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 very old and important Benedictine monastery. It is located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. This monastery is special because it is the oldest Benedictine monastery in the United States. It is also the largest one in the entire Western Hemisphere!
The monastery is dedicated to Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1955, Pope Pius XII gave the monastery church a special title. He declared it a Minor basilica, which is a very important church.
What the Monks Do
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 dioceses like Baltimore and Greensburg. They also help in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Other areas include Altoona-Johnstown and Richmond.
The monks even run a military school. This school is called Benedictine Military School and is located in Savannah, Georgia. The Archabbey also oversees other monasteries far away. These include Wimmer Priory in Taiwan and Saint Benedict Priory in Brazil.
The main buildings of the abbey, including the church, were designed by J. William Schickel. He was a German-American architect. These buildings were constructed between 1891 and 1905. The archabbey church was officially opened in 1905. It received its special title of minor basilica in 1955.
The monks also manage the St. Vincent Archabbey Gristmill. This old mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Monasteries Founded by Saint Vincent
Monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey have helped start many other monasteries. They founded Holy Cross Abbey in Colorado. They also started Newark Abbey in New Jersey.
Other monasteries they founded include Saint John's Abbey in Minnesota. They also started Saint Bernard Abbey in Alabama. Saint Benedict Abbey in Kansas was also founded by them.
They also helped establish Saint Mary's Abbey in New Jersey. Other foundations include Saint Bede Abbey in Illinois and Saint Procopius Abbey in Illinois. Finally, they founded Mary Help of Christians Abbey in North Carolina.
Leaders of the Archabbey
The current leader of St. Vincent Archabbey is Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel. He was chosen by the monks on June 23, 2020. He is the twelfth archabbot to lead Saint Vincent. Archabbot Bartel took over from Douglas R. Nowicki.
Over its long history, the Archabbey has had twelve archabbots. Here is a list of the leaders:
- 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)
