Saint Vincent Seminary announced the establishment of a scholarship in honor of the late Bishop Nicholas C. Dattilo of the Diocese of Harrisburg on October 5, 2004. The Seminary initiated the funding with a commitment of $25,000.
Most Reverend Nicholas C. Dattilo, Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, died March 5, 2004. Bishop Dattilo was a dear friend and strong supporter of Saint Vincent Seminary. He was a member of the Seminary’s Board of Regents for a decade, serving as its vice chairman since 1998. “He was a good, holy man, a compassionate man, a kind man,” said Most Rev. Anthony G. Bosco, Bishop Emeritus of Greensburg. Bishop Bosco, who had known Bishop Dattilo since they were seminarians and worked with him for many years in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, was the homilist at the funeral mass.
Bishop Dattilo was a 1954 graduate of Saint Vincent College and attended Saint Vincent Seminary before completing his studies for ordination to the priesthood at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. He played an active role on the Board of Regents and was vice chairman of the Seminary’s current Expanding the Vision Capital Campaign. He was the homilist and keynote speaker at the Seminary’s Annual Alumni Day Mass and Banquet in 1999, and a frequent visitor to the Archabbey, College and Seminary.
Bishop Dattilo was the spiritual leader of 235,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Harrisburg for fourteen years. As bishop he oversaw 89 parishes and 135 active priests. He loved the people and priests of the Diocese of Harrisburg and felt deeply honored to serve them as their Bishop. He was president of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Priestly Formation Committee.Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of Greensburg worked closely with Bishop Dattilo on the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the bishops’ public affairs arm.
“He was beloved as a pastor and a bishop and he was a wonderful influence on the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference,” Bishop Brandt said.
According to the Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, Bishop of Pittsburgh, “Bishop Dattilo served the Diocese of Pittsburgh faithfully in various parishes and administrative positions from his ordination in 1958 until his appointment as Bishop of Harrisburg in 1989. His outstanding pastoral and administrative skills were exceeded only by his great love of God and the Church. “
Bishop Dattilo’s family joined in the Seminary’s tribute to his life and his service to the Church. Family was a core value in the Bishop’s life. He frequently acknowledged the great blessing he experienced as the son of wonderful parents, Frank and Emma Dattilo, and as a sibling to his brother Frank Dattilo and to his sisters, Anita D’Eramo, Jacqueline Conti, Cornelia Dattilo and Leah Meek. The bishop also enjoyed a wonderful relationship and played an important role in the lives of his nieces and nephews.
For more information on the scholarship contact Bill Malloy in the Seminary Development office, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690, 724-532-6740. Donations can be made online at http://www.stvincentstore.com.
