Gary Daigle

d. 2026

Gary Alan Daigle, 68, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2026, surrounded by his family and friends, in Chicago, Illinois. He was born in Valdosta, Georgia, to the late Arthur Joseph and Rita Cecilia (Zimmerman) Daigle. Loving father to Erin, Paige, and Grant Daigle (mother, Maria Mire Daigle), devoted partner to Breda Berry; dear brother to Glen (Mindy) Daigle, Donald Daigle, Linda (the late Bobby Jr.) Watts, the late Dennis Daigle, and Steven (Lee Ann) Daigle.

Gary’s musical journey began at a very young age in Gonzales, Louisiana, where he became largely self-taught as a musician, mastering multiple string instruments and the piano. During his youth, he performed in high school musicals and choruses, and his exceptional abilities as a guitarist and overall musician quickly became known throughout the community. He taught guitar lessons at a local music store and performed weekly with various pop bands and ensembles, many of which he founded himself.

Gary pursued formal musical studies at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. As a dedicated member of the university jazz band, he further refined his talents as an arranger and composer. During his college years, he performed with local bands representing a wide range of musical styles, from acoustic ensembles to fusion jazz. His reputation as a gifted guitarist led to invitations to participate in recording sessions and regional tours with commercially recognized artists.

Gary’s lifelong ministry in sacred music also began during his high school years. In 1975, at his home parish, St. Theresa of Avila Catholic Church in Gonzales, he began working with The Dameans—Mike Balhoff, Gary Ault, Buddy Ceasar, and Darryl Ducote, the pioneering Catholic contemporary music ensemble—and soon developed a vibrant and thriving music ministry centered on youth and contemporary liturgical music. The influence of his leadership and mentorship was profound. Many young musicians who participated in these ensembles went on to successful careers as professional musicians, music educators, cantors, and pastoral music ministers. They frequently credit Gary’s artistry, musicianship, mentorship, and instruction as invaluable and life-changing. It was during this period that Gary’s spiritual and artistic journey took shape, leading to more than forty years of dedicated service as a Catholic musician, composer, arranger, and pastoral music leader.

Gary later served in Campus Ministry at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. His liturgical expertise expanded significantly through his studies at the Corpus Christi Center for Liturgical Studies in Arizona, then a nationally recognized center for liturgical scholarship under the direction of John Gallen, S.J. During this time, he also served as Director of Music Ministry at the Franciscan Renewal Center (The Casa) in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was there that he began his more than thirty-five-year collaboration with Rory Cooney and Theresa Donohoo.

From Arizona, Gary’s ministry led him to serve communities at St. Monica Catholic Church in Malibu, California, and St. Edna Parish in Chicago. Throughout his career, his extraordinary musical gifts became widely recognized. He composed more than seventy liturgical songs and collaborated with many of the most prominent figures in Catholic sacred music, including The Dameans, Rory Cooney, Theresa Donohoo, Marty Haugen, Michael Joncas, John Flaherty, and many others. He co-composed and arranged music for scores of recordings, performed for decades at conferences and workshops across the country, and faithfully served local parish communities through his leadership of liturgical music.

Gary was a member of the North American Academy of Liturgy and participated in the Liturgical Music seminar. He presented workshops and shaped worship experiences for national and regional gatherings throughout the United States, including the East Coast Conference for Religious Education, the Hofinger Conference, The Gathering, and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. In recognition of his lifelong contributions to the Church and the field of sacred music, he was named Pastoral Musician of the Year in 2019 by the highly respected National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

Through his collaborations, hundreds of vocalists and instrumentalists experienced profound spiritual and artistic growth and formed lifelong friendships. Yet even these numbers pale in comparison to the tens of thousands of parishioners whose worship and faith lives were enriched by Gary’s music, leadership, and ministry.

Throughout his illness, Gary’s unwavering faith, quiet strength, selflessness, and deep love and devotion to his family and friends remained a source of inspiration to all who knew him. His life’s work stands as a testament to the transformative power of music, ministry, mentorship, and love.

Obituary and image: Dignity Memorial. 

Fred Kimball Graham

d. 2026

Fred Kimball Graham died on August 30, 2026.

Raised by farming parents in Newcastle, Ontario, Fred Graham attended Newcastle Public School, achieving academic distinction and winning the Wilmot Gold Medal in 1958 for General Proficiency. Grateful to his parents for providing him with piano lessons from the age of 8, Fred selected and accompanied hymns for the local Sunday School from age 10, and playing piano for assemblies and various instruments in the band while attending Bowmanville High School. He began organ lessons in Oshawa in 1960 and chose that as his performance “major” while attending the University of Toronto, 1963-67.

During that period, he completed the requirements for the ARCT, winning the Gold Medal for highest marks in Canada, and successfully leading the music ministry briefly in 1966 at Bloor Street United Church in Toronto. The same summer, he attended the Royal School of Church Music in the UK, completing the requirements for the ARCO, and 4 years later, the requirements for the Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, London. While there, he greatly enjoyed the experience of European art and history, along with a very special tea party at Buckingham Palace.

