Mother Benedict Duss, founder of cloistered Connecticut abbey, dies

Published: 2005-10-13

BETHLEHEM, Conn. (CNS) -- Gregorian chant echoed within the simple wooden Church of Jesu Fili Mariae Oct. 5 as Hartford Archbishop Henry J. Mansell celebrated a traditional monastic liturgy of burial in Latin for Mother Benedict Duss, retired abbess of the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem. Mother Benedict, who was the founder and first abbess of the Connecticut monastery for cloistered Benedictine nuns, died Oct. 2 at age 94. She would have turned 95 Nov. 21. During the funeral, she lay in an open pine and cedar coffin resting on two stools covered with sheepskins. The coffin was placed first in the sanctuary before Mass and then brought into the cloister during Mass. The more than three-hour service drew several hundred attendees, including retired Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, several priests and dozens of religious sisters including 37 members of the abbey community, as well as religious brothers and laity.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .