Obituary

Retired Pope Benedict XVI, who had an impressive record as a teacher and defender of the basics of the Catholic faith, died Dec. 31 at the age of 95, nearly 10 years after leaving the papacy to retire to a life of prayer and study.

“This can be a very helpful exercise for each of us to do, except that such a will is not done in a lawyer’s office, but in prayer, perhaps with a spiritual director, a counselor, or a confessor helping us.”

Deacon Michael Keable, 81, died Nov. 20 at the St. Cloud VA Hospital. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 30, in St. John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville, with Bishop Donald Kettler, presiding. Burial will follow in the St. John’s Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. in the church.

Benedictine Sister Phyllis (Dunstan) Plantenberg, 95, died Oct. 10 at St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 15,  at the Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, with burial in the monastery cemetery.

Beginning in 1990 and continuing through 2005, she served as director of Total Catholic Education for the Diocese of St. Cloud.

“We tend to measure life in terms of resume points and marathon moments. But what nobler goal could you pursue than to be like Bridgann, to be faithful in everyday life?”

The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m., with Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis presiding.

Benedictine Father Jerome Thomas Coller, 90, died June 22 in the retirement center at St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, June 28, at 3:30 p.m. in St. John’s Abbey and University Church with interment in St. John’s Cemetery following the service.