Upon graduation from the Faculty of Music (MusEd) at Toronto, where he developed life-long friendships, he was awarded the Fairclough Scholarship enabling further study, which he pursued initially in Cologne, Germany under organist Michael Schneider, and later in West Berlin with Karl Hochreither and Martin Behrmann. There he met and courted Melva Rae Treffinger, a fellow student of church music. Fred was also supported by a Canada Council scholarship, endorsed by the late Elmer Iseler, towards advanced studies in choral conducting. With a view to future classroom teaching, he registered for a short course in Kodaly methods at the Liszt Academy, crossing the Iron Curtain to spend a summer in Budapest in 1970.

Returning to Canada in 1970, he was appointed music director at the church of St. Mark the Evangelist, Ottawa, as well as music instructor at Ashbury College, Ottawa, 1970-75. He established the instrumental music program for students at Ashbury, and led several Gilbert and Sullivan productions in collaboration with students at the Elmwood School. During this time, he succeeded Nicholas Goldschmidt as conductor of the Canadian Centennial Choir, and performed regularly at the National Arts Centre.

After a correspondence by airmail of many months, Fred and Melva were married in the USA in 1972; they made a home together in Ottawa, where she had moved from her native Baltimore, MD to assume a church music position. In 1975, they moved to Rothesay, New Brunswick, where Fred was housemaster for 12 boarders under 13, chapel organist, and instructor at Rothesay Collegiate. After the birth of their first child, Jessica, in Saint John, NB, the family moved to Halifax, where Fred had been appointed music director at the Cathedral Church of All Saints, organ instructor at Dalhousie University, and adjunct professor of church music at the Atlantic School of Theology. Shortly thereafter, Fred and Melva welcomed a second child, Adrian. During this period came also the first health threat due to progressive liver disease, addressed thanks to Dr. Charles Graham of Halifax.

Each summer 1977-81, Fred studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, completing the requirements of the Master of Music (Organ Performance) in the studio of the late Russell Saunders. But a “theology impulse” had energized his vision, and the family left Halifax in 1985 to enable his residence at Drew University, Madison, NJ to complete the requirements for the PhD in Liturgical Theology. He gave thanks for the mentorship there of Bard Thompson, Charles Rice, Robin Leaver and Kenneth Rowe, as well as for the friendship with classmate Rev. Dr. Heather Murray Elkins, who is now his daughter’s mother-in-law. His thesis, ‘With One Heart and One Voice’, concerned the development of Methodist hymn tunes in the USA, 1810-1876. It was defended in 1991 and published in 2004 by Scarecrow Press.

Having completed PhD comprehensive exams in 1987, the next move for Fred and family was to Toronto, where Melva thrived at Grace Church on the Hill as Music Director under the wise guidance of Rev. Milton Barry, and the family enjoyed recurring choral trips to the great cathedrals of England. Fred was subsequently appointed Officer for Worship and Music at The United Church of Canada, a role he considered the “finest denominational role in the whole world”. During 14 years at Church House, he had the joy of working closely with dear friend John Ambrose as Associate Editor on the denominational hymnal “Voices United” (1996) and its worship resource “Celebrate God’s Presence” (while also contributing a tune for one of its new hymns, “A Woman and a Coin”) and travelling from Atlantic to Pacific to introduce the collection across Canada along with leading workshops on such topics as sacred architecture and the integration of liturgy and sacred music, 1988-2001.

In 2001, Fred was honoured to be appointed to the faculty of Emmanuel College in the Toronto School of Theology as the sole professor of church music. He ensured that Hymnology be a required course for all candidates for ministry. He also negotiated with the University over a period of 4 years to establish Canada’s only graduate-level program in church music, the novel Master of Sacred Music (MSMus) inaugurated in 2008. When he retired from Emmanuel in 2012, he was awarded the status of Associate Professor Emeritus. Special mention here of colleague Bill Kervin, whose support, friendship and counsel he treasured.

Fred was recognized in many ways for the contributions to the various fields he has been involved in. In 2012, he was recognized as an educator with the Davidson Trust Award for Excellence in Theological Teaching, and in 2014, was made an honorary Fellow of the Hymn Society in the USA and Canada in recognition of his contributions to hymn singing, composition, and congregational life. Fred was also involved in the North American Academy of Liturgy, participating in the Liturgical Music seminar.

The thread tying Fred’s life together was congregational life. While living in Toronto, Fred acted as interim organist at various United and Anglican Churches, including Islington United in Etobicoke, Humbercrest United, Deer Park United, Eglinton St. George’s United, Christ Church Deer Park (Anglican), St. Clement’s (Anglican,) and later at Dublin Street United Church in Guelph. In 2021, he was invited to act as interim musician at the parish of St George’s Anglican in Pickering Village, close to his retirement home in Oshawa, Ontario. He retired from that position just weeks before his final illness.

