Fr. Leander Scheier (1892-1990)

Father Leander Scheier passed away August 16, 1990.

Father Claude Enslein, O.S.B., used to recall that among the first monks assigned to St. Benedict’s High School, now Maur Hill-Mount Academy, were this German quartet:  Scheier, Bayer, Enslein and Vonderstein.

The Scheier was Father Leander who after ordination spent the active part of his monastic priesthood in parish work after the vision of Abbot Boniface Wimmer.  Father Leander spent many years both as pastor and assistant pastor at St. John’s in Burlington, Iowa, and served at Effingham, Kansas City, Kan., and “Wildcat” or St. Mary’s at St. Benedict, Kan.

As a consequence of an auto accident in 1971 Father Leander moved to the Abbey where, somewhat surprising to some because of his long years away from the community life, he enjoyed a long and happy retirement.  He was an avid player of Sheepshead and Skaat on Sundays.  After lunch the monks gathered round the table, where there was plenty of good kibitzing and banter. 

He loved his pipe and cigars as his cassock showed.  Once a monk pointed out small holes in the cassock from ashes that fell from his pipe.  His reply, “It is a good thing I was there when it happened.”

Father Leander loved to read daily, that is to listen to books on tape from the Atchison Library and the Catholic Society for the Blind.  Once he asked for a book on St. Paul, got it, listened to only a part because there were passages not fit for a priest!

When he was dying in the Atchison Hospital he asked to see a particular monk.  This monk rushed over to his bedside expecting to receive a final good word from his old friend.  He bent low to hear the expected words and Leander said, “Go to my room and get my Icy Hot.” All that anxiety for a liniment!  Father Leander died two days later very quietly with such a peace-filled look on his face.