs. Rose Ann BoganMr. and Mrs. Marion BroglieMr. and Mrs. Malcolm CampbellMr. and Mrs. David ChristensenMr. and Mrs. John M. CraigMr. and Mrs. Eduardo E. DeLeonMs. Mary I. DetwilerMr. Andrew P. FarringtonDr. Margaret GaglioneMr. and Mrs. Paul R. GreenMr. Dan A. HaaseMr. and Mrs. Patrick HallMrs. Shirley S. JahnMr. and Mrs. Paul JankaMr. and Mrs. Edwin F. JaworskiMr. Homer L. JettMr. and Mrs. Joseph KivlinJames Klaric FamilyMr. and Mrs. E. Ray KlockoMr. and Mrs. David KrauseMr. and Mrs. Paul KrupinskiMr. and Mrs. Bruce R. LaFaveMr. and Mrs. David LambMr. and Mrs. Richard LangnerMr. and Mrs. Michael LittleMr. and Mrs. Paul MaristelaDr. Teofilo C. Mascarinas, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Carl W. MatthewsMr. and Mrs. Thomas McAndrewsMr. and Mrs. William G. McMahonMr. and Mrs. Wayne D. MillerMr. and Mrs. Charles MurlaMr. and Mrs. James O’DonnellMr. and Mrs. Raymond J. O’MalleyMs. Janice M. PatrylakMr. and Mrs. John S. PetchelMrs. Stana PiazzaMr. Ernest RastelliMr. and Mrs. Edward RiordanMr. and Mrs. Donald RudyMr. and Mrs. Antonio SabileMs. Patricia J. SalisburyMr. W. Stephen Sanderlin, Jr.Mrs. Barbara SauterMs. Joan G. SchiavoMrs. Arline Schulze

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. White-side, Archabbey Development Office, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pa., 15650-2690, 724-532-6740. Donors from Oct. 8, 2005, to April 7, 2006, include:

IN HONOR OF:

Tribute, Memorial GiftsMr. and Mrs. William J. Sewell, Jr.Ms. Frances G. SharerMr. and Mrs. Michael J. SimciskoMr. and Mrs. Steven SladkyMr. and Mrs. Raymond L. SnedecorSt. Gregory the Great ChurchMrs. Virginia ThatchMr. and Mrs. Robert TitusMr. Henry J. TrochessetMr. Joseph TrovatoMr. Paul A. TrovatoMr. and Mrs. Rogelio VelbisMrs. Rhonda A. M. Wallace

MR. NEIL A. LINDOMs. Joy Lindo

REV. STANLEY T. MARKIEWICZ, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. Gerald J. Yanity

BR. JOHN BOSCO MILLER, O.S.B.St. Mary of the Assumption Church

REV. JOHN J. PECK, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. James R. Long

REV. PETER AUGUSTINE PIERJOK, O.S.B.

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Rohman.BR. NATHANAEL POLINSKI, O.S.B.

St. Mary of the Assumption ChurchMRS. GERTRUDANN TATANANNI

Jimmy KeddieP.J. and JulieMs. Sandra KeddieMs. Terese M. Keddie

REV. FLAVIAN G. YELINKO, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. Patsy Testa

IN MEMORY OF:+REV. ARMAND J. BALDWIN

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Valvano+REV. FIRMIN F. BEYER, O.S.B.

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Bender+MRS. ANNETTE C. BROWNFIELD

Mr. and Mrs. Carl D. BurlasMs. Patricia A. SmiyMs. Michele Wissinger

+REV. ANTHONY J. BURLAS, O.S.B.Charlotte and Carl Burlas

+HAROLD T. CRONAUER, SR.Mrs. Marion G. Cronauer

+FRANK CUDNIKMrs. Stella M. Cudnik

+REV. MARION J. EMLING, O.S.B.John and Patricia Donlon

+REV. JOACHIM R. FATORA, O.S.B.Marion K. AdamsAnonymousLarry and Ruth AponeMrs. Ursula BeckerEd and Ruth Born and FamilyMrs. Margaret H. BozicMs. Elizabeth ButlerMrs. Naomi S. CostelloMrs. Marion G. CronauerMs. Margaret S. CunninghamMrs. Alma J. DemyanSusanne Fallecker

