Brother Luke Zygmond (Stanislaw) Dowal, OSB, was born in 1923, in Gardner, Massachusetts. Known as “Ziggy” in his youth, he grew up with an older brother and younger sister, attending local schools and graduating from Gardner High School in 1941. During World War II, he served with courage in the Merchant Marines, sailing across the world’s oceans, often in the tropics. After years at sea, a growing call to religious life brought him to Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. Entering the novitiate in 1959, he professed vows in 1960 and received the name Luke, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to monastic life.
Brother Luke’s service to the abbey was broad and faithful. He worked in the garden, carpentry shop, and sacristy, later serving as infirmarian for the retired monks after earning a nursing degree. From 1978 until his retirement in 2008, he carried out his longest and most devoted ministry as abbey sacristan, preparing daily liturgies and ensuring the beauty and order of the abbey church. With his resonant bass voice, he was also a mainstay of the abbey schola. His years in Tepeyac, Mexico, where he made his solemn vows in 1967, shaped his love of cooking and baking, gifts he joyfully shared with his confreres.
Beyond his work, Brother Luke was a gifted painter, finding joy and wonder in capturing the beauty of nature through oils and watercolors. His art, often given away as treasured gifts, reflected his sense of awe at creation. Even in retirement, he remained active in the life of the community through table reading, prayer leadership, and his warm, steady presence. Remembered for his humility, creativity, and quiet service, Brother Luke lived his vocation as a man of deep faith and kindness, inspiring his confreres and friends with his optimism and love for God’s world.