Fr. Denis Meade (1930-2019)

What do you want to be when you grow up?

As children, we might respond in all sorts of ways: “I want to be a cowboy!” Or, “I want to be a zookeeper!” Or, “I want to travel the world!”

If you heard someone say, “I want to be a lawyer, a priest, a professor, and travel the world!” you would probably look at them like they were way too ambitious (and a little crazy), but for Fr. Denis Meade, that was his life – he accomplished all of that, and much more.

Born in 1930, James Thomas Meade was raised in rural Madison County, Iowa, near the small town of Cumming. Fr. Denis enjoyed relating a bit of trivia in that the Meade family home would later be used to shoot scenes for the 1995 film The Bridges of Madison County. The youngest of nine children, Fr. Denis was raised in a faith-filled family, “my family always valued the priesthood,” Fr. Denis said, “I was grateful for that and decided that I wanted to be a priest.”

Following God’s call at just 14 years old, he transferred from Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines, Iowa, to begin priesthood studies at Maur Hill Prep School in Atchison, Kansas. Following his graduation, he moved into the seminary at St. Benedict’s College in 1947, living as a “Hilltopper” and studying to be a diocesan priest. It was then he heard a new call, “I was thinking of being a diocesan priest, but when I discovered the community way of life, the community as a monastic family, that was very attractive to me, so I applied to enter the monastery.”

In 1949, he entered the novitiate at St. Benedict’s Abbey receiving the monastic name Denis, so named for St. Denis of Paris. Completing the novitiate and professing first vows on July 11, 1950, Fr. Denis resumed his studies, earning a degree in history in 1952. “I thought, maybe I could be a teacher while being a priest and monk,” he said.

In 1952, Abbot Cuthbert McDonald gave him the opportunity to study at Sant’Anselmo, the international Benedictine college in Rome. All the course work was in Latin, and he would have to learn Italian to live in Rome “It was a struggle, my Latin was passable and then, Italian! But with self-help books, you learned on your own.”

In the 1950s, transatlantic travel was rare; for the next nine years Fr. Denis prayed and studied in Europe. He spent his summers exploring Bavaria, Austria, France, and Belgium. Though he was professing vows to St. Benedict’s Abbey, his solemn profession occurred at Montecassino on May 26, 1953. He would be ordained to the diaconate at the Abbey of Saint Paul de Wisques in France. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 28, 1955, at the Abbey of San Pietro in Assisi, Italy, by Bishop Placido Nicolini, OSB. The bishop had saved hundreds of Jews from the Nazis as the mastermind of “The Assisi Underground.” Following his ordination Fr. Denis continued his European studies at the Lateran University in Rome, obtaining licensure and doctoral degrees (JCL and JCD) in Canon Law.

In 1961, he returned to Atchison, and it was time to put his degree to work, “I was asked to teach basic theology to under-motivated freshman,” Fr. Denis often joked.

His students were grateful for his teaching style and demeanor. Tom Kemlage was grateful for the opportunity to learn from him, “The only non-science book that I kept from college was from the philosophy course I took from Fr. Denis. He really made an impact on me as a young college student with his calm peaceful leadership characteristics, traits that I try to emulate.”

For 26 years Fr. Denis served the theology department at Benedictine College (transitioning from St. Benedict’s College in 1971). He also had an eight-year stint serving as a dormitory prefect, living with and supervising one floor of college students.

In 1969 Abbot Thomas Hartman asked Fr. Denis to serve the community in a new way, appointing him Novice Master, charged with the education and formation of the newest members of the Abbey, a job he would perform in addition to his duties at the college.

After just over two and a half decades as a professor, Fr. Denis felt it was time for a new challenge, serving abroad, this time in Brazil. After attending a Portuguese language school in the summer of 1987, he served as a canon lawyer on the marriage tribunal in the diocese of Jataí in Goiás, Brazil. For the next two years, he prayed and worked alongside his brother monks at St. Joseph Priory, the Abbey’s mission house in Brazil.

