Archabbot, Montecassino, Italy (1897-1909)

Boniface Krug, formerly of Saint Vincent Archabbey, Beatty, Pa., and Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino, province of Caserta, Italy, lived in Baltimore as a boy. Abbot Krug was a native of Huinfeld, Germany, where he was born September 9, 1838. When he was a boy of 6 years his parents started to emigrate to America, but his father died at Bremen and was buried there. The mother continued the journey, and settled with her children in Baltimore.

When the boy was 10 years old Rev. Boniface Wimmer, who had shortly before introduced the Benedictines into the United States and founded Saint Vincent Archabbey near what is now Latrobe, Pa., paid a visit to Baltimore. Young Krug was pointed out to him as a boy of great promise, and Abbot Wimmer, after a talk with the lad, obtained permission for him to go to Saint Vincent Abbey and study to be a monk.

At Saint Vincent young Krug showed much aptitude for study. After a course of about 10 years he took his vows in the Order in September, 1861. A few years later he was drafted to serve in the Union army, and in order to escape military service he secured permission from Abbot Wimmer to go to Europe. After a few months in Rome he met a Benedictine from Monte Cassino, who induced him to go to that famous abbey. In 1864 he took his final vows.

Not long after a letter came from Abbot Wimmer asking him to return to America, but he preferred to remain in Italy. Some years later he became the Prior of Monte Cassino, and during his occupancy of this post restored the chapel in which were buried the bones of Saint Benedict and his sister, Saint Scholastica.

Six years later he was made Abbot of the Benedictine monastery at Cesena, an old abbey famous as the residence for many years of Pius VII. Seven years ago he was made President of the Cassinese Congregation, which includes the associated Benedictine abbeys of Italy.