Requiscat in Pace

From: www.diopitt.org
 

PITTSBURGH – Retired Auxiliary Bishop John B. McDowell of Pittsburgh died on February 25, 2010 at Passavant Hospital, Pittsburgh. He was 88 years old and had retired in September 1996 after 30 years as a bishop.

“Bishop McDowell was a giant of the Church,” Bishop David A. Zubik said, “a national figure in Catholic education, and an influential bishop in our national conference.

“We remember him most of all as a priest, bishop, friend and advisor who loved the Church of Pittsburgh, loved his fellow priests, and lovingly served the faithful for so many years as a pastor,” Bishop Zubik said.

The retired bishop was well known in Catholic education nationwide, and was a leader in educational matters for the Catholic Bishops. He was instrumental in drafting the 1972 landmark document of the United States bishops on catechesis, “To Teach as Jesus Did.”

He served the Diocese of Pittsburgh as assistant superintendent of schools, superintendent of schools and vicar for education. In recognition of his service to Catholic education, a consolidated elementary school in the South Hills area in 1995 was named the Bishop John B. McDowell Regional School.

“Bishop McDowell has made extraordinary contributions to the work of Catholic education at the diocesan and national levels,” said Father Kris Stubna, diocesan secretary for education. “As superintendent of schools and vicar for education, the bishop guided a system of schools that educated more that 120,000 students, the peak of Catholic school enrollment locally.

“His vision and leadership provided the solid and lasting foundations we continue to build on today. I can think of no better encouragement for those of us in Catholic education than Bishop McDowell's episcopal motto: ‘To Do and To Teach.’”

Bishop McDowell also authored seven biographies on the past bishops of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He completed his last, a brief biography of Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, a month after celebrating his 84th birthday. His final book was an autobiography, completed in 2007.

Retired Pittsburgh Auxiliary Bishop William J. Winter said Bishop McDowell’s most outstanding trait was that he was “always a priest.”

He praised Bishop McDowell’s total dedication “to the work of the church” throughout his life, regardless of whether he was serving in a parish role or overseeing Catholic education.

“He really was a true pastor,” Bishop Winter said.

Born on July 17, 1921 in New Castle, Pa., the son of Bernard A. McDowell and Louise Hannon McDowell, he attended St. Lawrence O'Toole Elementary School and Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.

He earned a bachelor's degree from St. Vincent College, Latrobe, in 1942, and a master's degree from the same school two years later. At Catholic University of America, he earned a master's degree in administration and education in 1950 and a doctorate in education and philosophy in 1952. Duquesne University awarded him an honorary doctorate of literature in 1962.

Bishop McDowell was ordained a priest in November 1945, and served as associate pastor at St. Irenaeus Parish, Oakmont. He was named assistant superintendent of schools in 1952, superintendent of schools in 1955, and vicar for education in 1970. He also served a term as head of the National Catholic Educational Association. He was also pastor of Epiphany Church, Pittsburgh, from 1969 until his retirement.

He was appointed papal chamberlain in September 1956 and domestic prelate in February 1964.

Bishop McDowell was ordained as auxiliary bishop of Pittsburgh and titular bishop of Tamazuca in St. Paul’s Cathedral on September 8, 1966.

In addition to such important diocesan assignments as his leadership role in the Parish Share Program and the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Foundation, Bishop McDowell has served on many civic organization boards. He also was the chairperson of the diocese’s 150th anniversary observance in 1992-93.

One role in particular energized the bishop’s active years — officiating at confirmation. He loved the interaction with youngsters and the chance to reach them in a special moment in their lives. He confirmed well over 100,000 young people, and continued to celebrate confirmations in his retirement years.

Bishop McDowell was always a friend to and advocate for his fellow priests, Father Ronald Lengwin, spokesperson for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, said.

“Throughout his priestly and episcopal ministry, Bishop McDowell was an excellent teacher in the classroom, in the pulpit and in many leadership roles in our local church and in the church at the national level.

“In that role he has been a mentor to many priests who will be forever grateful to him, including myself,” Father Lengwin said. “He was able to inspire and motivate people to do their best. In his great love for the church, he would do anything within his power to help any priest who asked for his assistance.

Bishop Zubik stated that Bishop McDowell “used his many God-given gifts for the good of the Church that have blessed us in so many different ways.”

Funeral arrangements for Bishop McDowell are pending and will be announced shortly.

Catholic radio network to debut (Archabbot to Celebrate Mass)

From: Post-Gazette.com

By Adrian McCoy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A new Catholic radio network is about to launch on three local frequencies. WAOB (for We Are One Body) will air on WAOB-FM (106.7), WAOB-AM (860) and WPGR-AM (1510). The frequencies formerly belonged to Sheridan Broadcasting's WAMO-FM, WAMO-AM and WPGR-AM, which were sold last year to St. Joseph Missions in Latrobe


The broadcast schedule will roll out gradually, starting Sunday with a weekly broadcast of a Mass. A partial daily broadcast schedule will launch March 19.


On Sunday, the Mass will be celebrated by Bishop David A. Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh at St. Christopher of the Lake Parish in Prospect. On Feb. 28, the Mass will broadcast from St. Vincent Basilica Parish in Latrobe, and will be celebrated by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki of St. Vincent Archabbey. The Sunday broadcasts start at 11 a.m., and the Masses start at 11:30 a.m.


The daily broadcast schedule, which starts next month, will include prayer and teaching programming. Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of the Diocese of Greensburg will offer the first in a series of teachings.


WAOB eventually plans to make its programming available over the Internet and through mobile devices.


