On May 26th, 2014 our community at St. Benedict Monastery offered a funeral Mass for Father Bartholomew Kraemer, the eldest member of our Priory.  The Liturgy was attended by many family members, friends and his brother monks who were touched by his presence in their lives.  Fr. Michael Green, the Prior of the monastery was the principal celebrant and gave a moving homily recalling the kindness, intellect and wit of “Fr. Bart” (as he was fondly called).

     Fr. Bart was born in 1930 in Center Line Michigan and was one of 12 children born to Linus George and Anna Marie (Roth) Kraemer.  At an early age he felt the call to enter religious life under the Rule of St. Benedict and joined the Trappists at Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky.  After being with that community for five years, the superiors did not allow him to profess solemn vows due to his health (he suffered with epilepsy).  However, they did recommend that he look into joining our Sylvestrine-Benedictine community in Detroit because they believed that their apostolate and the social nature of those monks was more suitable for him.  Following their advice, he came to us and professed his vows a year later in 1960.  After completing theological studies he was ordained to the priesthood in 1964.

     Fr. Bart lived and served in our communities in Oxford and in Detroit.  He ministered in different capacities, but always maintained his easy-going and witty demeanor.  When he lived in Oxford, he was a teacher at Dominican Academy (1964-65; 1967-68) and at Pontiac Catholic High School (1969-70); he was appointed Master of Novices in 1966, assisted at local parishes and was given the duty of Administrator.  While in Oxford, he also made a hobby of wood working, creating well-built and attractive furnishings for the monastery, including the altar that is in our small chapel.  In Detroit, Father served the community at St. Sylvester Monastery as Associate Pastor of St. Scholastica Church in 1966 and returned there in 1986 to assist Fr. Livius Paoli in his pastoral duties.  He remained at St. Sylvester’s until he moved into Lourdes Nursing Home because of his declining health.

     Even as his health deteriorated from a number of ailments and memory loss, Fr. Bart maintained his sense of humor and willingness to serve as priest at the nursing home.  When it was needed and he was “up to it” he celebrated the Sunday Mass for the staff and residents.  Although he may not have remembered the names of the monks who visited him, after “breaking the ice” by recalling an event of his past or a person who was dear to him, the conversation would then flow naturally.  Fr. Bartholomew lived on this earth for 83 years and blessed the People of God as a priest for 50 of those years.  Although he is no longer with us physically, his spiritual and emotional presence will always be remembered and appreciated by those who love him!