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A. FolbyJanet Yakulco and Rich FoschiaBill and Eileen FoskiMs. Margie J. GiannoneMr. and Mrs. Henry V. GiobbiJerry and Ann GumbitaRev. Edward F. HigginsMr. and Mrs. Thomas R. HiteMr. and Mrs. William J. HoltzJoe and Lucille HooverMr. John F. JohnstonMrs. Arleen A. JupinaMr. and Mrs. Eugene Z. KnausMr. and Mrs. Robert F. Koby, Jr.Bill and Dorothy KotsenasDr. Ronald LiebMs. Theresa LiebMs. Mary C. LukacsRichard and Rachel MagyarMr. and Mrs. Marlin MillerEmile and Gloria MonierMr. and Mrs. Leonard R. MonticueRobert and Marla MottMr. and Mrs. Edward G. NemanicMr. and Mrs. William R. Potts and FamilyMrs. Virginia S. PuskarChuck and Patti RebrickMs. Marie RichardsonMr. William SmelkoMarcella SmithMrs. Charlotte E. SpinoChris, Pam and Matthew StoltzFritz and Marge StrittmatterAnna UlishneyAndrew Urban, Jr. FamilyMrs. Virginia M. VoytekLou and Betty WassMr. Thomas L. WeimerMary Joan, Elaine and John Wilt

+MR. DELBERT FUNKHOUSERMrs. Agnes Urik Mr. Brian D. Urik

+JOHN AND IRENE GRITZERDebra Gritzer Henderson and Family

+JAMES W. GROTEMrs. Helen S. Kontor

+HOMER CLAIR GUTCHESSMr. and Mrs. Donald Beetham

+MRS. MARGARET E. HARTMr. and Mrs. Louis M. GentilottiMs. Mary E. Jordan

+WALTER B. HOBARTMr. and Mrs. Walter B. Hobart, Jr.

+REV. CLARENCE F. KARAWSKY, O.S.B., AND ALL DECEASED BENEDICTINES

Ms. De Sales KarawskyMs. Leonarda Karawsky

+BARBARA KIESSLINGMr. and Mrs. Patrick A. Mulich

+REV. CHRISTIAN G. LEFROIS, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. James Murphy

+ANNA LEVENDUSKYLatrobe Oblates of St. Benedict

+SARAH JOAN LYONS




A Mass of Christian Burial was cel-ebrated May 3, 2006, at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. Interment fol-lowed at Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Obituaries

Father Alphonse H. Meier, O.S.B.

Father Father Alphonse H. Meier, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Arch-abbey, died Thursday, June 8, 2006, in Latrobe Area Hospital. He was the son of the late Herman and Rose (Hoffman) Meier. He was born in St. Marys, Penn-sylvania, on May 10, 1923. His sisters, Sr. Mary Virginia, O.S.B., Marleen Brier, Jane and Lyra, are deceased.

He attended Saint Mary Parochial School, St. Marys, and was a 1941 graduate of Saint Vincent Preparatory School. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Saint Vincent College in 1946, and a master of arts degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1948. In 1952, he received a licentiate in sacred theol-ogy from the Collegio di Sant’Anselmo, Rome, Italy.

He entered the Benedictine monastic Community of Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1943. He made simple profession of Vows on July 2, 1944, and solemn pro-

fession on July 11, 1947 at Montecassi-no Archabbey, Italy. He was ordained a Priest by Bishop Placido Nicolini on June 29, 1948, in Assisi, Italy.

Father Alphonse served the Archab-bey primarily in its educational aposto-lates. At Saint Vincent Archabbey, he was assistant pharmacist (1944–1945). At Saint Vincent College he was a pre-fect (1945–1946 and 1952–1954), an instructor in theology (1954–1974), and chaplain (1964–1967). He also served in various College positions in develop-ment and alumni relations (1969–1988).

