On July 14th, 1885 Fr. Leo Haid was elected as the first Abbot of Belmont Abbey here in North Carolina. Abbot Haid was a monk-priest of St. Vincent Abbey (now Archabbey) in Pennsylvania and a professor at St. Vincent College. His election would not only bring him to Belmont, North Carolina to serve as abbot but eventually would lead to his appointment as Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina and consecration as Bishop.