St. Cosmas Deanery is one of over 21 Oblate communities associated with Saint Vincent Archabbey.
St. Cosmas Deanery
Oblates of St. Cosmas Deanery are Christian men and women from within the Diocese of Covington who choose to associate themselves with Saint Vincent Archabbey’s community of Benedictine monks in order to strengthen their baptismal commitment and enrich their Christian way of life.
Saint Vincent Archabbey Latrobe, PA, was founded in 1846 by Archabbot Boniface Wimmer of Metten Abbey, Bavaria and is the first Benedictine foundation in North America.
In 1858, Covington's first Bishop, George Aloysius Carrell, invited Abbot Boniface Wimmer to send Benedictines from his new foundation to minister to the spiritual needs of the growing missionary Diocese of Covington. The Benedictines established a priory in Covington and their work extended as far as Augusta.
While the monks were recalled to Saint Vincent in the 1980s as vocations flourished in the Diocese of Covington, the Diocese continued to cultivate the Benedictine tradition with parish pilgrimages to Saint Vincent along with the oral tradition of Benedictines handed down.
In 2002, Bishop Roger Joseph Foys was named tenth Bishop of Covington. Embracing the Diocese’s collective history and his previous work as Vocation Director, Bishop Foys began to send Covington seminarians to Saint Vincent Seminary for formation. Today, some of Covington’s seminarians continue to receive their formation at Saint Vincent.
Recognizing Covington’s rich and important bond with Saint Vincent, St. Cosmas Deanery was established in 2023 by Bishop Emeritus Roger Joseph Foys and Fr. Jordan Hainsey, with the support of Fr. Donald Raila, O.S.B., the Oblate Director of Saint Vincent.
As one of nearly 21 deaneries associated with Saint Vincent Archabbey, St. Cosmas Deanery follows the formal Benedictine tradition and the local customs and traditions of Saint Vincent Archabbey.
Covington’s St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption — Home to St. Cosmas Deanery
Members of St. Cosmas Deanery meet monthly for Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption with special events held throughout the year. For a complete listing of upcoming meetings, visit our events page.
The Oblate Program of Saint Vincent Archabbey includes more than 900 people, including 300 Oblate novices as well as full Oblates.
Most are located in Pennsylvania, but others are from many states in the United States, Canada, and other countries such Wales and Malaysia. The Oblates of St. Cosmas in the Diocese of Covington are Saint Vincent Archabbey’s newest deanery. Groups of Oblates called “deaneries” meet regularly in some 21 locations, There are also some 40 people who discuss Benedictine spirituality over the internet who constitute a “Cyber Deanery.”
Our Deanery Patron
St. Cosmas
Covington’s Oblate Deanery is dedicated to the patronage of St. Cosmas, the twin brother of St. Damian.
Cosmas and Damian were two brothers martyred in the 3rd century. Born in Arabia, they were physicians who had become eminent for their skill in the science of medicine. Being Christians, they were filled with the spirit of charity and never took money for their services. At Egaea in Cilicia, where they lived, they enjoyed the highest esteem of the people. When the persecutionunder Diocletian broke out, their very prominence rendered them marked objects of persecution. Being apprehended by order of Lysias, governor of Cilicia, they underwent various torments and were later martyred.
The name “Cosmas” also recalls Br. Cosmas Wolf, O.S.B., the prolific artisan-monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey who built and decorated many of Covington's altars in the 19th century.
Together, a patron saint of healing and the memory of a monastic dedicated to building, remind us all of the prayer and work needed to heal a broken world and build up God's Kingdom.