Location: Saint Vincent Basilica at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe Featured guests: Guy Davis, archabbey and college archivist, and the Rev. Vincent Crosby, a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey 3 things that surprised me: 1. The cornerstone of the basilica was laid in 1892, and the building was finally completed in 1905. The building is constructed of over a million bricks that were all made on-site by the early Benedictine monks. The orange tint of the bricks comes from the color of the local clay. The monks also crafted all the pews and many other pieces in their wood shop. 2. Father Vincent, who showed us around the basilica, has been a monk at Saint Vincent for over 50 years. He grew up in Buffalo and was curious about monastic life, so he looked up the closest monastery and ended up in Latrobe. He says that the community is made up of 150 monks – 100 are in Latrobe and 50 others are on missions around the world. 3. The building was declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to honor the 100th anniversary of the monastery becoming an abbey. Father Vincent says that if Pope Francis is ever in the area he’ll pay a visit, but that hasn’t happened yet. One thing that didn’t make the final cut: Father Vincent says that initially the sanctuary was painted with dark colors in the Romanesque style. During the 1997 renovation they wanted to brighten up the space, so they repainted the walls with lighter colors and installed clear glass around some of the stained glass windows. Additional info: You can learn more about the Saint Vincent Basilica at the website. If you’re interested in taking a tour, give them a call or send them an email to set up a visit. Want more Yinzer Backstage Pass? Check out our visit to Saint Vincent College’s Fred Rogers Institute, home to countless iconic props and costumes from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.“ The post The oldest Benedictine monastery in America is at St. Vincent College in Latrobe appeared first on NEXTpittsburgh.