Three longstanding members of the Saint Vincent Seminary Board of Regents have completed their service on the board, having each completed three four-year terms, and thus reaching the stipulated term limits. Bishop Emeritus David A. Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh also served as chairman of the board for the past eight years. Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of the Diocese of Erie, a 1977 Seminary graduate, joined the board shortly after his appointment to the episcopate in 2012. Mr. Richard DiClaudio is a 1981 Saint Vincent College alumnus who has 30 years of business management and leadership experience and who has also been active with numerous Catholic and Christian apostolates.

BISHOP DAVID A. ZUBIK 

As chairman of the Board of Regents, Bishop Zubik served as an ex officio member of the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors, and was also involved with numerous committees of the Board of Regents. Those included Executive and Membership as well as Finance and Budget, both of which he served with Mr. DiClaudio, and the Bishops’ Committee on Priestly Formation, on which he served with Bishop Persico and the other bishops serving on the Board. His support remains constant and in his retirement he is now visiting the Seminary on a regular basis to assist with spiritual direction.

“Over the past twelve years Bishop Zubik has offered outstanding advice to strengthen the Program of Priestly Formation in the Seminary,” said Father Edward Mazich, O.S.B., Rector. “I salute Bishop Zubik for his fifty years of priestly ministry and his twenty-eight years of episcopal ministry, including eighteen years of dedicated service as the Chief Shepherd of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. May God grant him an active and joyful retirement.”

He was originally named to the episcopate by Pope John Paul II as auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1997. Later, in 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him as the eleventh Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, where he remained until Pope Benedict XVI named him twelfth Bishop of Pittsburgh in 2007.

Bishop Zubik served on a number of national committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), including the Catholic Communications Campaign Subcommittee, Protection of Children and Young People Committee, and the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Committee. He chaired the Pilgrimage Committee and the Committee on Priestly Formation and served on many advisory boards.

A native of Sewickley, he received an undergraduate degree at Duquesne University in 1971 and went on to study at Saint Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he earned a degree in theology in 1975.

Bishop Zubik was ordained a priest on May 3, 1975. His early service included an assignment as vice principal of Quigley Catholic High School in Baden as well as chaplain to the Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse and chaplain to the students at Mount Gallitzin Academy. At the same time, he began graduate studies at Duquesne University where he earned a master’s degree in education administration in 1982. He served in the role of adjunct spiritual director at Saint Paul Seminary from 1984 through 1991 and associate spiritual director at Saint Vincent Seminary from 1989 through 1996.

He served as administrative secretary to then-Pittsburgh Bishop Anthony J. Bevilacqua, who later became the Cardinal Archbishop of Philadelphia, and later was administrative secretary and master of ceremonies to then-Pittsburgh Bishop Donald W. Wuerl, where he served until 1991, when he began his service as director of Clergy Personnel. In 1995, he was named associate general secretary and chancellor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and then became vicar general and general secretary—a position in which he served until his appointment as the Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay.

BISHOP LAWRENCE T. PERSICO

A native of Monessen, Bishop Persico was ordained and installed as bishop for the Diocese of Erie after many years of service in the Diocese of Greensburg.

Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1977, he began his service in the Diocese of Greensburg as parochial vicar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Irwin. In 1980, he was released from parish ministry to study canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he received the licentiate degree in 1982.

On January 20, 1983, he was appointed assistant chancellor, pro-synodal judge of the Tribunal and chaplain of Assumption Hall, the retirement home of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg. He was named vice chancellor of the Diocese of Greensburg in 1984.

He served as chaplain of the Benedictine Sisters Monastery of Saint Emma, Greensburg and was named chancellor of the Greensburg Diocese in 1989. On January 27, 1998, he was appointed pastor of Saint James Parish in New Alexandria while remaining as chancellor.

He served as the bishop’s representative to the administrative board of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference from 1998-2012.

Bishop Persico was named a monsignor with the title of Prelate of Honor to his Holiness by Pope John Paul II on February 28, 2005. On August 4, 2005, Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt appointed him as vicar general, moderator of the curia, acting chancellor and the bishop’s delegate for clergy sexual abuse, while continuing as pastor of Saint James Parish.

Five months later, he was elected vice president of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference for two 3-year terms which concluded in 2011. He was invested as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on October 2, 2010. And on June 1, 2012, he was reappointed as judge, defender of the bond and advocate of the diocesan tribunal by Bishop Brandt, while continuing in his role as vicar general, moderator of the curia, acting chancellor, the bishop’s delegate for clergy sexual abuse and pastor of Saint James Parish.

Bishop Persico was appointed Bishop of Erie on July 31, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. On October 1, 2012, he was ordained and installed as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Erie.

“In his twelve years of service as a member of the Board of Regents of Saint Vincent Seminary,” Father Edward said, “Bishop Persico has offered counsel combining his pastoral and professional experience for the good of the Seminary and all whom it serves. I am grateful to Bishop Persico for his forty-eight years of priestly ministry and the thirteen years of his ongoing episcopal ministry as the Bishop of Erie.”

He has served on the Board of Trustees of Saint Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, Maryland; the Board of Regents of Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe; the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference; and is the Chairperson of the Gannon University Board of Trustees, Erie, Pennsylvania. He is also a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Bishop Persico has been a member of the Canon Law Society of America since 1983; a member-at-large of the State Lodge of Pennsylvania, Order of the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America; a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus; and a Knight Commander with Star of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

RICHARD A. DICLAUDIO

Mr. DiClaudio is president and CEO of Energy Innovation Center Institute. His four-decade career in finance and private capital investing includes leadership roles in private equity funds, ESG-focused nonprofits, and faith-based and educational organizations.

“In his twelve years as a member of the Board of Regents of Saint Vincent Seminary, Mr. DiClaudio has brought his outstanding leadership abilities and his professional expertise to the service of the Seminary and its students,” said Father Edward. “In addition to his service to Saint Vincent Seminary, Mr. DiClaudio has also generously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Saint Vincent College, helping to form a bridge between the Regents and the Directors. Ad multos annos!”

DiClaudio has also served on the board of UPMC Heath Plan and is a board member and chair of the Endowment Committee for Scott Hahn’s Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. He is a co-founder and board member of Purposed Vision and the Training for Human Thriving Institute funded by Bank of America, Highmark and Google.

DiClaudio has more than 30 years business management and leadership experience in all phases of private equity investing, focused primarily in the energy industry. He has managed dozens of energy investments, achieving a strong track record of value creation in several strategies. He has extensive experience in energy investment and portfolio management, due diligence, business development, negotiating and structuring investment transactions, turn-around and work-out experience, operations management, and building successful operating groups.

His board service has included Amylex Corporation, Applied Carbon Corporation, president of Legatus, on the national board of Silver Ring Thing, president of the Riverview School District, Oso Oil & Gas Properties, Inc., Freedom Energy, Inc., Production Access Corporation, Hillman Energy Group, Inc., Protechnics Corporation, Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, Emerald Land Company, Broughton Operating Corporation, Duquesne University School of Business Management and Amachi Pittsburgh.

He is a frequent guest lecturer, keynote speaker and panel member throughout the United States on private equity investing, energy investing and U.S. energy security, including lectures at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz Graduate School of Public Policy, Dow Jones Investor, National Private Equity Conferences, National Hedge Fund Conferences and others.

DiClaudio received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and economics from Saint Vincent College and has earned 64 graduate credits in business studies at Duquesne University and Baldwin Wallace University.

He is married to Carole, a 1981 graduate of Seton Hill University and they have two children.