– Member, Daylesford Abby of the Norbertine Order

– Founder and Board Member, Bethesda Project

Abbot Domenic Rossi was ordained a Catholic priest in 1974 and is a member of Daylesford Abbey of the Norbertine Order.  In 1979, with the help of a prayer group that he led at the Abbey, he founded Bethesda Project – a ministry to the homeless of Philadelphia.  Starting with one residence for homeless women suffering from mental illness, Bethesda Project has grown into a premiere provider of compassionate service to the homeless operating out of 12 facilities ranging from shelters through permanent supportive residences serving over 1,000 different individuals per year.

 

In 1991 with his assignment to a parish in Albuquerque, Fr. Domenic left direct ministry to the homeless but felt God’s inspiration to reach out to the large Hispanic immigrant population there.  In 1997 Fr. Rossi was called back by his community to become pastor of St. Norbert Parish in Paoli where he gave special attention to youth and adult evangelization and renewal.  In 2010 he was asked by the Board of Directors to return to Bethesda Project as Executive Director.  In 2013 he received the St. Norbert College Alma Mater Award – “for a lifetime of service to those in need.”

 

In 2014 he was made Pastor of Saint Gabriel Church in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia.  Although he retired from his full-time responsibilities at Bethesda Project in April 2015, Father Domenic continues to assist in that ministry and serves on its Board of Directors.

 

His book Listening to God’s Whispers describes his personal spiritual journey.

 

In January 2018 he was elected Abbot of Daylesford Abbey in Paoli.

 

Last Fall, Shalom World TV featured a 27-minute video on Abbot Domenic’s vocation story: https://www.shalomworld.org/episode/discovering-a-call-within-a-call-abbot-domenic-rossi-o-praem