Steelers Football, Monks and Friendship

"A unique and powerful bond was formed at an NFL training camp held at a Catholic college campus."

CatholicNewsService

And the Church says "AMEN"

Br. Maximilian, OSB a native Philadelphian, finally has jumped on the Steeler Bandwagon and was excited to show it at yesterday's college pep-rally.

BISHOP ZUBIK TAKES ON WAGER WITH GREEN BAY BISHOP FOR SUPER BOWL

PITTSBURGH—After winning his wager with Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore on the Steelers-Ravens game, and abstaining from the AFC Championship game, Bishop David Zubik has come to an agreement with Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay on the Super Bowl this Sunday.

If the Pittsburgh Steelers win, Bishop Ricken will make a personal donation to Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh. “If the Packers win,” Bishop Zubik said, “I will make a personal donation to Catholic Charities Green Bay.”

In addition, Bishop Zubik said, “we have wagered a wide variety of local foods from each region to be personally donated to a food kitchen in the diocese of the winner.”

Archbishop O’Brien of Baltimore gave a generous donation to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh after the Steelers beat the Ravens. Despite having won his bet, Bishop Zubik made a similar donation to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

The Super Bowl has an interesting side story for Bishop Zubik. A Pittsburgh native, Bishop Zubik spent four years as bishop of Green Bay before returning to Pittsburgh in 2007.

Does that mean that he was a warm spot for the Packers in the upcoming game?

“I have great love for the church of Green Bay,” Bishop Zubik states. “That does not extend to the Packers in the Super Bowl. Go Steelers!”

Go Steelers

As the Summer home of the Pittsburgh Steelers for over 40 years we are proud of this year's AFC Championship team. Here is a video about Steelers training camp at St. Vincent Archabbey and College. Go Steelers and bring a 7th Super Bowl Victory back to Pittsburgh!!!

A hour with Coach Madden and the Commissioner

Click here to see the conference held at St. Vincent yesterday, look for Br. Gabriel and Br. Maximilian (Part 2) who asked questions during the conference

Part 1
Part 2

Enjoy this picture taken at Training Camp a few years back

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and legendary Coach John Madden visit St. Vincent

Father Archabbot speaks with the Commissioner and Coach Madden

Father Archabbot poses with the Rooney's, Commissioner Goodell and Coach Madden 

Br. Gabriel Myriam asks a question to the Commissioner and Coach Madden

Br. Maximilian greets Commissioner Goodell

Steelers greats visit St. Vincent for talk hosted by our Br. Maximilian, OSB

Monks on KDKA TV and in the news

Click here for Article by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

 

Our Father Paul Taylor, OSB shakes hands with the Steelers at Training Camp (Photo by: Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review)

 

KDKA-TV piece (Click here)

 

Super Bowl Trophies come to St. Vincent

Check out our Br. Maximilian, O.S.B. setting up the six Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Trophies.  Finally, a Philadelphia Eagle's fan gets to hold a Championship!!!

Saint Vincent welcomes the Pittsburgh Steelers!!!

Saint Vincent Archabbey proudly welcomes the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers back to the Archabbey for 2009 Summer Training Camp.  May their time here be fruitful and may all the people visiting expereince the power of Jesus through the hospitality offered by the monks and our employees.  "Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ, because He will say: "I was a stranger and you took Me in" (Mt 25:35). And let due honor be shown to all, especially to those "of the household of the faith" (Gal 6:10) and to wayfarers." (Holy Rule of St. Benedict, CHAPTER LIII Of the Reception of Guests)

St. Vincent Community Supports the Steelers!!!

As the summer home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the monks of St. Vincent Archabbey and the entire St. Vincent Community wishes the best of luck to the Pittsburgh Steelers as they go for number six!!!

Archabbey featured in Sports Illustrated!!!

Steel Memories made at Latrobe

By Peter King - Sports Illustrated

Do you know how rare it is to stand on the sideline of a football field and have to move your feet quickly to dodge a tackle in front of you? Do you know how often it happens that there's a fight five feet in front of you, and you have to have incredible peripheral vision to avoid the bodies flying into the fight? And do you know how rare it is to stand alongside the head coach of a National Football League team as he twirls his whistle, with cornstalks one long spiral behind him, as he prepares to start his team's afternoon practice?

Welcome to the best site to watch America's most popular sport. That's what I'd call St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., the camp of monks (really, there are cloistered monks here) and Steeler faithful an hour east of Pittsburgh in the rolling Laurel Highlands of west-central Pennsylvania.

I've watched the Steelers here over the years -- I actually interviewed Mike Webster in his dorm room in 1984, the first year of the camp, and showered alongside the players before their morning meetings in the same shower where St. Vincent freshman lathered up. My annual though is this must be what it was like to watch NFL teams before the days of fame and fortune and $700 Super Bowl tickets. "It doesn't get any better than this," former Steeler coach Bill Cowher told me in 2003 after one practice, as he looked out at the cornfields to the southwest of his practice field. "This is football, classic football. I know there's been a lot said recently about where teams practice, and some teams are going back to their facilities to have training camp. But look at this place. How can football get better than this? Four weeks of being together, no distractions, everything within walking distance? Fields all here. Nothing but football. Nothing. Just four weeks of you, your roommate and football. I think there's a lot to be said for how you start your season, and every year we feel like we get a great start to what we're going to be as a football team by being up here."

Come here around 8 in the morning some early August day. Watch the mist rise from the highlands. Sit on one of the hills surrounding the practice fields. Soak it all in. One of two or three things will happen. Joe Greene will stroll by, rolling an unlit cigar in his fingers, and say, "How are you today?'' Or a St. Vincent monk or priest will say hello and ask if you need anything. Or you'll see a player hustling to morning meetings--a player or maybe a coach, and you'll be pleasantly surprised that neither will ignore you.

It's the best training camp in the NFL, the best venue for watching real football in the NFL, and my favorite place to soak in what sports should be.