Brother Keith Clark, OFM Cap., died peacefully on December 4, 2021 at the age of 82. Keith was born on February 13, 1939 in Monroe, the oldest of four of Donald Joseph Clark and Lois Elizabeth Clark.
Br. Keith was invested in the Order of Capuchin Franciscans on August 31, 1958, in Baraga, MI and perpetually professed on September 1, 1962 in Huntington, IN. He was ordained a priest on September 16, 1965.
Br. Keith's theological studies continued after ordination. A graduate of St. Anthony Capuchin Seminary in Marathon, Wisconsin, he later earned a Masters Degree in Religious Education from Fordham University in New York. He would later attend post-graduate study at Greyfriars Hall in Oxford, England in 1984.
The friars benefited from his education as he served in Formation for the Capuchin Franciscans. Keith served on the Novitiate Team from 1968 to 1978, and again in 1997 and 2006. Br. Keith would then serve his Capuchin brothers as Vicar Provincial Minister and Personnel Director from 1978-1984, and then again from 2005-2008.
He also shared his education as an author, writing a number of books, including: Servant Leadership: The Art of Empowering; Make Space, Make Symbols: A Personal Journey into Prayer; An Experience of Celibacy, and others.
In 1985, Br. Keith joined the staff at St. Lawrence Seminary, and was appointed as president the following year. He served as president until 1997, yet stayed on the staff as president emeritus while working as the Director of Institutional Advancement.
In 2005, Br. Keith became the director of Monte Alverno Retreat Center, located in Appleton, WI. There he shared his wisdom with people seeking to find peace and tranquility at the "The quiet place," located along the Fox River. In 2018, he returned to St. Lawrence, where he lived until his passing.
He is preceded in death by his parents Donald Clark and Lois Elizabeth Clark, as well as his stepmothers, Helen Clark (Hurlbut) and Lois Clark (Jiede). He is survived by his brothers Charles, Tom, and John; his sisters-in-law Joyce, Marcia, and Linda; and his many Capuchin brothers with whom he lived, prayed and ministered for over 60 years.
Funeral arrangements will be held at Holy Cross Church, 308 Church St., Mt. Calvary, WI, on December 8, 2021. Visitation will begin at 12:30, followed by the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 2:00 PM. Burial to follow.
For further details, please contact the Sippel Funeral Home in St. Cloud, WI (920) 999-2291 or visit www.sippelfuneralhome.net