At Saint Vincent Seminary, he was a prefect (1954–1966), moderator of C.C.D. (1954–1966), and professor of dogmatic theology (1954–1974). In 1989, he was named Professor Emeritus of Dogmatic Theology. Other teaching experiences were as a summer instruc-tor at Saint Benedict Monastery, Bris-tow, Virginia; Mt. St. Marys Monastery, Pittsburgh and Saint Joseph Monastery, St. Marys (1953–1968).

Since 1967, Father Alphonse served as Director of the Development Club. In 1973, he was President of Wimmer Corporation, serving in that position for two years. He also served the parish apostolates in weekend ministry at the following parishes: Ascension Parish, Jeannette; St. Thomas Parish, Clarks-ville; St. Ignatius Parish, Bobtown; Holy Name Parish, Monessen; Holy Cross Parish, Webster, and at St. Bruno Par-ish, Greensburg.

A Mass of Chistian Burial was cele-brated on Monday, June 12 in the Arch-abbey Basilica. Interment was at Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick A. Mulich+EDELMIRO MARTINEZ, JR.

Mrs. Mary BarchenskiFriends of the FamilyMrs. Marion GrantOffice Employees

+WILLIAM P. MCCULLOCHMr. and Mrs. Charles G. Manoli, Sr.

+DANIEL J. MCKINZIE, JR.Mr. and Mrs. Conrad J. Flessner

+THOMAS MUNSCHMs. Kathleen M. CroninWilliam and Margaret Munsch Cronin

+ELISA PERSICHETTIMr. Anthony Persichetti

+REV. EMERIC J. PFIESTER, O.S.B.Mr. Francis X. Abbott

+ROSE MARIEMs. Mary Warzinski

+REV. FINTAN R. SHONIKER, O.S.B.Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Manoli, Sr.

+REV. BRENDAN SMETANA, O.S.B.Julie Elizabeth Conway

+REV. ERMIN R. SMITH, O.S.B.Larry and Ruth AponeMr. and Mrs. George C. ChirdonSam and Mary FolbyMr. John F. JohnstonMs. Theresa LiebMr. and Mrs. Don MurrayMrs. Virginia S. PuskarChuck and Patti RebrickMrs. Josephine M. SmartMr. Bernard B. SmithHerb and Alice SmithLeroy and Barbara SmithLinus Smith FamilyMrs. Virginia M. Voytek

+DIANA P. SOFRANKOMrs. Roberta HenryMs. Olga Mika

+ETHEL SOSINSKIMr. Norbert Sosinski

+THOMAS Q. SPITZERMr. Thomas Spitzer

+ANTHONY ST. GEORGE, SR.Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Herald, Jr.

+JOSEPH TOSCANOMr. and Mrs. Patrick A. Mulich

+CLARA TRULLOMr. and Mrs. Patrick A. Mulich

+MICHAEL J. TUPTA, SR.Mr. and Mrs. John R. ChernitskyMs. Donna V. HaidMr. Mark JohnAnn and Tim Kelly

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

+BETTY SANDELLA WERTZMr. and Mrs. Harry F. Kearns

+REV. HUGH J. WILT, O.S.B.Ms. Agnes M. Nachman

Tributes

Received Degree

Father Maurus B. Mount, O.S.B., received a bachelor of sacred theology degree from Saint Vincent Seminary at the May 5 com-mencement.



Name

Address

City State

Zip Phone

I am interested in discussing estate planning. I am interested in supporting the formation of a Benedictine monk.

I am interested in discussing a contribution of: Stock Real Estate Annuities

I would like to pledge $ _______ per month.