As he said, “What a privilege it is to meet with two of 3 (or more) souls in search of Truth for The Way and The Holy. What’s more, we sing together, and that has been the ultimate experience. To sing is to live.” And so we thank those congregations along with St. Marks, Ottawa; All Saints, Halifax; and last but not least, the prayerful support of the faithful flock at Deer Park United in Toronto, who prayed him into health, and resolutely carved a future for themselves.

During the same period, Bill pastored Fred through the second difficult medical episode of his life; Fred suffered catastrophic liver failure, and was blessed to receive a liver transplant thanks to his own daughter, Jessica, in a series of surgeries in 2007 at Toronto General Hospital.

After a lengthy but exemplary recovery, this transplant proceeded to extend his life by 20 years, allowing his and Melva’s retirement to the community of the Village By the Arboretum (VBA) in Guelph, where they enjoyed an active social life and warm new friendships in beautiful surroundings. Fred made the most of all VBA had to offer; he accompanied a variety of musical ensembles including ProMusica with Steven Henrikson and Vanessa Lanch; spent great time and effort on the gardens of their home; and as a member of their Cabaret troupe, performed comedy skits, song and dance numbers, and learned how to play upright string bass.

Just in time for the COVID19 pandemic, Fred and Melva decided to downsize and move in with Adrian and his family in the Northglen neighbourhood of Oshawa. There, they cherished the time spent and close relationships nurtured with Adrian, partner Mallory, grandchildren Aislinn and Sage, stepson Zach, and partner’s mother Peggy. Most recently, Fred coordinated a move for Melva to Assisted Care at the Village of Taunton Mills, and also spent precious time with both daughter Jessica and son-in-law Daniel Elkins in the last weeks of his life. A tireless correspondent, Fred also leaves behind an international circle of colleagues, former students, and associates in the professional areas of music and liturgy.

In body, Fred is gone, but in spirit he remains with his darling sister Janet Hodsoll and her spouse Bill, her daughter Stephanie, and Janet’s grandchildren Millie and Monty; many Graham and Kimball cousins; countless friends and colleagues; and with his nearest and dearest, Melva, Jessica, Adrian, Mallory, Aislinn and Sage. From his own writings, let us say with him: “Even as we go down to the grave, let us sing Hallelujah, Hallelujah.”

Obituary and photo taken from Canadian Obituaries. Additional details shared by Courtney Murtaugh and Becca Whitla. 

Ken Hannon
d. 2026

Ken Hannon, O.M.I., died on March 29, 2026.

Fr. Ken (Laurence Kenneth) Hannon, O.M.I., died suddenly from a heart attack on March 29, 2026. He was well known and cherished as a professor of sacramental and liturgical theology to generations of students at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio and to the wider community through his sermons, lectures, workshops and consultation on liturgical matters throughout the region.

Fr. Ken was born on May 4, 1946, in San Antonio, the first of seven children of Larry and Judy (Laurence and Juliette) Hannon. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Jeff (Louise) and Michael (Cynthia) and sisters Frances (Greg) Downs and Judy (Sanford) Backus. He is survived by his sisters Chris Ann Hannon and Janine (John, deceased) Stephens. They and his nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews will sorely miss him, as he was very devoted to them and like a father to several.

His sharp wit and theological expertise made him stand out among all who knew him. He enjoyed urban life and the fine arts; nevertheless hot weather saw him take refuge in Alaska during many summers, assisting with parish ministry there. He was an enthusiastic fan of the sports teams of his alma maters, the University of Texas and the University of Notre Dame, complicating his life when the two took the field against each other.

As a child Fr. Ken attended St. Peter Prince of the Apostles grade school in San Antonio before going oversees with his military parents, where he graduated from Mannheim American High School in Mannheim, Germany, in 1964. After a year at the University of Texas, he decided to pursue a religious vocation with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Entering the novitiate in June 1966, he made his first vows in 1967 at St. Peter’s Novitiate in Sarita, Texas. Sent to Rome for further studies, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Gregorian University in 1969. Returning to San Antonio, he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Oblate College of the Southwest in 1972.
Ordained to the presbyterate in December 1972 in the Immaculate Conception Chapel of the Missionary Oblates, he served briefly at parishes in Dallas and Aurora, Colorado, before being assigned to Oblate College in 1974 to teach in systematic and sacramental theology. In 1975 he began studies in that area at the University of Notre Dame, returning to teach at Oblate College in 1977 while eventually obtaining a Master of Arts (Theology) in 1979 and a doctorate from Notre Dame in 1985.

Fr. Ken quickly became a sought-after consultant in sacramental and liturgical matters. In 1978 he began a long tenure as the chairperson of the San Antonio Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission. He was a member of the Executive Board of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions and served as a president of the Southwest Liturgical Conference. He also was a member of the North American Academy of Liturgy, participating in the Formation in Liturgical Prayer seminar, and was a member of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy.
He also served as a visiting professor at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, South Africa, and Good Shepherd Theological College in Auckland, New Zealand. He was the first holder of the Louis G. Vance Chair in Systematic Theology at Oblate School of Theology and in recent years was named Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology. His absence will be deeply felt by his Missionary Oblate community, by his loving relatives, by his colleagues and students at Oblate School of Theology, and by many others whose lives he touched.

