Inside The Basilica Of The Largest Benedictine Monastery In The Western Hemisphere, Saint Vincent Archabbey

The largest Benedictine monastery, the monastic religious Order of St. Benedict of the Catholic Church, in the western hemisphere is located not in Boston, not in New York City, not in Chicago, nor in Philadelphia, but in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. More specifically, it is located on the top of a ridge above the town of Latrobe, such that it is in view for miles around the rolling countryside in all directions. If you have heard of Latrobe, it may be due to it being the hometown of Arnold Palmer, the childhood hometown of Fred Rogers, the original hometown of Rolling Rock Beer, the location of the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and the birthplace of the banana split. Pretty impressive for a small town with a population of only around 8000! The monastery is named the Saint Vincent Archabbey, and it is the first Benedictine monastery built in the United States almost 200 years ago. Nearby are Saint Vincent College and Saint Vincent Seminary, both of which were built around the same time as the archabbey. All were founded by the Bavarian monk, Father Boniface Wimmer, who eventually earned the title of Abbot in 1855, and later on the title of Archabbot in 1883. His mission started as an effort to support German immigrants and better the conditions under which they worked and lived, but this quickly expanded to include Irish immigrants, Eastern European immigrants, African Americans, Native Americans, and any other cultures whose lives were made more difficult along the rural frontier. In the course of his lifetime, he founded over 30 other monasteries and abbeys and 152 Roman Catholic Parishes, and has been listed as the most important American missionary of the nineteenth century. “People plant trees though they are certain that the fruit will benefit only the next generation.” How fitting this quote by Archabbot Boniface Wimmer is to his own life’s work. The college and seminary continue to support thousands of students a year, almost 200 years later. The Wild Images Team visited the St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica where we captured the above image showing the immaculate architecture and detail. This was taken during the holiday season, so the interior is decorated with wreaths, ribbons, and poinsettias. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos throughout Pennsylvania, including the postgame fireworks over the Andy Warhol Bridge, the colorful bursts of Independence Day fireworks over the Ohio River, the view as delicate flowers bloom in the Laurel Highlands, and the very early lantana at the University Park Flower Gardens, each of which is available for sale in our store. Our blog posts from Pennsylvania have documented the Halloween moment when hundreds of witches converged on Mellon Park and then later performed a choreographed dance routine, when The Wild Images Team attended an interfaith wedding ceremony during which our Coordinator Christina Orban was a bridesmaid, a look inside of the ornate St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica, the side yard greenhouse vividly reflecting light displays, the scene dominated by vibrant strands of holiday lights on a tree, the many hues of a very festive holiday house along McColly Street, the colorful view of the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Fall Foliage Train, the burst trails of fireworks over the Allegheny River, the red, white, and blue trail fireworks over the Roberto Clemente Bridge, the palette of colors with fireworks bursting over the Ohio River, the hundreds of American flags flying over Blairsville Cemetery, the fall leaves surrounding the Tyrone Division of the Pennsylvania System World War I Monument, the many colors of a flower soaking up sunshine, and the dichotomy created by a floral battle of yellow versus red. During our trips to New York on the other side of the state we have captured many photos such as in the Corning Museum of Glass antique cruets and dishware overlap, then in New York City itself the sudden snow squall over the Garment District, the scene of the Sherry-Netherland towering over a sculpture, and the opposite directed festive view of West 58th Street, each of which is available for sale in our store. Our New York blog posts document the Corning Museum of Glass plate of colorful giant glass fruit, the intricate stained glass vines and bubbles over a figure, and the suspended glass knives in front of a red stack tower, then in New York City itself the Empire State Building shining like a beacon, the perpetual hustle and bustle of Times Square, the impressive bronze Alice in Wonderland sculpture, the memorial bronze statue of legendary Balto and its accompanying dedicated to the indomitable spirit plaque, the animated bronze animals and the Delacorte Clock, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina with Spongebob SquarePants, the festive view of a large toy train in Rockefeller Center Station, the late night giant holiday lights on the sidewalks, and the piles of giant holiday ornaments in Liholts Pooley Pool.

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