Our
Father Gabriel Bertonière passed quietly to Lord late last evening. He will be
remembered as one who loved the brethren and this place. Gabriel was a
gifted musician and master of Gregorian Chant, training many of the monks in
proper chant style. And even into his later years, Gabriel sang like a choir
boy. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 17, 1932, to John A.
Bertonière, Sr., and Hazel Montaldo, he graduated from Jesuit High School there
in 1948 and went on to study at Harvard University. Immediately upon obtaining
his BA cum laude from Harvard with a major in English in 1952, he
entered St Joseph’s Abbey, whose community had only recently transferred to
Spencer after a devastating fire destroyed their monastery in Cumberland, Rhode
Island.
Father
Gabriel made temporary profession of vows in 1954 and solemn vows in 1957, and
he was ordained a priest in 1958. In 1962 he was sent by the Abbot to Rome to
continue his theological studies. While in Europe he visited the monasteries of
Mount Athos in Greece in order to deepen his growing appreciation of the
Eastern monastic tradition. Byzantine Christianity and worship would become
vital to his spirituality. In 1963 Fr Gabriel received his Licentiate in Sacred
Theology cum laude from the Oriental Institute in Rome. In 1965 he
began a long period of absence from the monastery. During this time he lived at
the monastery of Chevetogne in Belgium, prepared his doctorate at the Collegium
Russicum in Rome, and taught there for the extension program of an American
university. He completed his doctoral dissertation in 1970 cum laude and
returned permanently to Spencer to resume his monastic life in 1988. He is the
author of several books, most prominently, Through Faith & Fire:
The Monks of Spencer 1825-1958. After his return to Spencer, Fr
Gabriel generously served his brothers for many years in several essential
capacities, most significantly as archivist, novice master, organist, and choirmaster. He also served for a number of years as chaplain to our Trappistine
sisters at St Mary’s Abbey in Wrentham, MA.
The younger of two children, Fr Gabriel was predeceased by his parents, John and Hazel, and his sister, Yvonne. His dear and devoted cousin, Jonathan Montaldo, of Mantua, NJ, shares this reminiscence, which speaks volumes about the quality of Father Gabriel’s life: “Gabriel and I were once in the infirmary kitchen with others, including Fr. Matthew, and some monk remarked how close Gabriel and I seemed to be. Matthew said, ‘Close? They are thick as thieves.’ Yes, but I was only a follower. Only Gabriel knew how to pull the heist of living life full tilt.”
Father Gabriel’s wake and funeral Mass will be private.