A Vigil Service will be held at the Immaculate Conception Chapel at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio on Thursday, April 9, at 7:00 pm.
The Mass of the Resurrection will be at 10:00 am Friday, April 10, in the same chapel, with burial following at the Oblate Cemetery on the same property.
Memorial donations may be made to the Oblate School of Theology Seminarian Fund.

Obituary from Legacy and the San Antonio Express News; image courtesy of Fr. Thomas Klosterkamp O.M.I.

Gabe Huck

1941-2026

Gabe Huck died on June 30, 2026.

Born in 1941, Gabe was formed from an early age in Benedictine schools where he learned about literature, liturgy, and justice. Briefly a monk himself, he spent much of his career as senior editor/director for Liturgy Training Publications, the publishing house of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Under his leadership (1977–2001), LTP became one of the most influential and imaginative publishers of liturgical resources in North America. Gabe authored and edited countless books, many of which remain essential reading for all people committed to the work of liturgical renewal in and beyond his own Roman Catholic tradition. At the heart of his work as publisher, editor, teacher, and author was an unwavering emphasis on the full, conscious, and active participation of the baptized in liturgy as in life. Following his work at LTP, Gabe continued to write in a range of publications about liturgy and justice.

Gabe was one of the founding members of the North American Academy of Liturgy and remained a faithful member of the Academy over the years, serving as its president in 2002. He also authored several texts for ritual song in collaboration with NAAL member Tony Alonso, with whom he also wrote one of the table prayers often sung at annual Academy meetings. In 2020, NAAL members Bryan Cones and Stephen Burns edited Fully Conscious, Fully Active (LTP, 2020), a festschrift in Gabe’s honor that seeks to sustain his work into the future.

The last two decades of Gabe’s life testify to a life shaped by the liturgy he so loved. Following several trips to Iraq in the wake of the two Gulf Wars, in 2005, he and his beloved wife Theresa Kubasak moved to Damascus where they lived until 2012. In Damascus they made a home among Syrians and established deep and meaningful interfaith relationships. Out of their encounters with Iraqi refugees who had been displaced to Syria by the war, Gabe and Theresa co-founded the Iraqi Student Project (ISP). ISP sent dozens of young Iraqi students to the United States with scholarships to study at a variety of universities with the aim of supporting their ultimate return to Iraq to help rebuild their country. Later, as the conflict in Syria intensified, they expanded their work to create the Iraqi and Syrian Student Project through which they were able to also support Syrians seeking to study in the United States and Canada. In 2016, Gabe and Theresa published a compelling account of their time in Syria, Never Can I Write of Damascus: When Syria Became Our Home (Just World Books, 2016).

For the past decade, Gabe and Theresa have resided in Harrisonburg, Virginia where they have continued to read, think, write, fast, pray, sing, and demonstrate. Through these and countless other efforts, Gabe humbly embodied his conviction that the liturgy forms habits of welcome, shared responsibility, reconciliation, generosity, and common life that make justice possible in the world.

Two years ago, Theresa began working toward a final project to honor Gabe’s legacy by establishing the Gabe Huck Scholarship Endowment at Emory University within the Candler School of Theology, where his archives will also reside.

Gabe Huck. ¡Presente!

Tribute written by Tony Alonso; image courtesy of Mustafa Hmood.

Jay Koyle

d. 2026.

Jay Koyle died on March 13, 2026.

The Very Rev. Dr. Jay Koyle, Dean of the Diocese of Algoma and Incumbent of St. Luke’s Cathedral, died peacefully on Friday, March 13, after a brief illness, with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife, The Rev. Susan Montague-Koyle, and their sons Stephen and Kevin, as well as his sister, Ms. Julie Koyle, and his mother, Mrs. Irene Koyle. He will be greatly missed by many extended family and friends, along with the many members of the St. Luke’s Cathedral congregation and the wider diocesan family who loved him dearly.

Jay served the Church with distinction for many decades. Ordained to the priesthood in 1987 in the Diocese of Huron, he exercised a wide-ranging ministry in parish leadership, theological education, and the life of the wider Church. He relocated from the Diocese of Huron to the Diocese of Algoma in 2010 where he served first as the Congregational Development Officer and later as the Executive Archdeacon. In 2024, he was installed as the Dean of Algoma and Incumbent of St. Luke’s Cathedral, bringing to that ministry deep pastoral care, intellectual curiosity, and a generous spirit of leadership.

Alongside his cathedral ministry, Jay served as Provost and Director of the School of Theology at Thorneloe University, where he contributed significantly to theological education and leadership development within the Anglican Church of Canada. A respected liturgical scholar and teacher, he was widely known for his work in liturgy, preaching, and congregational renewal.

