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New President Named For Benedictine Military School

The Rev. Frank Ziemkiewicz, O.S.B., pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, has been named president of the Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia, effective July 15, according to an announcement by the Rt. Rev. Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., Archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey, which sponsors the school. He will succeed the Rev. Jude Brady, who has served as president since 1999.

Father Frank has served as pastor in St. Marys since 1999, with his term of service interrupted by a tour of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Army. While in St. Marys he also served as superior of the Benedictine Priory.

“Father Frank has served the monastic community and his country with great devotion,” Archabbot Douglas said. “He is an excellent priest, educator and administrator. His experience as a pastor, as Dean of Students of Saint Vincent College, and in the military should make him a valuable addition to the staffing Savannah.”

Father Frank was ordained a priest in 1984, and served as Director of the Physical Plant at Saint Vincent (1984-19994) and Dean of Students (1994-1999). He was a member of the Opportunity Program advisory board, and was honored by Saint Vincent College students in 1991, 1995 and 1998 with the presentation of a Student Government Award.

 

The Army has been a large part of Father Frank’s life for some time. He received a commission in the Army’s engineer branch in 1971 through ROTC and served on active duty in Germany from 1972 to 1974 and at Fort Stewart, Georgia from 1975 to 1978, 3rd Engineer Battalion where he had a company command and the Corps of Engineers. He then left active duty to enter the monastery at Saint Vincent. As a reserve officer, he was assigned as an engineer with the Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, later the Baltimore District then, after ordination, as a chaplain with the 339th General Hospital, Pittsburgh and then with the 464th Chemical Brigade, Johnstown, PA. He attained the rank of Colonel before retiring in February of 2007.

From July of 2005 to January 2006 he was deployed to Afghanistan serving principally in the Kandahar region. Later in January and through June, he was assigned to the Multi-National Corps – Iraq, Chaplain’s Office, Baghdad where he served as the senior priest in country.

Born July 17, 1949 in Schenectady, New York, he is the son of the late Frank Paul Ziemkiewicz and Lucille Catherine (Stabile) Ziemkiewicz. He has two sisters, Eleanor Marie Maliszewski of Sarver, Pennsylvania and Susan Marie Hummerich of College Park, Maryland; and two brothers, Dr. Paul Frank Ziemkeiwicz of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Alexander Paul Ziemkiewicz of Pittsburgh.He attended St. Scholastica Parochial School, Aspinwall, and is a 1967 graduate of Fox Chapel Area High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 and a Master of Divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1983.

Father Frank made simple profession of vows on July 10, 1979 and solemn profession of vows on July 10, 1982 at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica. He was ordained a priest on May 26th, 1984 at the Archabbey Basilica before the late Bishop William G. Connare of Greensburg.