Abbot of South Carolina's Mepkin Abbey dies at 57

Published: 2006-08-29

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (CNS) -- Trappist Father Francis Kline, the abbot of Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, died Aug. 27 at age 57 after a three-year battle with lymphoma. A memorial service was scheduled for Aug. 31 at Mepkin Abbey. A Juilliard-trained organist, Father Kline had led the Mepkin Abbey since 1980, four years after his ordination. Under his leadership, the abbey, built on the site of an 18th-century rice plantation, became a sought-after place of contemplation and education for people of all faiths seeking temporary retreat from the world. Through his work with environmental activists and the Cooper River Forum, Father Kline also assured that more than 3,000 acres owned by the monastery would be forever protected from commercial development. Born Joseph Paul Kline III in Philadelphia, he attended the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Elementary School and St. Joseph Preparatory School in Philadelphia. At 15, Father Kline performed his first public organ concert. During his final year at Juilliard School in New York in 1970-71, he presented the complete organ works of J.S. Bach in 14 recitals, an accomplishment that earned a profile in The New York Times.

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