Jay held a Doctor of Ministry in Homiletics from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts in Theology (Liturgical Studies) from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Divinity from Huron University College, and a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Music Education from Western University.

Throughout his ministry he served the wider Church through teaching, writing, and participation in national and international bodies devoted to liturgical life and renewal. He was a member of Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission, Societas Liturgica, and the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation, and served as Chair of Faith, Worship and Ministry for the Anglican Church of Canada from 2016 to 2019. He also was a member of the North American Academy of Liturgy, where he was a longtime member of the Christian Initiation Seminar.

Those who knew Jay experienced him as a gifted preacher, thoughtful theologian, and generous pastor. His warmth, humour, and deep love for the Church enriched the communities he served and the many students and colleagues who learned alongside him.

As we commend Jay to God’s eternal care, we give thanks for the compassionate care of doctors and nurses and for the love of family and friends who surrounded him in his final days.

Obituary and image from the Diocese of Algoma and Dignity Memorial. 

Lorraine S. Brugh
1952–2025 

Lorraine Smith Brugh died at her home in Peoria, AZ, on January 25, 2025, at the age of 72.

Lorraine retired in 2020 after twenty-two years at Valparaiso University (Indiana), where she held the Frederick J. Kruse Endowed Chair in Church Music and served as University Organist, Director of Chapel Music, and Adjunct Professor of Theology. Lorraine taught studio organ, church music classes, and music theory; planned and led campus worship; and conducted the Kantorei (chapel choir).

Along with her faculty responsibilities, Lorraine directed the university’s Institute of Liturgical Studies (2004–2020). She received the Institute’s 2022 Christus Rex award for her contributions to liturgical scholarship and renewal. The second recognition given annually by the Institute, the Brugh Emerging Leader award, is named in honor of Lorraine.

Lorraine graduated with BMus and MMus degrees in organ performance from Northwestern University. Her further study in theology led to the MTS degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and a PhD in religious studies from Northwestern and Garrett. Her dissertation was “Responsive contextualization: a liturgical theology for multicultural congregational worship” (1998). Before coming to Valparaiso, Lorraine directed music ministry at several Chicago-area congregations. In retirement, she served as artist in residence at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, AZ.

A rostered deacon (minister of word and service) in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lorraine contributed to the renewal of its worship life. For the ELCA’s current principal worship book, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW, 2006), she served on the consultation that crafted principles for music in the assembly, on the liturgical music team, and on the project’s overall steering team. Her contributions to liturgical resources include settings for Psalter for Worship (1996–1998); a chapter on Asian music for Leading the Church’s Song (1998); co-authoring with Gordon Lathrop The Sunday Assembly (2008), a guide to ELW resources; worship planning helps for the Sundays and Seasons resource family (1995–); and consultative roles with two ELCA worship supplements, With One Voice (1995) and All Creation Sings (2020).

Lorraine was a charter member and past president of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM), and she received ALCM’s Faithful Servant award in 2023. She served on the faculty of Lutheran Summer Music and Academy; was active in the American Guild of Organists; and was a member of the Liturgical Theology Seminar of the North American Academy of Liturgy. In the 2019 Fully Conscious, Fully Active: Essays in Honor of Gabe Huck (Liturgy Training Publications), Lorraine contributed the chapter “Where Do We Go from Here?”

Born on March 20, 1952, in Elmhurst, IL, to Elbert and Marjorie Smith, Lorraine graduated from West Aurora High School in 1970, where she met her future husband, Gary Brugh; they were married in 1973. Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers Lee and Noel. She is survived by her husband, Gary, their son Joshua (Shannon) Brugh of Seattle, WA, and two grandchildren. The service of remembrance and thanksgiving for Lorraine’s life will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, 10:30 a.m., at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to the Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University or to the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.

A few months after receiving her cancer diagnosis, Lorraine concluded her 2024 Advent letter with these words: “We wish you the peace that surpasses all understanding, the love that enfolds us all.” We now entrust Lorraine into the arms of the loving God who claimed her as beloved child in her baptism, the Love who enfolds us all. Thanks be to God for the life, the faithful witness, and the generously shared gifts of Lorraine Brugh.

Image and Bio Credit: Martin Seltz and the family of Lorraine Brugh

Nathan P. Chase

1990-2025

Nathan P. Chase passed away on March 1, 2025 at the age of 34. Though a full member of NAAL for only a few years, he began attending meetings as a visitor in 2018. He was member of the Problems in the Early History of Liturgy seminar.

We would like to share the following remembrance of Nathan, written by Kim Belcher.

Nathan Chase was baptized and formed in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, and at a young age became interested in its liturgical reform, particularly early twentieth-century developments and the work of Arthur Carl Piepkorn. After his formation at Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas and Boston College, he came into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. He continued to be very interested in liturgical renewal, as well as ecumenical relationships.