Please Return Card To:Mr. Paul R. Whiteside

Director of DevelopmentSaint Vincent Archabbey

300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690, Phone: 724-532-6740

E-mail: [email protected]

Development CornerBy Paul R. Whiteside

To begin this letter to you, our faith-ful readers and benefactors, I would like to quote writer, author and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson on his definition of SUCCESS. He so eloquently states that SUCCESS is:

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affec-tion of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social con-dition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

In a world in which so much empha-sis is placed on the accumulation of material goods, it is refreshing to think about success in this manner. I state this because we often do NOT equate the diligent work of the monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey as “Successful.” We may all agree that they are hard-work-ing, dedicated, faithful and kind. They are prayerful, hospitable, generous and wise. But rarely, do we say that our beloved priests and brothers are “suc-cessful.” I would like to add this descrip-tion to our working vocabulary.

The monks from Saint Vincent Archab-bey are continuously striving and SUC-CEEDING at touching the hearts and the lives of everyone with whom they live, work and pray. Many lives breathe easier

Paul R. WhitesideDirector of Development

because of the fine men within this Arch-abbey. Here are just a few examples.

In March, I had the opportunity to visit Rome. Father Cajetan Homick, one of the Saint Vincent monks studying in Rome, hosted my wife and me on a vari-ety of tours throughout the city. Father Cajetan was the ultimate host, as he spent precious time away from his Ph.D. work in order to show us some of the best Benedictine hospitality. We will be forever grateful for his time and knowl-edge of the history of Rome!

Through a growing friendship with Father Noel Rothrauff, I have learned

about the fine work being done at the Benedictine mission in Brazil. Father Noel has worked for and with our mission there for many years, and he continues to work diligently to inform our generous donors of the many good works of this mission. He has both a passion and deep compassion for the very poor people in the surrounding areas of Sao Paulo.

Fathers Lee Yoakam and Frank Ziem-kiewicz have deeply inspired me in their brief visits back to Latrobe after serv-ing in Iraq and Afghanistan, respec-tively. Despite the dangers of working in this particular area of the world, they bravely embrace their duties as Catho-lic chaplains in their respective units of the United States Army. Their work in this dangerous land is helping to lighten the burden and deepen the faith of our beloved U.S. soldiers overseas.

Father Fred Byrne, the vocations director for the Archabbey has encour-aged me to renew my own personal faith. While it is a bit late for me to enter the monastery (married with 3 children), Father Fred encouraged me to attend an all day Catholic Men’s Conference sponsored by the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Admittedly, I needed to be encouraged to participate, however, in retrospect, I found the day to be invigorating, and I thank Father Fred for helping me to strengthen my own Catholic Faith.

My final, and perhaps most touch-ing illustration, involves the very recent death of the spouse of Annette Hart. Mr. Jerome Hart passed away peace-

fully on Saturday, May 20, 2006. Annette is my assistant in this office, and a daily inspiration to all of us who interact with her. My story is about Jerome’s funeral. I was awestruck and truly touched by the number of Saint Vincent monks who came to the celebration of Jerome’s wonder-ful, yet short time with us in this life. At a time such as this, all of us are in need of deep support from our family and friends. The Benedictines of Saint Vincent, on this day, were indeed part of the Hart family, and yes, at least one life breathed easier as a result of their presence and prayers.

There are countless other small stories that this page will not allow me the space to share, so I will save others for a future article! Please help me to help the Benedictine Community in their continued drive for SUCCESS,



Volume 17, Number 1 �1

at least as defined above. The needs are great, and they include a variety of opportunities for giving: Vocations, Education, Health & Welfare, Overseas Missions and Building Renovation—just to name a few.

The ways in which you can give are just as numerous. You can simply and easily fill out the donation card attached to this page. Please also consider Saint Vincent Archabbey in your Will and/or a Charitable Gift Annuity. If you are not familiar with a “CGA”, please don’t hesitate to call me to discuss this. With a “CGA”, you can earn very attractive interest rates—well above typical bank CD rates—on the amount of your gift. You also receive a very nice tax deduc-tion. Please consider these options for giving, and may your life, in turn be a SUCCESSFUL one!


Development Corner

Catholic Press

Awards

Saint Vincent Archabbey Publications and the Heart to Heart newsletter of Saint Vincent Archabbey received three awards by the Catholic Press Associa-tion in the 2006 national awards com-petition for books, newspapers and magazines.

