Douglas R. Nowicki, OSB, retired longtime archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey and chancellor of Saint Vincent College and Seminary in Latrobe, has died, officials confirmed Wednesday.

His death Tuesday evening at age 79 in Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh followed a brief illness.

Nowicki was the 11th and second longest-serving archabbot in the 178-year history of Saint Vincent, which was founded in 1846 and became an abbey in 1855, officials said.

He served from 1991 until he reached the retirement age of 75 in May 2020.

Saint Vincent Archabbey, with more than 150 monks, was the first Benedictine monastery in the United States. It remains one of the largest monasteries in the world, officials said.

While he was archabbot, growth occurred in all areas of Saint Vincent — the archabbey, college, parish and seminary, according to material prepared for his obituary.

Nowicki was involved in expanding Saint Vincent’s footprint locally, nationally and internationally, according to Martin R. Bartel, OSB, the current archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey.

“He worked tirelessly to advance and develop the mission of Saint Vincent Archabbey and that of our educational and pastoral apostolates,” Bartel said. “There is not much across our campus and within our ministries that does not bear the imprint of his tremendous efforts in some fashion or another.”

At Saint Vincent College alone, the list of buildings and other improvements is lengthy.

They include construction and renovation of such dormitories as Rooney Hall, the $5 million Prep Hall and the $16 million Saint Benedict Hall.

He oversaw expansion and renovation of the Robert S. Carey Center, construction of Chuck Noll Field, creation of the Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media and the $40 million Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion, an academic hall, as well as many other projects.

Before becoming archabbot, he served for five years as secretary for Education of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1986 to 1991 and pastor of Our Lady, Queen of Peace Parish, North Side, Pittsburgh from 1984 to 1986. At Saint Vincent College, he was chairman of the department of psychology from 1979 to 1984 and associate academic dean from 1983 to 1984.

He also was on the staff in the behavioral science department at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and he was a psychological consultant to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for a number of years, officials said.

He is survived by his siblings, Edward Nowicki of Greensburg, Lawrence (Katie) Nowicki of Harrisburg and Sylvia M. Sickenberger of Greensburg, and their children, Ed (Kathy) Nowicki, Lori (Brian) Bottarini, Kim (Bruce) Pesarchick, Kristen (Ross) Aron, Stacy Rae (Andy) Muetzel, Robert Dean (Sandy) Sickenberger Jr., Diane (Robert) Armstrong, and many great-nieces and great-nephews and great-great nieces and nephews, as well as members of his monastic community.

The body of Archabbot Douglas will be received at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27, in the parlor of the Elizabeth Roderick Center at Saint Vincent Seminary, with viewing from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 28.

A wake service will be held at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, July 28 in the Archabbey Basilica with Archabbot Martin Bartel, OSB, as celebrant and homilist. A concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 29, in the Archabbey Basilica, with Archabbot Martin as the celebrant and Father Paul Taylor, OSB, as the homilist. The Rite of Committal will follow in the Mary Mother of Mercy Mausoleum Chapel at Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Benedictine Health and Welfare Fund at Saint Vincent Archabbey, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650.

Staff writer Rich Cholodofsky contributed to this report.

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