I met Nathan when he enrolled in St John’s Seminary · School of Theology in 2011. My first impressions were of his enthusiasm for his work, his pastoral sensitivity and depth, and his devastatingly comprehensive knowledge of anaphoral history – including a historiographic and methodological analysis of how that history had been made. His interest in the methods of liturgical studies animated all his publications and united his various interests in the field, which, in addition to the history of the Eucharist, included church orders and early Egyptian liturgy; the non-Roman Western Rites, especially the Hispano-Mozarabic Rite; Christian art and architecture; chrism and Christian initiation; time and space; inculturation; contemporary liturgical renewal and ecumenical dialogue; the role of the senses in liturgy; and many, many other things.

After two degrees at St John’s, Nathan got an advanced master’s degree at KU Leuven in Belgium, and then came to Notre Dame to work with Maxwell Johnson, who he loved and revered. Though he worked on a number of different projects at Notre Dame, including the Baptisteries of the Ancient World grant and catalogue with Robin Jensen and Nathan Dennis, he wrote his dissertation work, as he had always intended, on the Barcelona Papyrus and its implications for anaphoral history (published as a monograph with Brill in 2023). He finished his Ph.D. in 2020 and was hired at Aquinas Institute in St. Louis, where he has served as an assistant professor in sacramental and liturgical theology ever since.

Nathan was passionate about liturgical renewal and its foundation in the history of Christian practice. He was interested in the pastoral implications of liturgical studies, for example in his work at the PrayTell blog. He loved to travel and cared about seeing the on-the-ground places where liturgical history had been made. He was also a dedicated and generous collaborator who developed heartfelt friendships and co-authored and -edited numerous projects. For him the friendships and the scholarly work were intertwined: though extraordinarily productive as a scholar, he was even more remarkable in his personal generosity, always remembering that we are persons first, scholars second.

Nathan was always a man of deep faith, and that faith carried him through the struggles of over a year of treatment for leukemia. His colleagues at Aquinas Institute, as well as throughout the world, were also deeply supportive, and he treasured the love he received. He understood the hope and disappointment, the physical and emotional pain associated with the disease and with his long-term confinement, as a participation in Christ’s Paschal Mystery. He rarely complained and was a deep support to me personally and his other friends and family, even as he stretched himself to accept help – always a challenge for him. He continued to do what he loved throughout his treatment, with several books and articles still forthcoming. He remotely introduced Teresa Berger’s Berakah address at the North American Academy of Liturgy 2025, a vulnerable moment as he was visibly ill. He was asked to contribute the junior scholar’s perspective for the 2026 100th Anniversary edition of Worship and finished it, knowing he might be running out of time. His passion project in his last months was the production of an Open Access Exultet Scroll modeled on the medieval Exultet rolls but intended for contemporary church use for the proclamation of the Easter Vigil. This project, one of his last, shows the deep intersection of his love for liturgical history and of the church.

In his last day Nathan consoled his friends and family with his deep hope in Christ and his love for his family, friends and professional colleagues, and indeed the whole of creation. He left lucidly and willingly to go to God and spoke his profound hopes for the theological discipline, and especially for early liturgical history, which was so dear to him. He was only 34, but he left us eight books (three monographs, five co-authored or co-edited books, three of which are forthcoming), 27 peer-reviewed journal articles (including several interdisciplinary co-authored works), the Sensory Liturgy open access experimental pedagogical project, wisdom, and precious memories. He will be very deeply missed.

Memorial reflection and photo credit: Kimberly Hope Belcher

Stanislaus Campbell, FSC

d. 2025

Stanislaus Campbell, FSC, died on April 4, 2025.

The Academy Committee recently learned of the passing of Brother Stanislaus Campbell, FSC earlier this year and would like to share his memorial with the NAAL membership. He was an active member of NAAL and has participated in the Formation in Liturgical Prayer seminar.

Brother Stanislaus Campbell, FSC, (Joseph Topping Campbell), a devoted Christian Brother for over 70 years, passed away peacefully on April 4, 2025, in Napa, California, at the age of 90.

Born Joseph Topping Campbell on January 31, 1935, in Oakland, California, “Joe” grew up in Berkeley as the eldest of three sons in the close-knit Catholic family of Leo and Mary Campbell. After attending the School of the Madeleine and Saint Mary’s College High School, he entered the Novitiate of the Christian Brothers in 1953, receiving the religious habit and the name “Stanislaus” in 1954.

Known affectionately as “Brother Stan,” he dedicated his life to the Lasallian mission of providing education to the young. His teaching ministry began at La Salle High School in Pasadena in 1958, followed by positions at Mont La Salle and Justin High School in Napa. Throughout his career, he played a pivotal role in forming new generations of Brothers as Director of the Novitiate.

A distinguished scholar, Brother Stanislaus earned his B.A. from Saint Mary’s College in 1958, followed by an M.A. in Theology from Saint Mary’s College in 1965, an M.A. in Liturgical Research from the University of Notre Dame in 1974, and a Ph.D. in Liturgy from Notre Dame in 1987. His doctoral work culminated in the publication of “From Breviary to Liturgy of the Hours,” a scholarly text that continues to receive recognition from liturgical scholars worldwide and is scheduled for republication next year.

