Requiescat in pace

Brother Patrick R. Lacey, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Saturday, August 14, 2010. He was the son of the late Ligouri and Mary Lacey of Carrolltown. He was born December 20, 1930 in Carrolltown. He was one of nine children, including Jean Lantzy, Carrolltown; Sally Skirsky, Carrolltown; Thomas J. Lacey, Hedgesville, West Virginia; and the late James, Donald and Bridget Lacey, Mary Louise Gray, and Caroline Vescovi.

He entered the novitiate at the Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 2, 1948 after attending Saint Benedict Grade School and Carrolltown High School. He professed his monastic vows on July 2, 1949.

Brother Pat, as the students affectionately called him, served Saint Vincent Archabbey and College as its fire chief from 1963 until his retirement in 2001. He has been active in a number of state, regional and local firemens’ associations. He served as a Pennsylvania state instructor in firefighting from 1963 until 1998, when he was named emeritus state instructor. He was past president and chaplain of the Westmoreland County Chiefs Association. He was a member of the Keystone Chiefs Association, the International Fire Chiefs Association, member and chaplain of the Westmoreland Firemens Association, member and director of the Westmoreland County Fire School, member of the Fire Prevention Committee of Southwestern Pennsylvania, member of the Firemens Association of Pennsylvania and member and chaplain of the Mohawk Association of Westmoreland County. Following his retirement as fire chief he was named chaplain and fire chief emeritus of the Saint Vincent Fire Department. He also served as head of the sheet metal and plumbing shop at Saint Vincent from 1948 to 2001.

Brother Pat was bowling coach at Saint Vincent College from 1970 to 1981. In 1973 and 1978 he was named NAIA National District Coach of the Year, and in 1978 he led the Saint Vincent Bowling Team to the NAIA National Championship. The team was the ACUI Regional Four Bowling Champion in 1973. He was honored by the Bearcat Athletic Club with a special award presented on August 7,1998, in recognition of many years of outstanding service to the Saint Vincent and area communities.

Brother Pat was a lifelong friend of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became the unofficial groundskeeper, accepting responsibility for upkeep of the football fields for the Steelers’ summer training camps, which have been held at Saint Vincent for 45 years. An avid football fan, he remained a lifelong friend of the Steelers and the Rooney family.

Brother Pat received the American Legion Citizenship Award in 1981 and was the grand marshal of the Fourth of July Parade in Latrobe in 1996. In 1973 he was awarded the Second Annual Fire Service Award at the annual Westmoreland County Firemen’s Convention. He also served as president of the Greater Latrobe Church Softball League.

The body will be received at 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 17, 2010, in the Elizabeth J. Roderick Center of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Viewing will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. A vigil service will be held at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Archabbey Basilica. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 19 in the Basilica. Interment will follow in the Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Brother Patrick Lacey Student Firefighter Scholarship Fund, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650.

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

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Dn 7:9,10,13,14; Ps 97:1,2,5,6,9; 2Pt 1:16-19; Mt 17:1-9

"All peoples see his glory!"

