Welcome to Saint Vincent Archabbey

From The Sportsman's Hall Parish Later Named Saint Vincent 1790-1846, By Omer U. Kline, O.S.B., Published by Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 15650-1690, U.S.A. © 1990, 1998 by Omer U. Kline. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

At a parish meeting on July 24, 1833, it was unanimously decided to erect a substantial brick church and a parochial residence. At this same meeting a subscription list was compiled, with one hundred and three persons subscribing a total of $4,162.00. This published list of subscribers offers a cross-section of the membership at the Sportsman's Hall Parish in 1833 characteristically the list is headed by Rev. J.A. Stillinger with a donation of $500.00.
Father Stillinger wasted no time in having the plans prepared; he then called for bids on the proposed construction. Several bids were received and the Pittsburgh firm of Anthony Kerrins and Jonathan Wilson, Master Builders, secured the contract. The articles of agreement were drawn up and signed by the builders and Father Stillinger on October 4, 1833. By this contract Kerrins and Wilson pledged themselves to build a brick church, Gothic in design, approximately 50 ' x 85 ', for the sum of $5,850.00. It was soon ascertained that this contract had not been sufficiently specific as to details, and that the builders, in whom Father Stillinger had full confidence, had not done their work well. Already at the time of construction the foundation walls began to give way and many other serious defects were noticeable. The builders made some repairs but the work remained unsatisfactory. Thus the balance of approximately $1,400.00 that was still due to the builders was withheld for damages. The builders brought suit to force payment; but, dragging out as such lawsuits do, it was only in August 1843, that a jury reached a verdict in favor of the congregation. And, although the 1833 contract had set the cost of the church at $5,850.00, it had actually cost more than $9,000.00. This dramatic increase in cost was due largely to the installation of altars, pews, bells and other furnishings in order to ready the church for divine services. An organ was purchased and installed in the new church at a cost of approximately $700.00, of which $619.25 had been raised by a separate subscription. In the summary, at the time of the dedication of the church, the congregation found itself burdened with a debt on it to the amount of $5,928.27.

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Painting of the Parish Church
But this debt did not dampen the joy of the solemn dedication of the completed church on July 19, 1835, by Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick. As it was the custom of Bishop Kenrick to name churches after the saint whose feast occurred on the day of the dedication, and as this church was dedicated on the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, he named it Saint Vincent Church - the name that has endured for over one hundred and fifty years. The day's celebration continued on into the afternoon when the Office of Vespers was chanted. At this afternoon service there was a sermon preached in German by Father Peter Lemke to accommodate the large crowd of German immigrants and their families. Father Lemke was at that time an assistant to the aging Father Gallitzin in his vast Allegheny Mountain missionary territory; he would later play a prominent role in Saint Vincent under the Benedictines. Bishop Kenrick stayed overnight and, on July 20, 1835, confirmed fifty-five persons in the newly dedicated Saint Vincent Church. In his Diary on this date Bishop Kenrick, after noting that "nearly one hundred" had "received Holy Communion on this same day," paid the following tribute to Father Stillinger and the parishioners of Saint Vincent Parish: "God grant that the consolation which I experience here by reason of the piety of the priest in charge and good will of the people under his care may long endure."
This Saint Vincent Church was to have a glorious existence of one hundred and twenty-eight years. From 1835 until the consecration of the Saint Vincent Archabbey Church on August 24, 1905, the venerable Saint Vincent Church would serve as the place of worship for the parish. It was also the monastery church for the Benedictines from 1846 until 1905. From 1905 until early in the 1960s the Saint Vincent Church was used principally by the students of the seminary, college and preparatory school and so was popularly called the "Students Chapel." But the life of this venerable structure came to a violent end when it was destroyed in the great fire of January 28, 1963.