Monsignor William G. Charnoki, retired pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, Ligonier, recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Saint Vincent Seminary, at the Seminary’s Alumni Day Mass and Banquet. Most Rev. Roger J. Foys, D.D., Bishop of Covington, Kentucky, and Most Rev. Jeffrey M. Monforton, Bishop of Steubenville were present at the Mass and dinner, along with Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Seminary chancellor and Very Rev. Timothy F. Whalen, Seminary rector.
Monsignor  Charnoki was born in Nemacolin, Pennsylvania. He attended All Saints School in Masontown and graduated from Saint Vincent College in 1961 and Saint Vincent Seminary in 1965. He earned a canon law degree from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 15, 1965, by Bishop William G. Connare at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Greensburg.
His pastoral appointments included: parochial vicar, Saint Mary (Nativity) Parish, Uniontown, and its former chapel in Lemont Furnace (1965-70); pastor, former Saint Stanislaus Parish, Calumet (1978-84) and administrator pro tem of the parish (1991); Saint Mary Parish, Export (1984-85); Holy Family Parish, Latrobe (1985-94); Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Indiana (1994-2005); Holy Trinity Parish, Ligonier (2005-13); administrator of Holy Family Parish, Latrobe (2007); and the former Saint Boniface Parish, Chestnut Ridge (2008).
He has served the Diocese of Greensburg as the assistant chancellor; secretary to Bishop Connare; vicar for religious; member of Priests’ Council and Board of Consultors; vicar forane (dean) of Westmoreland East Deanery, now Deanery 4; dean of Deanery 2; judicial vicar of Tribunal.
He was named prelate of honor with title of monsignor in 1986, and protonotary apostolic supernumerary, highest level of monsignor in 2005.
Saint Vincent Seminary is honored to recognize the outstanding service of Monsignor Charnoki to the Diocese of Greensburg and to the Universal Church. His loyalty to his alma mater has been a source of great encouragement to Saint Vincent College and Saint Vincent Seminary.
