Saint Vincent Seminary has named two new directors in its formation program. Father Thomas More Sikora, O.S.B., of Avonmore, has been appointed director of pastoral formation as well as a member of the Seminary faculty. He previously served as director of spiritual from 2001-2003. Father Jeremiah Lange, O.S.B., has been named director of spiritual life as well as a member of the Seminary faculty.
Father Thomas More earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from the Pontifical College Josephinum, and a master of arts degree and a master of divinity from Saint Vincent Seminary. He has also studied at Saint Hyacinth College, Granby, Massachusetts, and has done graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh in philosophy.
A member of the Benedictine community since 1988, he made his solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1993. He was ordained a deacon on May 14, 1996, by the Most Rev. Anthony Bosco, bishop of Greensburg, at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. He was ordained a priest on May 31, 1997 at the Archabbey Basilica by Bishop Bosco.
His pastoral service includes serving as parochial vicar at Saint Benedict Parish, Carrolltown (1999-2000), at Sacred Heart Parish, St. Marys (2011-2013) and as pastor of Saint Mary Parish, St. Marys (2013-2014).
Previous service to Saint Vincent College includes serving as coordinator of the Adult Literacy Program (1990-1991), graduate assistant in the Education Department of Saint Vincent College (1993), academic advisor and tutor in the Opportunity/Act 101 program at the College (1993-1995), campus minister (2003-2007). and as an adjunct faculty member (1993-2012, 2014-present).
Service to the monastic community includes assistant in the Vocation Office (1992-1996), vocation director (1996-1998), socius of novices (1993-1996, 2007-2009), director of postulants (2007-2009), assistant to the Archabbot (2003-2008), assistant archivist for the Archabbey (2000-2012 and 2014-present). He is director of the Benedictine Annual Appeal.
Father Jeremiah is a 1974 graduate of Plum Senior High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Slippery Rock University in 1996, a master of arts/Ed.S. degree in counseling from the University of South Carolina in 2001, and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Florida in 2005. He earned the master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 2013, with high honors. Additionally, he received the Honorable Judge Bernard F. Scherer Award, given by the faculty to the student who most exemplifies the qualities evident in the life of Judge Scherer. The criteria include breadth of learning, the integration of knowledge, faith and life, service to others through corporal works of mercy, and a strong witness of faith, hope and charity.
Before coming to Saint Vincent, Father Jeremiah was employed as a district counselor of secondary education in the Osceola City School District; Park Place Behavioral Center, Kissimmee, as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor; a doctoral fellow at the University of Florida, and a psychometrist at the Counseling and Human Development Center of the University of South Carolina.
He entered the novitiate in July, 2007 and professed simple vows the following year. He made solemn profession of monastic vows on July 11, 2011. He was ordained to the diaconate on April 14, 2012 by Most Rev. Lawrence E. Brandt, Bishop of Greensburg, in the Archabbey Basilica. He was ordained to the priesthood May 25, 2013 by Bishop Brandt. Following ordination he was named director of campus ministry at West Virginia University and associate pastor of Saint John University Parish, serving there until 2014.
During his tenure at Saint Vincent, he has served the College as a student advisor in the Opportunity Program (2008-2009), as a research and teaching assistant on the faculty of the Education Department (2009-2010), and as a field supervisor for Catholic Schools in the Education Department (2010-2013). For the Archabbey, he has been assistant archivist, assistant director of the Oblate program (2008-2013), and assistant master of ceremonies (2009-2013). In 2014 he was named assistant to the director of vocations.
