Saint Vincent
Unity Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer on the site of a Catholic parish built in 1789, Saint Vincent Archabbey, College, and Seminary was the first institution in the US established by monks of the Order of Saint Benedict. The college was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Pa. in 1870 to provide both undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and sciences. Ten abbeys and colleges in eight states trace their roots to Saint Vincent.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1846 the German-born monk Boniface Wimmer planted the first Benedictine community in the United States on the grounds of a Catholic parish that dated to 1789. From that seed grew Saint Vincent Archabbey, College, and Seminary, chartered by Pennsylvania in 1870 to teach the liberal arts and sciences. The monastery became a mother house whose monks fanned out to found ten more abbeys and colleges across eight states.
Why it matters
Saint Vincent marks the arrival of Benedictine monasticism in America and the immigrant-led network of Catholic higher education that spread from this Westmoreland County hillside.
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Related people
- · Boniface Wimmer
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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