Saint Leo Abbey
Encyclopedia
Saint Leo Abbey is a Benedictine
monastery
located in Saint Leo
, Florida
, United States
.
founded the Catholic
Colony of San Antonio
. Sent by Archabbot Boniface Wimmer
, Father Gerard Pilz, O.S.B., arrived in 1886 as the first Benedictine
in Florida. He was dispatched to Florida in response to a request by Bishop John Moore
of St. Augustine
for a German-speaking priest to minister to the growing German-immigrant population of the colony. Abbot Leo Haid
of Saint Maryhelp Abbey
in Belmont, North Carolina made the arrangements to establish Saint Leo College, now Saint Leo University
. On June 4, 1889 both Saint Leo College and Saint Leo Abbey were founded on lands conveyed to the Order of Saint Benedict
by Judge Dunne.
In addition to providing priests for the churches of the Catholic Colony, the monks went on to establish Catholic parishes in nearby Dade City
, Zephyrhills
, New Port Richey
, Brooksville
and Crystal River
. St. Leo continued to supply priests for Catholic congregations throughout Pasco
, Hernando
and Citrus
counties until the last decade of the 20th Century.
The centerpiece of the abbey, the Church of the Holy Cross, was begun in 1935 and consecrated the new monastic church on January 29, 1948 and was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1998 as part of the St Leo Abbey Historic District.
The current Abbot is Isaac Camacho, the sixth Abbot of Saint Leo.
Abbey Church:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/286030199_c3e2cdc330_o.jpg
Church Stained Glass:http://www.mostholyname.org/tour/window5.jpg
Florida°N date=June 2009°W
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
located in Saint Leo
St. Leo, Florida
St. Leo is a town in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 595 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,249.It is best known as...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Saint Leo Abbey, located in Pasco County, Florida, traces its founding to 1882 when Judge Edmund F. DunneEdmund Francis Dunne
Edmund Francis Dunne , born Edmund Francis O'Dunne, was an American politician and jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona Territory. During his early career he served in the California State Legislature and as a member of the Nevada constitutional convention...
founded the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Colony of San Antonio
San Antonio, Florida
San Antonio is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 655 at the 2000 census, although local officials claim the true population in 2000 was 842. As of 2004,...
. Sent by Archabbot Boniface Wimmer
Boniface Wimmer
Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B. was a German monk who in 1846 founded the first Benedictine monastery in the United States, Saint Vincent Archabbey, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, forty miles southeast of Pittsburgh...
, Father Gerard Pilz, O.S.B., arrived in 1886 as the first Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
in Florida. He was dispatched to Florida in response to a request by Bishop John Moore
John Moore (bishop of St Augustine)
Bishop John Moore , was born in County Westmeath, Ireland and moved to Charleston, South Carolina at the age of 14. He served as Bishop of St. Augustine from 1877-1901...
of St. Augustine
Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine is a diocese of the Catholic Church's Latin Church in the U.S. state of Florida. Part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Miami, it covers much of North Florida, including the cities of St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Gainesville. The bishop's seat is the...
for a German-speaking priest to minister to the growing German-immigrant population of the colony. Abbot Leo Haid
Leo Michael Haid
Leo Michael Haid, O.S.B. was an Benedictine abbot and Catholic bishop serving as Abbot of the Abbey of Mary Help of Christians, in Belmont, North Carolina from 1885-1924 and as Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina from 1888-1910 and Territorial Abbot from 1910-1924.-Biography:Haid was born July 15,...
of Saint Maryhelp Abbey
Belmont Abbey, North Carolina
Mary Help of Christians Abbey, better known as Belmont Abbey, is a small community of Benedictine monks in the town of Belmont, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, in the United States. Founded by Bishop Leo Haid in 1876, it is the daughter abbey to St. Vincent's Abbey in Latrobe,...
in Belmont, North Carolina made the arrangements to establish Saint Leo College, now Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa. The University is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery...
. On June 4, 1889 both Saint Leo College and Saint Leo Abbey were founded on lands conveyed to the Order of Saint Benedict
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
by Judge Dunne.
In addition to providing priests for the churches of the Catholic Colony, the monks went on to establish Catholic parishes in nearby Dade City
Dade City, Florida
Dade City is a city in Pasco County, Florida. The population was 6,188 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pasco County. Dade City is a suburb of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
, Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills, Florida
Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida. The population was 10,833 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 11,854. It is a suburb of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, New Port Richey
New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Brooksville
Brooksville, Florida
Brooksville is an incorporated city in Hernando County, Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Hernando County. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and Crystal River
Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,485 at the 2000 census. . According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,539. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self professed "Home of the Manatee"....
. St. Leo continued to supply priests for Catholic congregations throughout Pasco
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...
, Hernando
Hernando County, Florida
Hernando County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 130,802. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 165,409 . Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida. The majority of the county's population is in Spring Hill, west portion of Hernando...
and Citrus
Citrus County, Florida
Citrus County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 118,085. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 141,416 . Its county seat is Inverness, Florida...
counties until the last decade of the 20th Century.
The centerpiece of the abbey, the Church of the Holy Cross, was begun in 1935 and consecrated the new monastic church on January 29, 1948 and was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1998 as part of the St Leo Abbey Historic District.
The current Abbot is Isaac Camacho, the sixth Abbot of Saint Leo.
Abbey Church:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/286030199_c3e2cdc330_o.jpg
Church Stained Glass:http://www.mostholyname.org/tour/window5.jpg
External links
Florida°N date=June 2009°W