Benedictine Father Brennan (Charles) Maiers, 86, died July 22 in the retirement center at St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville. The monks, family, and friends will receive the body on Wednesday, July 27, at 7 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28, in St. John’s Abbey and University Church, with interment in the abbey cemetery. The service will be livestreamed at https://saintjohnsabbey.org/live.
Father Brennan Maiers was born to Henry and Grace (McGraw) Maiers April 27, 1936, in Stewart, Minnesota. He attended at St. Boniface Parish School in Stewart, graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville, and began philosophy studies at St. John’s University, Collegeville. In 1956, he entered the novitiate at St. John’s Abbey, receiving the religious name of Brennan. Following his first profession on July 11, 1957, he made his final monastic profession three years later. He was ordained a priest on June 1, 1963. After ordination, Father Brennan taught English and theology at St. John’s Preparatory School.
Father Brennan served as associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish, St. Joseph; associate pastor and pastor at St. Benedict Parish in the Bronx, New York; pastor at St. Boniface Parish in Cold Spring; pastor at St. Bernard Parish in St. Paul; chaplain at St. Scholastica’s Monastery in Duluth, Minnesota; and in St. Cloud as chaplain at St. Raphael’s Convent, St. Benedict’s Monastery and St. Scholastica Convent until 2002. During his retirement, Father Brennan helped in the abbey archives, among other tasks. He is included on the Diocese of St. Cloud’s list of clergy “likely to have abused minors.”
He is survived by Benedictine Sisters Grace Marie and Gen Maiers, St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph; Theresa Kuttner, Stewart; Allan Maiers, Hutchinson; and the community of St. John’s Abbey.