Brother Stan served as Visitor (Provincial) of the District of San Francisco from 2003 to 2011, leading with grace and pastoral sensitivity. After a brief sabbatical, he served as Director of the Provincialate Community at Mont La Salle until his retirement in 2021, where he remained until his passing.

Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Brother Stan would quietly rewrite his teaching notes each year from scratch, ensuring he presented material freshly and faithfully. In his final twelve years at Mont La Salle, he established a beloved weekly Sunday Mass that drew visitors from across Napa Valley. After services, he hosted fellowship with coffee, chocolate, and pastries, creating what became for many a spiritual home.

Despite his many responsibilities, “Uncle Joe” remained deeply devoted to his family, hosting annual gatherings in Napa and maintaining connections with relatives near and far. He once traveled to India for a joyful reunion with his niece, who journeyed 60 hours by train to meet him. Family members fondly recall his infectious laughter during holiday games — on one occasion laughing so hard that the room briefly panicked, only to find him crying from sheer joy.

One Brother described him as “a dedicated and effective student, an excellent teacher, an exceptionally good community man, and an ideal religious in the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.”

Brother Stanislaus was preceded in death by his parents, Leo Joseph Campbell and Mary Topping, his brothers John Campbell and Robert Campbell, cousins Sister Mary Campbell SNJM, Phillip Topping, and Admiral Robert Topping. He is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, fellow Christian Brothers, colleagues, and former students whose lives he shaped through his ministry.

Funeral services were held at Mont La Salle Chapel, 4401 Redwood Rd., Napa, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 11:00 am. His funeral Mass can be viewed here: https://youtube.com/live/64aXHSw_F94 Donations in his memory may be made to the Lasallian Christian Brothers Foundation (lcbfoundation.org).

In the words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, “Those who instruct many people in Christian justice will shine like stars throughout all eternity.” Brother Stanislaus Campbell’s life of quiet integrity, lasting wisdom, and deep love has surely earned him a place among those stars.

Obituary and image from the Lasallian District of San Francisco New Orleans. 

Andrew Dominic Ciferni, O. Praem.

d. 2025

Andrew Dominic Ciferni, O. Praem., died on August 21, 2025.

Andrew Dominic Ciferni, O. Praem. was born in Philadelphia, PA on February 3, 1942 the oldest of four sons of Amelia and Amedeo Ciferni. He was named Dominic at Baptism, the name of his paternal grandfather. Father Andrew attended Saint Edmond’s Elementary School, staffed by the IHM Sisters. Andrew served Mass at Saint Edmond’s Parish and loved both the liturgy of the church and his family’s roots and rituals from the Abruzzi region of Italy.

Father Andrew attended Bishop Neumann High School in South Philadelphia where he came to know the Norbertines who staffed the school. One week after his graduation from high school in 1959 he attended the dedication of the new Saint Norbert Abbey in DePere, Wisconsin. He received the white Norbertine habit at Daylesford Priory on August 28, 1959. From 1961 to 1965 he lived at St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere and studied at St. Norbert College, graduating in 1965.

In the Fall of 1965 Father Andrew went to Rome to study theology at the Gregorian University, during the final session of Vatican II. During his years in Rome he travelled to many Norbertine abbeys, deeply devoted to the history and charism of the Order, first learned at Daylesford from his novice master, Father Julian Resch, O.Praem. Father Andrew was ordained at Daylesford in 1968 and returned to Rome for one year, obtaining his S.T.L degree from the Gregorianum; he returned to Daylesford for one year where he taught liturgy and theology while serving as Daylesford’s Director of Liturgy.

In September 1970 Father Andrew began doctoral studies in liturgy at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, while serving as Rector of Holy Cross Dorm there. Father Andrew’s Notre Dame years were joy-filled and life-changing. He returned to Daylesford in 1974 and was appointed Director of Liturgy. He was also very involved with the Body of Christ Community and taught in Insearch, a program of studies for local men and women in religious formation in their respective communities. At Daylesford he served as Master of Novices. In 1987 he moved to Washington, DC as formation director of Daylesford seminarians. From 1987 to 1991 he taught homiletics and liturgy at The Catholic University, and from 1991 to 1997 was professor and then dean, at Washington Theological Union.

Father Andrew returned to Daylesford in 1997 as Director of Liturgy and Rector of the abbey church. That year he wrote the Vision Statement for Daylesford Abbey. He served on the Liturgical Commission of the Order and then was appointed the chair of the International Commission on Oder Spirituality. He travelled to Norbertine Houses in Europe and India. In the abbey he was Director of Theology students, Director of the Associates, and Prior of the Abbey.

Father Andrew was active in the North American Academy of Liturgy for many years and worked across several seminars. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy in 2001 and was the first elected leader of that academy.

As a member of Archmere’s Board of Trustees, Father Andrew composed in 2005 the Archmere Prayer, prayed daily to this day at the school.

