Bro. Christian Leblanc, OCSO
1946-2024
I recently learned that Brother Christian Leblanc, a Trappist monk, passed away on November 5, age 77, of pulmonary fibrosis.
I met Brother Christian in July of 2012, on a three day retreat at Kentucky’s Abbey of Gethsemani. The Trappists at Gethsemani don’t (or at least at the time, didn’t) actually “give” retreats in the commonly understood sense, but in the best Benedictine tradition of hospitality offer a guest house for those desiring a few days of silent reflection and solitude (and, happily, I was there on the Feast of St. Benedict, July 11).
In addition to joining the community for liturgies, I was able to spend an unexpected hour with Brother Christian. I have two significant memories of that encounter:
If you’ve seen popular caricatures of jovial monks, you’ve seen Brother Christian — not comical, but cheerful, good-humored, energetic — all the positive characteristics of jovial you can imagine — someone you’d enjoy meeting — and I did. Even took notes — which is why I can quote him below.
The why and how he became a Trappist. A native of the Boston area, he entered a Missionaries of the Divine Word seminary at age 19 but left after two years to join the Trappists. Why? “At Divine Word, they made the ‘mistake’ of having me read the Church Fathers!” He loved what he read and they drew him out of the foreign mission fields and into the monastic life.
His hobbies were photography and astronomy. His ora et labora during 5 decades years at Gethsemani included assistant cheese maker for many years; overseeing packaging and shipping of the abbey’s farm products; doing the laundry for the community and guests. His final job was in the infirmary, where he continued to serve through his illness. As a second job, he was in charge of the abbey’s charity budget, helping many of the poor in the vicinity.
He was a missionary after all — and a jovial one at that! I’m grateful to have met him, if only briefly. May he rest in peace.