Saint Vincent Benedictine Community Elects New Archabbot

LATROBE, Pa., June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rev. Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B., a monk of the Saint Vincent Archabbey for 40 years and formerly the 14th president of Saint Vincent College, has been elected the 12th archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey.

With his election, Archabbot Martin also becomes chancellor of Saint Vincent College and Saint Vincent Seminary. The archabbot is the spiritual head and father of Saint Vincent Archabbey, the first Benedictine monastery in the U.S. The Saint Vincent monastic community is comprised of more than 150 monks who serve at Benedictine Priory in Savannah, Georgia; Wimmer Priory in Taipei, Taiwan; and São Bento Priory in Vinhedo, Brazil. Saint Vincent Benedictines also operate Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia; the Roman Catholic campus ministry program at Penn State University; and serve in parishes in Georgia, Virginia and Maryland in addition to parishes in the Pennsylvania dioceses of Greensburg, Altoona-Johnstown, Pittsburgh and Erie.

"I'm very honored to have been elected the 12th archabbot of Saint Vincent," said Archabbot Martin. "There are some mighty big shoes to fill, but with the grace of God and support of the community, I look forward to carrying Saint Vincent even further and stronger into the future. I am very grateful for the trust and confidence that the monks have expressed in me and I look forward to earning their trust and confidence."

He replaces Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., who served as archabbot from Jan. 8, 1991 until May 8, 2020, when he resigned upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Since July 2013, Archabbot Martin served as administrator of the Diocese of Pittsburgh's MACH1 Parish Grouping, comprised of four parishes in Beaver County. From 2008-13, he was pastor of Saint Bruno Parish (South Greensburg) and administrator of Saint Benedict Parish (Marguerite) after presiding over Saint Martin Parish (New Derry) from 2001-09.

From 1980-2000, Archabbot Martin held a number of administrative positions at Saint Vincent College including assistant controller (1980-85), assistant treasurer (1985-86), acting provost (1992) and academic dean (1992-93), while serving as associate professor of business administration. In 1995, he was named the College's 14th president, a position he held through 2000.

Archabbot Martin earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Temple University in 1978, majoring in accounting and minoring in computer science, before earning an MBA from Bowling Green University (1984), a master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary (1984)  and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1989). In 1992, he attended the Institute for Education Management sponsored by Harvard University's Graduate School of Education.

He made his simple profession of vows as a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 10, 1980, and solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1983. He was ordained a deacon on August 11, 1984, and a priest on May 25, 1985.

A certified public accountant in Pennsylvania, he has been affiliated with the American Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Westmoreland Bar Association, the American Business Law Association and the Intercommunity Legal Conference.

Archabbot Martin was born Nov. 14, 1955, in Barberton, Ohio. He is a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Bartel Sr., and is one of 10 children, including Sr. Maura Bartel, O.P., Elizabeth Bartel, Robert J. Bartel Jr., Regis Bartel, Eileen Bartel Volosyn, Patricia Bartel Davis, Thomas Bartel, Mary Bartel and the late Karl Bartel.

For the complete announcement, visit https://saintvincentarchabbey.org/2020/06/23/father-martin-de-porres-bartel-o-s-b-elected-twelfth-archabbot-of-saint-vincent-archabbey/.

SOURCE Saint Vincent College

Related Links

http://www.stvincent.edu