In 2013 Father Andrew became the Director of the Center for Norbertine Studies at Saint Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin. He served again as a Trustee of the college, finally serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the college from 2019 to 2022. Father Andrew returned to Daylesford in 2018, but continued to chair the Trustees of the college. He again served on Archmere’s Board of Trustees. At Daylesford he served as canonry liturgist, director of formation, master of professed, vocation director, and part of the programming team of the Abbey’s Spirituality Center. In 2020 Father Andrew composed the text for the hymn “Novem Saeculi,” commemorating the 900th Anniversary of the founding of the Norbertine Order.

In 2014, Fr. Andrew authored the text for “Sound the Bells of Holy Freedom,” which was chosen as the official hymn for the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, presided over by Pope Francis. This was just one more example of how Andrew’s passion for all things liturgical was fueled by what would be the primary focus of his ministry as a Norbertine: to bring the masses to prayer in joyful, intentional words and music.

Though his accomplishments in his life as a Norbertine of Daylesford Abbey are impressive and world renowned, he enjoyed being surrounded by the beauties of the earth most associated with his Italian American heritage and humble upbringing. Most notably, Andrew loved all things Italian: good wine, fine art and specialties to delight his Italian pallet. He loved classical music, was an avid reader of historical, religious and architectural literature with a seemingly endless, unquenchable intellectual curiosity. And of course, he loved everything associated with the Fightin’ Irish of the University of Notre Dame.

During the last three years Father Andrew doctored for cancer. In this Jubilee Year of Hope Father Andrew was a model of Saint Paul’s word in Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in Hope, Endure in Affliction, Persevere in Prayer.” If in life, Andrew was a force to be reckoned with as a liturgist extraordinaire, as he faced death, he was the epitome of grace, serenity and surrender to his caretakers and especially to the will of the God he loved and praised his whole religious life. Inspired by Pope Francis’ own heroic suffering, Father Andrew died on August 21, 2025, knowing with Pope Francis that “Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5).

Obituary and image from Dignity Memorial, with additional material courtesy of Ed Foley.

John David Grabner

1940-2023

John David Grabner died June 17, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho at the age of 82.

From young adulthood John had a keen interest in the church’s worship. Learning was a lifelong passion and pursuit. He completed degrees at the University of Washington, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the University of Notre Dame. He thoroughly enjoyed his PhD years within the Notre Dame and South Bend communities, where lifelong friendships were built and maintained and family life was nurtured.

John was ordained in the United Methodist Church and served congregations in South Bend, IN and Pasco and White Salmon, WA. In 1991, he was called to serve Moscow First United Methodist in Moscow, ID. He was later ordained in the Episcopal Church and served as a supply priest to many churches around the Palouse. In addition to his priestly supply work. John drove the night express and Dial-a-Ride, where he enjoyed serving the students of Washington State University the general public. He moved to Pullman WA in 2005 and got a real kick of driving his car with Washington Husky license plates around “Cougar country.”

John took a lively interest in all things – whether intellectual, humorous, and leisurely, and could erupt in raucous guffaw with little prompting. Travel was always a part of his life, primarily in the form of road trips to visit family and friends. Often, these involved detours into little towns “to just take a look at some of the churches” or “to look up my old friend so-and-so.” In later years, he enjoyed international travel with old and new friends and to places like Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. John also appreciated the world of music and live theater. He loved, in no particular order, cardinals, nutcrackers, books, straw hats and trains. He always had a recommendation for the next British murder mystery to watch on any streaming platform. John was a proud and lovable curmudgeon who, according to friends, set the curmudgeon bar so high as to be nearly unattainable for others.

Surviving John are his daughters Rachel and Hilary, brother Frank, sister-in-law Shirley, and nieces and nephews. A memorial liturgy for John was held on July 15, 2023 at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Pullman, WA.

May John’s memory be eternal.

Bio Credit: This remembrance is based on the one included in the worship folder for his memorial liturgy and kindly shared with the entire NAAL community by Michael Aune and Kyle Schiefelbein-Guerrero.

William (Bill) H. Petersen

d. 2025

William (Bill) H. Petersen died on June 5, 2025.

We are sorry to announce the death of the Rev. Dr. Bill Petersen on June 5, 2025. A longtime member of the Academy and participant in the Advent Project seminar, Bill was active in many scholarly communities.

Upon news of his death, his colleagues in Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission said: “Bill was a tremendous scholar, a beloved mentor and former seminary dean, a prayerful leader, and a great storyteller. As Michael Merriman notes, Bill was a gift to ‘his family, his students, his sister and brother clergy, and to APLM. I thank God for giving him to us, his family and friends, as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage.’ Jay Koyle adds, ‘He was such a kind and encouraging person, and I appreciated the times he gave me feedback on things I was working on or even pondering, particularly relating to the eschatological dimensions of the liturgy.’”

His kindness, love and support was felt by everyone in the Anglican Colloquium of NAAL, which he convened for several years and faithfully attended. His gentle spirit and humor will be deeply missed.

Rest eternal grant him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him.

Image and Bio shared with the Academy by James Farwell.