Returning to Atchison in 1989, Fr. Denis resumed his work as a professor of Theology at Benedictine College. The students were quick to embrace his teaching style, “Fr. Denis is clearly a special person,” said Patrick Carr, a 1994 graduate of Benedictine College. “He was a really good professor . . . he was such a welcoming spirit and inspirational teacher – I connected with Fr. Denis the first time I met him. So over the years we developed a friendship. My wife Kate also had Fr. Denis as a professor. We appreciated him so much that we asked him to officiate at our wedding after we graduated.”

Fr. Denis would go on to serve as the chair of the theology department at Benedictine College and President Stephen Minnis credits him with creating the foundation for the success of the department and the identity of the college today. “Fr. Denis had an unbelievable impact on the college that is still felt today,” Minnis said. “ [Benedictine College’s] national reputation is built, in part, on our strong Catholic identity. It was Fr. Denis’s vision when he headed the Theology department to have a strong Catholic identity. Under his leadership the current Chair of the Theology department, Dr. Richard White, as well as Dr. Ted Sri were hired. In addition, FOCUS [the Fellowship of Catholic University Students] was created and supported during his tenure as the Theology Chair. Fr. Denis set the stage for where we are today – known for our commitment to the faith and ranked as a top 20 Catholic university by the Cardinal Newman Society.”

Through all of his work and ministry, Fr. Denis was committed to his family back in Iowa. “He’s been there for everything from celebrations to funerals,” Kathy Meade, niece of Fr. Denis, shared. “Through the ups and downs he has been a guiding force in our lives; he was always there to listen and always seemed to know what to say. It was truly a gift to have a monk and priest in the family to keep us grounded.”

Fr. Denis served at Benedictine College until his retirement in 2001. It was then he returned to Brazil, this time to serve as Novice Master and Director of Formation for St. Joseph Priory; positions he held until returning to Atchison in 2005. Upon his return, Abbot Barnabas Senecal inserted him into the monastic formation process where he served in a variety of roles until 2017. Br. Leven Harton’s own monastic vocation was greatly affected by Fr. Denis, “He was a gentle and wise man; as a formator, he was always very practical and simple.” Br. Leven said. “He was a free man in his holiness, and he was able to pass on that freedom to others. He encouraged me to really explore God’s call for me; I wouldn’t have had the courage to discern well without him – he was a father to me.”

In addition to his role as a formator, Fr. Denis continued his work as a Canon Lawyer, putting his experience as an

“I considered Fr. Denis a mentor. I’m grateful that the Lord allowed me to get to know him ... and benefit from his wisdom.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, D.D. Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas

Fr. Denis assisted Archbishop Naumann on the Archdiocese’s Marriage Tribunal and served as his spiritual director. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann lauded Fr. Denis for his impact at the Abbey, the College, and in our Archdiocese, “Fr. Denis was a critical leader for the Abbey and for the College at a very pivotal moment,” Naumann said. “He served on our marriage tribunal, lending his expertise to a number of cases. He served as my confessor and spiritual director for nearly six years, so I considered him a mentor. I’m grateful that the Lord allowed me to get to know him in this way and benefit from his wisdom...only in the past few years do I think he came to realize all of the lives he has impacted. That impact continues to be felt at Benedictine College and the impact of his life and work will go on for generations.”

In the past few years Fr. Denis has continued to be a great asset to the monastic community, lending his historical talents as Abbey Archivist, penning a new addition to the 1957 publication Kansas Monks: A History of St. Benedict’s Abbey, serving as secretary to Abbot James Albers, celebrating Masses at Mount St. Scholastica’s Dooley Center, and much more. Abbot James is grateful for all that Fr. Denis has done, “Personally he was a mentor to me, not only in my own monastic discernment but also in guidance in carrying out my roles in the Abbey. The monastic community has been overwhelmed by the response at the time of his death from students and friends. We rejoice in his legacy and the impact he has had on so many people; he will be dearly missed.”

In 2019, Fr. Denis’s health deteriorated, but he never ceased in his commitment to prayer, participating in the Abbey’s liturgies whenever possible. On June 18, 2019, fortified by the sacraments and having received the apostolic pardon he died peacefully at the Abbey.