Two Saint Vincent College graduates who completed a year of discernment as novices made their first vows as Benedictine monks on Saturday, July 10. The vespers service also saw the renewal of temporary vows from six junior monks.
Douglas J. Hough of Steubenville, Ohio and Alex James Rosa of Odenton, Maryland, made their first vows. Hough has taken the religious name of Bosco, after Saint John Bosco, while Rosa has taken the name of José, after Saint José Sánchez del Rio.
Hough is the son of Brian and Nicole Hough of Steubenville. His siblings are Jacob, Nicole, isaac, Hannah, Gianna, Noah, Aiden and Jonathan. A 2014 graduate of West Shamokin Junior/Senior High School, he studied early childhood and special education at Saint Vincent College, graduating in 2018 with a bachelor of science degree. He earned a master of science degree in special education from Saint Vincent in 2020.
He entered the novitiate of Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 1, 2020, and made simple, or first profession of vows, on July 10, 2021 before Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B.
He was a graduate fellow at the Ligonier Valley School District from 2018-2020, women’s middle school volleyball coach in the school district from 2018-2019 and worked with the Laurel Valley Getting Ahead Program, the Laurel Valley Morning STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Program. At Saint Vincent, he was a residence hall assistant from 2016-2019, a tour guide and student ambassador, and a counselor and teacher at the Saint Vincent College Challenge Camp. He also took part in Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Kappa Delta Pi Education Honors Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, Alpha Chi Honors Society, was executive board secretary on the Student Government Association and a job coach for the Bearcat B.E.S.T. (Building Excellence Through Skills Training) program.
Rosa is the son of Alex Rosa Jr. and Margaret Rosa of Odenton, Maryland. He has a sister, Mary Rosa of Bryce, Utah.
He graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School in 2016, and earned a bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude, from Saint Vincent College in 2020, majoring in philosophy and politics.
He entered the novitiate of Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 1, 2020, and made simple, or first profession of vows, on July 10, 2021 before Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B.
While at Saint Vincent he was a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Fraternity, Pi Sigma Alpha Honors Fraternity for political science students, and an admission ambassador for the Admission Office.
He was a deputy grand knight of the Saint Vincent Council of Knights of Columbus from 2017-2020, event coordinator for the Saint Vincent Respect Life Club, and was heavily involved with Campus Ministry, assisting with the Ignite Retreats, the Festival of Praise Ministry and as a men’s small group leader.
Benedictines renewing their vows included Brother Sean Cooksey, O.S.B., Brother Xavier Timothy O’Mara, O.S.B., Brother Angelo Kurt Lichtenstein, O.S.B., Brother Gregory Visca, O.S.B., Brother Francisco Samuel Whittaker, O.S.B., and Brother Romuald Joseph Duchene, O.S.B.
