Douglas Robert Nowicki (born 8 May 1945) is an American

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

and

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

. From 1991 to 2020, he served as the 11th

Archabbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fe ...

Saint Vincent Archabbey Saint Vincent Archabbey is a Benedictine monastery in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the city of Latrobe. A member of the American-Cassinese Congregation, it is the oldest Benedictine monastery in the United States and the largest in th ...

Latrobe, Pennsylvania Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The city population was 8,338 as of the 2010 census (9,265 in 1990). It is located near Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Rid ...

, and by extension, the Chancellor of Saint Vincent College and the Chancellor of

Saint Vincent Seminary Saint Vincent Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Father Boniface Wimmer in 1846, who came from Saint Michael's Abbey in Metten, Bavaria, to establish Saint Vincent Archabbey as the first Benedictine ...

. Nowicki became solemnly professed on July 11, 1966 and was ordained a priest on May 21, 1972. He served the monastic community and the Diocese of Pittsburgh in various capacities before his election as archabbot in 1991.

Early life and education

Nowicki was born in Everson, Pennsylvania, on May 8, 1945, the son of Sylvester and Evelyn (Jackamonis) Nowicki. He is one of four children. Nowicki attended Catholic grade schools at Saint Joseph, Everson, and Holy Cross, Youngwood, Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Saint Vincent College in 1968, a Master of Divinity from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1971 and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Tennessee in 1977.

Priesthood

Nowicki was professed as a Benedictine on July 11, 1966, and ordained to the priesthood at the Archabbey Basilica on May 21, 1972 by Bishop William G. Connare of Greensburg. Prior to his election as Archabbot, Nowicki had served for five years as Secretary for Education of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1986 to 1991 and Pastor of Our Lady, Queen of Peace Parish, North Side, Pittsburgh from 1984 to 1986. At Saint Vincent College he served as Chairman of the Department of Psychology from 1979 to 1984 and Associate Academic Dean from 1983 to 1984. From 1978 through 1983, he was also a member of the staff in the Behavioral Science Department at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Nowicki also served as a psychological consultant to ''

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' debut ...

'' from 1978 to 1984.

Abbacy

Nowicki was first elected by his fellow monks on January 8, 1991 to become the eleventh Archabbot of Saint Vincent. On March 1, 1991, he received the Abbatial Blessing from Anthony G. Bosco, Bishop of Greensburg. Under Nowicki, Saint Vincent Archabbey, College, Seminary and Parish have undergone major developments, including a new bypass and entrance road to the Saint Vincent campus, the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, the Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media, the Carey Student Center, the Elizabeth Roderick Center and The John and Annette Brownfield Center, a new Apse organ in the Archabbey Basilica along with restoration of the Basilica Crypt, the construction of two college dormitories, Rooney Hall and Saint Benedict Hall, the renovation/restoration of the Archabbey Basilica, construction of a new parish center for Saint Vincent Parish, renovation of Prep Hall and the Latimer Family Library, the establishment of a minority scholarship program named in his honor and the construction of the $40 million Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion.

Coat of arms

References

External links

Saint Vinent Archabbey's Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nowicki, Douglas Robert 1945 births Saint Vincent College Saint Vincent College alumni Catholic Church in Pennsylvania Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg Benedictine abbots Living people Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia American Benedictines American Roman Catholic priests Religious leaders from Pennsylvania