Fr. Stephen Snoich, OSB, dies on January 6

January 07, 2013

Fr. Stephen Snoich, OSB, monk and priest of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, IN, died on January 6, 2013, in the monastery infirmary. He was 83. He was a jubilarian of profession and priesthood, and a participant in the Rush Religious Study on Aging and Alzheimer's.

Surviving are two sisters, Miss Anna Snoich of Shenandoah, PA, and Mrs. Theresa Winkler of Malvern, PA.; and nieces and nephews.

Fr. Stephen was born in Shenandoah, PA, on June 24, 1929, to Stephen and Anna (Lesousky) Snoich, and named John Joseph at his baptism. After one year of studies at St. Joseph College in Philadelphia, he then qualified as a journeyman carpenter and worked in the Philadelphia area for 10 years, including construction work at Temple University.

He entered the novitiate at Saint Meinrad in 1956, and professed his vows as a brother on April 7, 1957. His first major project as a monk was overseeing the construction of the St. Jude Guest House.

In 1962, Fr. Stephen was assigned to Saint Meinrad's new foundation at Oceanside, CA, St. Charles Priory (now Prince of Peace Abbey), and supervised the construction of the Guest House there.

In 1970, he returned to Saint Meinrad, completed college, began studies for the priesthood, was ordained on March 12, 1972, and received a Master of Divinity degree in 1973.

For the first five years after his ordination, Fr. Stephen served as supervisor of the monastery buildings and manager of the campus laundry, in addition to assisting in weekend parochial duties.

From 1977 to 1993, he served as associate pastor of St. Benedict Church, Evansville, IN. During that time, he also served as confessor for the Little Sisters of the Poor at St. John's Home for the Aged.

In 1993, Fr. Stephen was assigned as infirmary chaplain at Monastery Immaculate Conception, Ferdinand, IN. From 2004 until October 2012, he was pastor of St. Augusta Parish, Lake Village, IN, in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana.

The Office of the Dead will be prayed at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9, in the Archabbey Church, followed by visitation until 9 p.m. Visitation on Thursday will be from 8 to 9:45 a.m. in the Archabbey Church, followed by the funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in the Archabbey Cemetery. All times are Central Time.