Martin de Porres Bartel (born 1955) is an American

Benedictine monk The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they ...

and Catholic

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, elected in 2020 to serve as the twelfth Archabbot of

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, United States. The population was 8,060 as of the 2020 census. A part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, it is located near Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorpo ...

Life and career

Born on November 14, 1955, in

Barberton, Ohio Barberton is a city in Summit County, Ohio, Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,191 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located directly southwest of Akron, Ohio, Akron, it is a suburb of the Akron metropolitan are ...

to Robert and Clara (née Weigand) Bartel Sr., the second-youngest of ten children. He graduated from Barberton High School in 1974 and

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

in 1979. Bartel made his simple profession of vows as a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 10, 1980, solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1983, and was ordained a priest on May 25, 1985, by

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

William G. Connare William Graham Connare (December 11, 1911 – June 12, 1995) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Greensburg from 1960 to 1987. Biography Early life William Connare was born on December 11, 1911, in the East End of Pit ...

of the Diocese of Greensburg. He served in various administrative roles at St. Vincent College, including as assistant controller, assistant treasurer, and acting academic dean. On June 23, 2020, he was elected archabbot to succeed

Douglas Robert Nowicki Douglas Robert Nowicki, O.S.B. (May 8, 1945 - July 23, 2024) was an American Benedictine monk and Catholic priest. From 1991 to 2020, he served as the 11th Archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and by extension, the Cha ...

. His abbatial

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

is "Brothers together as one", from Psalm 132/133. Previously, Bartel had served as

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

of several parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Greensburg. He previously served as the President of Saint Vincent College from 1995 to 2000, and also sat on the board of directors of

Serra Catholic High School Serra Catholic High School is a private, college preparatory, Roman Catholic high school in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. History Serra Catholic was established in September 1961 as an all- ...

McKeesport, Pennsylvania McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. A suburb of Pittsburgh, it is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census. History Early history ...

References

1955 births Living people Saint Vincent College Catholic Church in Pennsylvania Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg Benedictine abbots People from Barberton, Ohio Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia American Benedictines American Roman Catholic priests Religious leaders from Ohio 21st-century Christian abbots {{RC-clergy-stub