Saint Vincent Archabbey facts for kids
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Monastery information | |
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| Order | Benedictine |
| Established | October 24, 1846 |
| Mother house | Metten Abbey (Founded 766) |
| Diocese | Diocese of Greensburg |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B. |
| Abbot | Rt. Rev. Martin Bartel, O.S.B. |
| Prior | Rev. Killian Loch, O.S.B. |
| Site | |
| Location | Latrobe, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°17′34″N 79°24′03″W / 40.29278°N 79.40083°W |
| Public access | Yes |
Saint Vincent Archabbey is a large Benedictine monastery located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It is in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. This special place is the oldest Benedictine monastery in the United States. It is also the largest one in the entire Western Hemisphere! The monastery is named after Saint Vincent de Paul.
A monastery is a building or group of buildings where monks live. Monks are men who dedicate their lives to religious service.
In 1955, Pope Pius XII gave the monastery church a special title. He called it a Minor basilica. This means it is a church with important historical or spiritual ties to the Pope.
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What Monks Do at Saint Vincent
The Benedictine monks at Saint Vincent Archabbey are very busy. They work and teach at several places. These include the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish, Saint Vincent College, and Saint Vincent Seminary.
The monks also help Catholic communities in many areas. They provide care in several dioceses (church districts). These include Baltimore, Greensburg, and Pittsburgh. They also help in Harrisburg, Altoona-Johnstown, and Richmond.
The monks even run a military school! It is called the Benedictine Military School. It is located in Savannah, Georgia. The Archabbey also oversees other monasteries far away. These are Wimmer Priory in Taiwan and Saint Benedict Priory in Brazil.
History of the Buildings
The main buildings of the abbey were designed by J. William Schickel. He was a German-American architect. They were built between 1891 and 1905. The Archabbey church was officially opened in 1905. It was declared a minor basilica in 1955.
The monks also run the St. Vincent Archabbey Gristmill. A gristmill is a place where grain is ground into flour. This gristmill is so old and important that it is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to the list in 1978.
Other Monasteries Founded by Saint Vincent
Monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey helped start many other monasteries. They founded places like Newark Abbey in New Jersey. They also started Saint John's Abbey in Minnesota. Other foundations include Saint Bernard Abbey in Alabama and Saint Benedict Abbey in Kansas. They also helped create Saint Mary's Abbey in New Jersey, Saint Bede Abbey in Illinois, Saint Procopius Abbey in Illinois, and Mary Help of Christians Abbey in North Carolina.
Leaders of the Archabbey
The leader of an archabbey is called an Archabbot. The current Archabbot of St. Vincent Archabbey is Martin de Porres Bartel. He was chosen by the monks on June 23, 2020. He is the twelfth Archabbot to lead Saint Vincent. He took over from Douglas R. Nowicki.
Over its long history, Saint Vincent Archabbey has had twelve Archabbots:
- Boniface Wimmer (1855 to 1887)
- Andrew Hintenach (1888 to 1892)
- Leander Schnerr (1892 to 1918)
- Aurelius Stehle (1918 to 1930)
- Alfred Koch (1930 to 1949)
- Denis Strittmatter (1949 to 1963)
- Rembert Weakland (1963 to 1967)
- Egbert Donovan (1967 to 1979)
- Leopold Krul (1979 to 1983)
- Paul Maher (1983 to 1991)
- Douglas R. Nowicki (1991 to 2020)
- Martin Bartel (2020 to present)
Images for kids
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Saint Vincent's Basilica Panorama