Only eyes full of faith can see the fullness of The Glory. It is the gift of faith that enables us to go beyond all our senses to behold the truth that the LORD is king. In this faith-vision we see what cannot be seen until the beatific vision of the future kingdom. Transfigured by such a sight we summon all the earth to rejoice and the many islands to be glad. The clouds hide his face and the darkness around him hide his glory. Here in this world we know his closeness when we encounter his justice and judgment, these are the foundation of his throne. Even the mighty mountains melt like was before the gaze of his glory, the LORD of all the earth. Indeed, we join with all the heavens to proclaim his justice and with all the peoples of the earth his glory. There can be no greater joy in all the earth than to behold The Most High, The Exalted far above all gods. To worship him in spirit and in truth is the very fulfillment of our innermost being. Indeed our human nature was created in his image and likeness and until we are filled with his glory we long, we seek, we hunger and thirst for vision of his glory. Daniel, the Prophet, watched and saw with eyes of faith the Ancient One and the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. Saint Peter, likewise, was an eyewitness to the majestic glory of the Beloved Son of the Father. Now that the Son of Man has been raised from the dead, we are obedient to the command of the Lord Christ, and we proclaim the glorious Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel was not afraid to behold and to watch. Daniel was not afraid to gaze upon the glory even though from Moses it has been instant death to behold the face of the LORD. Daniel was given the faith to behold the face. Notice that his vision of the Ancient One is full of description of the clothing, bright as snow, and the hair, white as wool, and the throne, flames of fire, and thousands of myriads were attending the LORD. Notice the face of the Ancient One is not described. Perhaps it was too beautiful to describe. Perhaps he could not see it. However as the visions continued through the night of faith, Daniel saw One like a Son of man coming on the very clouds that surrounded the throne. The One like a Son of man was recognized because he had a face, a human face. This mystery he beheld and was not afraid to gaze upon the glory. This prefigurement of the Incarnate One is our hope of glory here and now and forever in heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ reveals the human face of God. He is the refulgence of the Father’s glory for all men to behold. Once his beauty is glimpsed, all men and women recognize his dominion, his glory, and his kingship. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship is from the Ancient One and it shall not be destroyed. This vision of the Prophet is fulfilled on the mountain of Transfiguration where the chosen three are given a glimpse of the glory for which they were created and summoned to follow the Lamb of God wherever he travels in heaven and on earth.

This vision of the Prophet Daniel and the vision on the Mount of Transfiguration are not cleverly concocted myths. Indeed, the eyewitness of Saint Peter makes clear that the Lord Jesus Christ has appeared in his glory, even for a moment. This glimpse of glory is all that is needed as the Lord and his reluctant and confused disciples approached the glory of Calvary. They did not understand the mystery of the cross, but the followed the Lord Jesus until fear overwhelmed them. The fear of suffering and death can only be faced with the light of faith shining within our hearts. The LORD provides us with just enough light to make the next step in our journey of following the Lord to glory. In the prayer of those who were eyewitnesses of his majesty, of Saint Peter, Saint John, and Saint James, we learn how to hear the voice of the Father. Indeed, this is all we need when fear closes in and darkness overwhelms. We need to hear the unique declaration come from the majestic glory, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." This voice from the mountaintop of Transfiguration is the same voice we hear by faith in the depths of our hearts. We possess the prophetic message of the Friends of Jesus and the Prophet Daniel; this is altogether reliable. Because of such encounters in prayer, we learn to be attentive to the glimpse of glory shining in the dark place of our fears. There we watch and wait until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.

Now that the Son of Man has been raised from the dead the mystery glimpsed on Tabor is available for all to see. Anyone who has received the gift of faith can behold the face of the Only Begotten Son of the Father. When we follow the Lord Jesus and his three friends up the Mount of Transfiguration, we get lost in prayer so that we can find our way to the cross. We find our way to the mystery of love that overwhelms the Lord Jesus in his suffering upon the altar of Calvary. This glory we could not see until he had climbed the mountain of the cross and rose in the glory of the resurrection. It is not possible for the limited human senses to behold and savor the truth of the cross with out the gift of faith. Indeed the darkness of suffering can overshadow our lives with such severe pain that we fall prostrate with much fear. In this moment of complete exhaustion and total surrender do we hear the voice of the Lord Jesus and feel his touch, "Rise, and do not be afraid." Then we will no longer see terror and fear pain, we will see no one else but the Lord Jesus and him alone. At the sight of his face we are radiant. In the glory of his Resurrection we can all glimpse the glory of his Transfiguration and hear the voice from the cloud saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." Then will we hush and be still and hear what our hearts long to hear, and behold what we were made to behold, the face of the LORD.

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

St. John Vianney

This week we celebrate the memorial of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of priests  Here is a video of the closing Mass for the Year for Priests celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.  May St. John Vianney continue to intercede on behalf of all priests and guide them ever closer to Jesus Christ the true high priest.