The Heart to Heart magazine of Saint Vincent Archabbey received a third place award for Best Special Issue, Sec-tion or Supplement on the papal transi-tion for the special edition paying tribute to Pope John Paul II. The Heart to Heart is designed, written and produced by Kim Metzgar.

Renewed Each Morning, Reflections from the Rocking Chair, by Father Philip Kanfush, O.S.B., received an honor-able mention for First Time Author of a Book.

The Saint Vincent Basilica: One Hun-dred Years, tied for second place for book Design and Production. The book was edited, designed and produced by Kim Metzgar.

Theresa Schwab Joins Staff

Theresa Schwab has joined the staff of the Saint Vincent Archabbey and Seminary Development Office as a public relations associate. As such, she is assisting the Direc-tor of Public Relations in promoting Saint Vin-cent Arch-abbey and S e m i n a r y via print and e lect ron ic media, with a focus on electronic media.

In this position she will assist the Direc-tor in developing content for brochures, publications and other printed and elec-tronic materials, serve as a media contact, prepare press releases, take photographs and assist with special events.

Ms. Schwab was formerly a public rela-tions associate with the Saint Vincent Col-lege Public Relations Office and served as assistant editor for the college publication,

Q magazine.Prior to joining the administrative staff

of Saint Vincent College, Ms. Schwab had served as reporter, entertainment editor and TV editor at the Tribune-Review. She began her career in journalism as an as-sistant bureau chief on the Times-Herald in Olean, New York. She also was employed by the Macon Telegraph and News in Ma-con, Georgia, was co-editor of the Clear Creek Courant in Idaho Springs, Colorado, and was a government reporter for the Fri-day Harbor Journal in Friday Harbor, Wash-ington.

In addition to her work in newspapers, Ms. Schwab was editor of the Laurel High-lands Scene magazine and served as an assistant to a New York state assembly-man.

Ms. Schwab earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism at Ohio State Univer-sity where as a student she served as an editorial writer for the college newspaper and as a stringer for The New York Times.

She resides in Ligonier with her hus-band, Richard, editor of the Ligonier Echo. The couple has a daughter, Nikki, who graduated from the University of Pitts-burgh and will begin graduate studies at American University in Washington, D.C., in August.

Playground DedicationSaint Vincent Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., blesses the new Sacred Heart

Community Playground at a special anniversary and dedication event held at Sacred Heart Parish and School in Youngstown recently. At that time the 130th anniversary of the parish and school was observed, and on the same day the new community playground was dedicated. Also shown at the blessing of the playground is, at left, Fr. Aaron Buzzelli, O.S.B., pastor, and Brother Matthias Martinez, O.S.B. Members of the parish hosted a covered dish picnic lunch to conclude the day’s festivities.

(Photo courtesy of The Latrobe Bulletin)

Saint Vincent Archabbey�00 Fraser Purchase Road

Latrobe, PA 1�6�0-26�072�-��-�761

http://benedictine.stvincent.edu/

Address Service Requested

The First Benedictine Monastery in the United States, Founded in 1��6

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�2

Priesthood Ordination Maurus Mount, O.S.B., was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 2006, by The Most Reverend Lawrence E. Brandt, Bishop

of Greensburg. Father Maurus is the son of Frank E. and Alina M. Mount of Indialantic, Florida. His brother is Michael C. Mount of Indialantic. He is a 1996 graduate of Melbourne High School and earned a bachelor of arts degree in classical languages from Marquette University in 2000. He earned the Master of Arts degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 2005, and in 2006 he received the Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree. He entered the novitiate at Saint Vincent Archabbey in July of 2001, and made his first vows on July 10, 2002, and solemn profession of vows on July 11, 2005. He was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Brandt on September 28, 2005. In 2002 he was named assistant guestmaster and assistant master of ceremonies/sacristan. In 2004, he was named manager of the Basilica Gift Shop.

heart to heart spring/summer 2006

Documents

saint vincent archabbey

saint vincent seminary

issue of heart

new president

rogers center

heart springsummer

fred rogers

historic gristmill