LATROBE, PA – Saint Vincent College is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Catherine Petrany, associate professor of theology in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, as the Boniface Wimmer Endowed Chair in Monastic Studies. Petrany, a distinguished biblical scholar, will hold this prestigious three-year appointment beginning in the 2025 academic year.
The Boniface Wimmer Endowed Chair in Monastic Studies fosters research and dialogue on monastic traditions and their impact across various fields of study. Petrany succeeds Fr. Rene Kollar, O.S.B., P’65, C’70, S’74, professor of history in AHSS, who served as the inaugural chairholder. Fr. Rene, a renowned scholar of English ecclesiastical history and fellow of the Royal Historical Society, has published six books on monastic revival and ecclesiastical history, and previously edited nine lectures in the Wimmer Memorial Lecture Series featuring distinguished scholars including Christopher Dawson and Jacques Maritain.
Petrany brings exceptional qualifications to this role, with over a decade of service at Saint Vincent College, where she has developed a distinctive scholarly approach integrating academic biblical scholarship with Benedictine monastic tradition. Her work focuses on the Book of Psalms, which holds central importance in Benedictine monasticism as the foundation of the Liturgy of the Hours prayed daily in monasteries worldwide.
"Dr. Petrany's scholarly work exemplifies the intersection of rigorous academic research and lived monastic tradition," said Dr. Elaine Bennett, AHSS dean and associate professor and chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department. "Her deep understanding of how the psalms function both as literary texts and as the heart of Benedictine prayer makes her an ideal candidate for the Boniface Wimmer Chair."
Petrany's scholarship reflects this integration of academic and monastic perspectives. Her forthcoming book, "Suffering and Salvation in the Psalms of the Lament" (Paulist Press, fall 2025), demonstrates her holistic approach to psalms scholarship inspired by “The Rule of Saint Benedict.”
As the Boniface Wimmer Endowed Chair in Monastic Studies, Petrany will undertake a major scholarly project: contributing a comprehensive commentary on the Book of Psalms to the Interpretation Commentary Series published by Westminster John Knox Press. This commentary will analyze all 150 psalms through the monastic hermeneutic that has shaped her scholarship, serving as a significant international resource for scholars, clergy and monastic communities.
“In my time at Saint Vincent College, this rich tradition of Benedictine psalmody has increasingly influenced and shaped my work on the psalms. The Benedictine emphasis on praying all the psalms again and again has provided me with a hermeneutic for studying the Psalter not merely as a collection of individual poems, but as a meaningfully shaped book that is oriented ultimately toward the praise of God, the Opus Dei,” Petrany noted. “This appointment will allow me to expand my research and deepen my strong commitment to the Catholic, Benedictine mission of Saint Vincent College. I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to serve the College in new ways.”
Petrany's work extends to substantial ecclesial outreach, including regular contributions to "Give Us This Day," a monthly prayer book reaching over 100,000 readers nationally. Her teaching at Saint Vincent includes courses on psalms and wisdom literature, where students engage with both the Book of Psalms and “The Rule of Saint Benedict,” including attendance at Vespers with the Saint Vincent Archabbey monastic community.
The chair is named in honor of Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., founder of Saint Vincent Archabbey, who was renowned for his devotion to the psalms.
Wimmer studied at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, an institution that was home to a roundtable of European professors whose positions were endowed by Bavarian King Ludwig I. The Boniface Wimmer Endowed Chair in Monastic Studies is part of Saint Vincent College’s own Roundtable of Scholars: expert professors serving in faculty positions endowed by the financial commitments of alumni and friends.
These endowed faculty chairs work to promote and enhance collaboration in their scholarship and research across the College’s academic community, while also preparing students for successful careers and lives of purpose and meaning.
Founded in 1846 by Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, Saint Vincent College is a Catholic, liberal arts college sponsored by the Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the College is known for its commitment to academic excellence grounded in Benedictine values.
