by Abbot Raphael Walsh , O.S.B.

    The community was shocked and saddened on the morning of June 24 when we arose and discovered that Father Mario had died during the night, apparently from a heart attack. Father Mario had not been feeling well for the few weeks previous, but no one dreamed his illness was so soon to be fatal. In typical male fashion, he promised to see a doctor, but not until after his vacation. No one expected he would be going on a permanent vacation.

Father Mario now rests after serving God and his community as a monk, first at Conception Abbey in Missouri and then at Mount Michael Abbey for twenty-nine years, and the Church as a priest for twenty-three years.

Father Mario served his community and the Church as chaplain in the school and later as dean of students. He served as Master of Ceremonies for the community liturgies, and since 1970, he worked in the public relations department and on school recruitment. Since 1978, he headed the public relations department where he worked hard to make the Fall Festival a success. Most recently he worked on the Mount Michael Endowment campaign. He served as Director of Benedictine Oblates and occasionally team-taught one of the religion classes. Most every week-end found him serving in one of the local parishes.

A small mountain of mail poured into the Abbey after the death of Father Mario. The message had a central theme--how saddened and shocked everyone was at the sudden death of Father Mario; how friendly and outgoing he was; how he touched peoples' lives by his kindness and concern. That latter was his special grace.

Father Mario is dearly missed by his confreres because of the special vitality he brought to community life. On the other hand, we are grateful to God for the years he was given to be part of our community and for the fact that he was spared a long illness. May God grant him eternal peace.