A crowd gathered in April at St. John's University to hear the Rev. Mark Thamert, a longtime German professor and school mentor, speak about his life.
"My relationships have all changed," he told them just weeks before he died of stomach cancer at age 66. "Almost all of them have intensified, and have become beautiful beyond all expectations."
His impact on students was evident by the sheer number of alumni and their families who attended Thamert's funeral May 6, said St. John's Abbot John Klassen.
"He obviously made a significant impact on their lives," he said.
Thamert died April 29 in the retirement center at St. John's Abbey. His cancer was diagnosed in 2014, and he offered up his illness as a final lesson plan.
"He was just a kind man," said Klassen. "He was thoughtful, warm, engaging, funny, very astute and genuine."
Thamert was born in Owatonna, Minn., and attended St. John's Preparatory School in Collegeville, where he met Klassen. Even though he was a couple of years older than Thamert, Klassen said he was "just aware of him being a very talented young boy." Thamert planned to study architecture, but after studying in Germany, he majored in language at St. John's and graduated magna cum laude.
He then planned to enter medical school, but another year abroad in Austria introduced him to life as a Benedictine monk, said Klassen. He was ordained in 1979.
Thamert taught German at St. John's Prep for several years before earning a doctorate at Princeton University. He returned to St. John's University, where he taught modern and classical languages from 1984 to 2016.
He also served as director of the honors program, headmaster of St. John's Prep, was instrumental in obtaining major grants and directed overseas programs in Europe, India and Tibet. He loved to cook and read poetry, sang with the Abbey Schola and was a founding member of the Collegeville Consort Renaissance Vocal Group.
His last appointment was director of the Benedictine Institute at St. John's in 2013, but that was cut short when his cancer was diagnosed. In 1999, he received the Declaration of Honor in Silver for service to the Republic of Austria in recognition of his contributions to the country spanning 30 years.
Thamert also received several academic recognitions at St. John's. A student commenting on his teaching wrote: "Father Mark has brought me to challenge, tear apart, and reassemble my way of thinking about humanity and the world."
In an interview with the college newspaper, The Record, in 2000, Thamert talked about his teaching career. "Our work as Benedictines centers on support for one another and care for the students who are part of our lives," he said. "In my life as a monk and teacher, I hope to hand on to this generation of students what I believe is at the heart of the St. John's and St. Ben's experience."
He is survived by two sisters, Virginia Wanous and Mary Striefland, and two brothers, Robert and Richard.
David Chanen • 612-673-4465