St. Joseph also aims to broadcast WAOB's programming from other locations around the world.


In May 2009, Sheridan Broadcasting agreed to sell its three stations, including urban WAMO-FM, to St. Joseph. The stations have been off the air since September, when the deal closed.


The Sheridan-St. Joseph deal reflects a trend occurring across the country, with Catholic broadcasters buying radio stations in order to increase the reach of the church's message.

Ministry of Reader

As promised, here are a few pictures from the Ministry of Reader Installation.  Our Brother Maximilian, OSB and Jeremiah, OSB were installed by retired auxiliary Bishop and St. Vincent Alum, the Most Reverend William Winter of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.  Bishop Winter is a great friend of the Archabbey and Seminary and it was an honor to have him back.  Please pray for our monks in formation as well as their diocesan classmates who were installed as they continue their path towards the holy priesthood.

Thanks to Archabbey Publications for the great pictures.

Br. Jeremiah, OSB receives the Holy Bible from the Bishop

Br. Maximilian, OSB does as well 

Ministry of Reader

Congratulations to our Br. Maximilian, OSB and Br. Jeremiah, OSB who were installed to the Ministry of Reader last evening in the Archabbey Basilica.  Pictures to come.

Father Flavian, OSB

Father Flavian G. Yelinko, O.S.B., the oldest living monk in the history of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Thursday, February 18, 2010. He was 103. He was born in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, on September 2, 1906, a son of the late John and Mary (Gunther) Yelinko. He was predeceased by two sisters, Mary Willen and Elizabeth Yelinko , and four brothers, Frank, Joseph, John and Stephen Yelinko.

He attended Sacred Heart Parochial School in Palmerton. He first came to Saint Vincent at the age of 14, in 1920, to attend Saint Vincent Preparatory School, graduating in 1924. He attended Saint Vincent College, earning a bachelor of arts degree in 1929, and Saint Vincent Seminary, earning a master of arts degree in 1933. He also did graduate studies in library science at the Catholic University of America.

He entered the Benedictine Monastic Community of Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1926. He made simple profession of vows on July 2, 1927, and solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1930. He was ordained a priest in Saint Vincent Archabbey Church by the the late Bishop Hugh Boyle of Pittsburgh, on June 18, 1933. 

Father Flavian was the only monk at Saint Vincent to have attended the funeral of every archabbot in the monastery’s history (ten total) except for founder Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., who died in 1887. He loved to tell stories, including many about the early years of Saint Vincent. A favorite was that when he arrived on campus in 1920, “the whole place had one telephone, manned by Brother Jake in the monastery. When he was mowing the lawn, there was no one to answer the phone.” In 1936, he was featured in the March 22 edition of The Baltimore Sun for catching a burglar who broke into his church to steal from the poor box. Father Flavian had been armed with only a flashlight. He served at twelve parishes, as well as in various roles at Saint Vincent College and Seminary, and helped with renovations and building construction projects at many of those sites.

At Saint Vincent Preparatory School and College, Father Flavian was the first college librarian (1927-1937). He was responsible for combining the book collections into one location, cataloguing all of the books, and establishing library hours with librarians and aides.

His pastoral experience is considerable. He was assistant pastor pro tem at Fourteen Holy Martyrs Parish, Baltimore, Maryland (1935); and Saint Mary Parish, Pittsburgh (1936). He was associate pastor at Saint Mary Parish, Erie (1937); Saint Boniface Parish, Pittsburgh (1938). The following year he served at Saint James Church in Waynesburg, Ohio, then at Saint Bernard Parish in Hastings (1940-42). He received his first pastorate at Saint Lawrence Parish from 1943 to 1945, then served as pastor of Saint Benedict Parish in Carrolltown from 1945 to 1949. As pastor there he oversaw the electrification of the tower clock in the church and the bell ringers in the school, the excavation of the school basement for the cafeteria, and the renovations of the church, as well as an addition of a church social hall. He also started a Cemetery Association there.

In 1950, he was named associate pastor of Saint Bruno Parish, South Greensburg. While pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Youngstown from 1951 to 1959, Father Flavian oversaw construction of the school there. He was then sent to serve as pastor of Queen of the World Parish, St. Marys, from 1961 to 1965, when the rectory was remodeled and new classrooms were added to the school. As pastor of Saint Gregory Parish, Virginia Beach, from 1965 to 1967, he was responsible for an addition to the school. Then he moved to Saint John Parish in Summerhill, Pennsylvania, and its mission in New Germany from 1967 to 1978, where he supervised the remodeling of the church.

Father Flavian retired on August 1, 1978, and returned to Saint Vincent. Following his retirement the former librarian was asked to establish the archives for the Seminary and set up a directory of all students who attended the Seminary. He served as Seminary Archivist from 1981 to 1985.

His other responsibilities included serving as chaplain of the Knights of Columbus Council in Barnesboro and as area chaplain of the diocesan Boy Scouts in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese. He was also co-organizer of the Catholic Periodical Index, sponsored by the Catholic Library Association.

On January 17, 2002, Father Flavian became the oldest member in the history of the Saint Vincent Benedictine community, dating back to 1846, at 95 years of age plus six months. The entire Benedictine community attended a special dinner in his honor, held on February 11, 2002. Again on his 100th birthday, September 2, 2006, Father Flavian presented a menu for his monastic community’s dinner celebration of his birthday; at the abbot’s table he raised his glass to acknowledge the toasts in appreciation of his long life.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Monday in the Archabbey Basilica, followed by the interment in the Saint Vincent Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to the Benedictine Health and Welfare Fund, Saint Vincent Archabbey, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650-2690.