FATHER WILFRED M. DUMM, O.S.B.
Father Wilfred M. Dumm, O.S.B., a monk of
Saint Vincent
Archabbey, died
Friday, September 23, 2011. Born
on June 30, 1920,
he was a son of the son of the late Gordon and Esther (Kirsch)
Dumm of Ebensburg,
Pennsylvania. He was the oldest of nine children, which
included two sets of twins. His sisters are Dolores Demma of
Lusby, Md., Imogene Reidy of Silver Spring, Md., and Roselyn
Colella of Olney,
Md. His brothers are Father Demetrius Dumm O.S.B., also a
monk of the Archabbey, Donald Dumm of
Ebensburg,
Patrick Dumm of
Summerhill, Frederick Thomas of
Tyrone,
and Clair J. Dumm of Ebensburg.
He attended
Bradley School, a one-room grade school in
East Carroll
Township. He then attended Saint Vincent Preparatory
School in Latrobe,
from which he was graduated in 1937. He entered
Saint Vincent
College in the fall of 1937. In 1939 he was accepted into
the novitiate of Saint Vincent Archabbey and made simple
profession of vows
on July 2, 1940.
He graduated from Saint Vincent College in 1942. He made solemn
profession of vows
on July 11, 1943,
and was ordained a priest by the late Hugh C. Boyle, Bishop of
Pittsburgh,
on November 4,
1945. He pursued post-graduate studies in physics and
mathematics at
Fordham University, the
University of
Pennsylvania,
Rutgers
University, the
University of
Maryland,
Temple University and
Penn State
University.
He served in various posts at Saint Vincent, including dorm
moderator at the college (1946-1950 and 1951-1952). At the same
time he was physics instructor at the college, and math and
physics instructor in
the prep school.
He served on the Men's Retreat Board (1945-1952) and as
chaplain at Saint Xavier Academy, Latrobe (1956-1967).
He was assigned to the faculty of Benedictine Military
School, Savannah,
Georgia, teaching physics, math and electronics
(1967-1996). He also served as procurator and subprior of
Benedictine Priory. After his retirement in 1996, he was
assigned to serve as director of alumni for the school.
He was a member of The United States Power Squadrons since
1968, an organization of sail and motor boaters dedicated to
safe boating and to maritime education from seamanship to
celestial navigation, and held the grade of Navigator. In 1986
he was asked to serve as national chaplain and served in that
capacity until
January of 2002. He also served as district chaplain and
Tybee Light Squadron chaplain. Father Wilfred served in
Savannah
for 39 years.
Father Wilfred was an amateur radio operator, holding an
advanced class license. He wrote poetry, and also authored a
booklet, "A Beacon of Prayer."
In 2010, he was honored by
Saint Vincent College Alumni Association with its Alumnus of
Distinction Award in recognition of meritorious service and
commitment to Saint Vincent.
The body of Father Wilfred will be received in the Elizabeth J.
Roderick Center on the Saint Vincent campus at
3 p.m. Sunday,
September 25. Viewing will follow from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9
p.m., and on
Monday, September 26, from 3 to 5 p.m. The body will be
transferred to the Archabbey Basilica for the vigil service at
7:15 p.m. on
Monday. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by
Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., at
10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, September 27, followed by the Rite of Committal
in the Saint Vincent Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Father Wilfred
Dumm Scholarship Fund at Benedictine Military School,
6502 Seawright
Drive, Savannah, Georgia, 31406.
