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Today is the 108th Anniversary of the Basilica's Dedication!

Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica: One Hundred Years

by Brian D. Boosel, O.S.B.

Nestled among the emerald green foothills of the Laurel Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania, at a place called Saint Vincent, there

is to be found a jewel of human achievement and architectural wonder, in praise of God: the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. The story of this grand church is situated within the stories of the many immigrant peoples who first came to Pennsylvania beginning in the mid-eighteenth century. It was the determination, zeal, and dedication of these peoples that formed the spiritual foundation of this sacred space. Thus, to understand the significance of this noble structure, it is necessary to understand the significance of the events around which this place called Saint Vincent came to be.


The tale of Saint Vincent begins in 1766—three years following the turbulent end of the French and Indian War. King George III of England granted a gentleman by the name of John Fraser some three hundred acres of land for development. Subsequently, Mr. Fraser sold the tract of land to a man named James Hunter, who, after having built a small log cabin on the land, named it Sportsman’s Hall. In January 1790, a Franciscan friar from Holland, Father Theodore Brouwers,

O.F.M, sailed to America to become a missionary. At the behest of Bishop John Carroll, Father Brouwers came to Southwestern Pennsylvania and purchased the property from Hunter. It was here that he established—in the log cabin—a Roman Catholic parish. The parish was first called “Sportsman’s Hall Parish,” then later Saint Vincent. In 1835 the growing congregation built a brick church. It stood behind the present-day basilica. When it came time to bless the church, the people of this parish wrote to the Bishop of Philadelphia, Bishop Kendrick. The Bishop’s custom was to name the church for whatever saint’s day it happened to be when he arrived at a church. He arrived at this parish on the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul. Today, 215 years later, this vibrant parish seeks to serve God and neighbor as the oldest Catholic parish west of the Allegheny Mountains. 


To Read the Whole Article: http://www.sacredarchitecture.org/articles/saint_vincent_archabbey_basilica_one_hundred_years/

Back to School!

After a peaceful summer of “Ora et Labora” (prayer and work), the junior monks will rejoin their diocesan classmates on Monday, August 26, for another year of studies at St. Vincent Seminary.

Saint Vincent Seminary is the fourth oldest Roman Catholic Seminary in the United States, dating back to our founder, Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, in 1846.

Since then nearly 2500 men have been ordained to the priesthood, and among our distinguished alumni are 30 bishops, archbishops, and cardinals.

For More Info on the St. Vincent Seminary: http://www.saintvincentseminary.edu/home

VITA CONSECRATA

POST-SYNODAL 

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION 

VITA CONSECRATA 

OF THE HOLY FATHER 

JOHN PAUL II 

TO THE BISHOPS AND CLERGY 

RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND CONGREGATIONS 

SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE 

SECULAR INSTITUTES 

AND ALL THE FAITHFUL 

ON THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND ITS MISSION 

IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

Pope St. John Paul II

The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit. By the profession of the evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one — are made constantly "visible" in the midst of the world and the eyes of the faithful are directed towards the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in heaven.

In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father's call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an "undivided" heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:34). Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In this way, through the many charisms of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the mystery and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the renewal of society.

To read the whole text: 

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_25031996_vita-consecrata_en.html

Vocation Pilgrimage to Rome!

Ever been on a Vocation Discernment Pilgrimage to Rome?  Come, Pray, and See the Foundations of Benedictine Monasticism!

Each year the St. Vincent Archabbey Vocation Office sponsors The Footsteps of St. Benedict Pilgrimage, a spiritual journey for young, single, Catholic men (age 18-35) who are exploring a Religious Vocation.  

Monte Cassino

The 2013-2014 tentative schedule:

• Fri. Dec 27: Leave from your most convenient airport for Rome
  
• Sat. Dec 28: Meals and Prayer at St. Anselmo, the international Benedictine House of Studies, and free time in Rome
  
• Sun. Dec 29: Visit Norcia, birthplace of St. Benedict and his twin sister St. Scholastica
  
• Mon. Dec. 30: Free day until Solemn Vespers with Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica
  
• Tues. Dec 31: Mass - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God with Holy Father & Tour of St. Paul's Outside the Walls
  
• Wed. Jan 1: Free day in Rome (Tour churches in Rome, Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Coliseum)
  
• Thurs. Jan 2: Visit Subiaco Abbey, location of Saint Benedict’s cave and first monastery
  
• Fri. Jan 3: Visit Mt. Cassino, Benedict’s famous Abbey where he wrote his Holy Rule
  
• Sat. Jan 4: Papal Audience, Vatican Museum Tour, and free day in Rome
  
• Sun. Jan 5: Return to U.S.A.

Subiaco Abbey

More information about attending the Discernment Pilgrimage can be found on our Vocation Website:

http://www.stvincentmonks.com/Rome2010

And don't forget to ask about our Vince Sarni Family Scholarship of $700! 

Norcia Abbey Church