Father Kilian McDonnell, OSB, nearly set the record as the oldest monk of Saint John’s Abbey, passing away just as his 104th birthday arrived—a day that would also be marked by his funeral Mass. Born William Perry McDonnell in Great Falls, Montana, in 1921, he was the fourth of eight children. His early years in Velva, North Dakota, were filled with music, drama, and scouting, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Despite fragile health, he pursued his vocation with steadfast faith, eventually finding a spiritual home at Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he professed vows in 1946 and was ordained a Benedictine priest in 1951.
Father Kilian dedicated his life to teaching, ecumenical dialogue, and the search for Christian unity. After advanced studies in North America and Europe, he returned to Saint John’s as a professor of theology, serving there for nearly three decades. In 1967, he founded the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, which became a vital center for scholars and church leaders worldwide. Known as an “Apostle for Unity,” he played a pivotal role in national and international dialogues among Catholics, Protestants, and Pentecostals, serving as a consultant to the U.S. Bishops and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. His tireless efforts were recognized with numerous awards, including the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from Pope John Paul II and the John Courtney Murray Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America.
A prolific author and lecturer, Father Kilian wrote or co-authored seventeen books and over two hundred scholarly articles. In his later years, he turned to poetry as a way of expressing his spirituality, publishing several volumes that earned him acclaim and even a nomination for the Minnesota Book Award. He will be remembered not only as a theologian, ecumenist, and poet, but also as a man of Irish wit, generosity, and prayerful devotion. Father Kilian’s life leaves a lasting testimony to faith, scholarship, and the hope of unity among all Christians.