Saint Vincent Archabbey Public Relations

Benedict’s name and tradition arrived at Saint Vincent with Boniface Wimmer and his eighteen companions. They brought with them the Benedictine way of life from Saint Michael Abbey at Metten in Bavaria and in so doing made Saint Vincent heir to a monastic tradition which stretches back to the venerable Read more

The Benedictine Sisters were a beloved part of the Saint Vincent community and were responsible for food service from 1931 to 1987. The first group of sisters arrived at Latrobe on February 25, 1931, under the leadership of Mother Leonardo Fritz. By 1939 forty sisters had come to Saint Vincent Read more

No longer able to work, The old sister Sits praying for us all And dozing. In her sleep, She drops her beads; But her gnarled old hands Still move in two familiar patterns: They pull the missing beads And then they move Back and forth, Still peeling potatoes, Her work Read more

He planted trees. Told he had had but six months or so to live, he planted trees. I wondered why he didn’t plant flowers  he’d get to see them bloom. Or why not spend time in prayer and study, steeling his spirit for death? Now, over twenty years later, Read more

Brother Cancer came to live with me in the monastery about five years ago. He arrived with an unexpected impact to tell me how important life is, my life, where I am and as I am. Eventually I got the message. He stays around to serve me in my making Read more

Those of us who rejoice in the Benedictine tradition see a great parallel between the age of Benedict and our own. His and ours are turning points in civilization. We, as he, are witnessing a change from one system and cultural context of life to another. Whether we name our Read more

The theme of the 1983 Orientation Program “A New Beginning to an Old Tradition” began a new era in the history of the college. That fall marked the beginning of coeducation at Saint Vincent. A freshman class of 240 students, whom 33 percent were women, enrolled. Within ten years the Read more

Historians studying Catholicism in the United States will note how often our generation used words like “evangelization” and “inculturation.” We were fascinated, they will say, by what happened when the values found in the Catholic tradition came into contact with other ways of understanding this world and with other traditions. Read more

Anniversaries have a way of nurturing nostalgia, but they are far more important as reminders of an original vision that can be a guide for the future. And when the monks of Saint Vincent reflect on the history and future of their institution, they must come to terms with the Read more