Father James (Norbert) Reichert, OSB, a longtime monk of Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, passed away on December 14, 2025, at the abbey’s retirement center. Born in 1931, in Marshfield, Wisconsin, he grew up in a close-knit family and was educated by dedicated Catholic teachers who helped inspire his vocation. After attending Saint John’s Preparatory School, he entered monastic life, professing vows in 1953 and being ordained to the priesthood in 1959. His early years as a monk were marked by a love of learning, culminating in a philosophy degree from Saint John’s University and further studies in Classics at the University of Wisconsin.
Father James dedicated decades of ministry to both education and pastoral service. He taught Latin at Saint John’s Preparatory School and later served in a variety of academic and administrative roles at Saint John’s University, including director of financial aid and bookstore manager. His generous spirit led him beyond Minnesota as well, with teaching assignments at Colegio San Antonio Abad in Humacao, Puerto Rico, during two separate periods. As a parish priest, he served faithfully across numerous Minnesota communities—Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Albany, New Munich, and Avon—earning a reputation for kindness, steadiness, and pastoral dedication. He later continued his ministry as a chaplain in elder-care settings until his retirement in 2011.
Known for his dry wit and warm sense of humor, Father James brought joy to his confreres and to all those he served. He often recalled being a playful tease in his youth, a trait that remained with him throughout his life and endeared him to many. A sabbatical in 1996 at the Catholic University of Louvain refreshed and deepened his spiritual life, enriching his later ministry. Father James leaves behind the monastic community he loved and served for more than seventy years, remembered with gratitude for his loyalty, gentleness, and quiet humor. May he rest in the peace of Christ.