Brother Richard Thomas Oliver, OSB
Monk of Saint John's Abbey
Collegeville, Minnesota
Born: November 7, 1945
Professed: July 11, 1970
Died: October 13, 2025
Richard Thomas Oliver was the second of four sons born to John Herbert and Anne Josephine (Gormley) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 7, 1945. Richard attended Most Blessed Sacrament Grade School in Philadelphia (1951-1959). He then went to West Catholic Preparatory High School (1959-1963) staffed by the Christian Brothers. Richard served as the editor of the school paper and studied dramatics, German, Latin, and French. In an interview in 2017, he noted, “My all-male sixteen-year private school education was a remarkable feature of what I refer to as ‘Industrial Catholicism’.”
Inspired by his Christian Brothers instructors, Richard entered the novitiate in September 1963 at the motherhouse in Ammendale, Maryland, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Benedict, FSC. Richard withdrew from the novitiate after nine months and enrolled at LaSalle University, majoring in English, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968. Richard became familiar with Saint John’s Abbey via the Liturgical Press publications, A Short Breviary, The Bible Today, and Worship magazine. In 1969, the vocation director invited him to visit Saint John’s during Holy Week, and he decided to enter the novitiate on July 7, 1969. On July 11, 1970, he professed first vows as a Benedictine monk.
Brother Richard’s first assignment was as an English teacher at Saint John’s Preparatory School. In 1973, he began studies at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in library science, receiving a master’s degree in 1974. Brother Richard was employed at Alcuin Library, Saint John’s University, as a serials and reference librarian from 1974-1979. From 1979-1980, he was an intern in the special collections at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University where he helped with the exhibition of rare books celebrating the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Returning to the library at Saint John’s, Brother Richard assumed his duties with the reference department and was appointed rare book librarian (1982-1985). He also was appointed the curator of the Abbey Art Collection. In 1985, he left for England to begin work as field director for the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML), overseeing the microfilming of more than 450 medieval and Renaissance manuscripts of the Dean and Chapter Library at Durham. After completing the project, he was named field director of the Europe microfilming project (1987-1992) with monastic libraries in Tubingen, Freiburg, Einsiedeln, Mainz, Frankfurt, and Bremen. He noted about the experience: “I was able to visit all regions of West Germany and on November 9, 1989, I joined thousands of others hammering on the Berlin Wall.”
In 1992, Brother Richard returned to Collegeville and was appointed executive assistant to the Dean of Admissions, Saint John’s University (1992-1996) and associate director of admissions (1996-1998). During the 1990s, Brother Richard became interested in website creation and design. Learning the intricate programming language, he created the international OSB.org website in 1995 and served as editor until his death. He also worked on websites for Saint John’s Abbey and University and other monastic houses, along with authoring articles and leading workshops on web design.
Brother Richard accepted a position as Coordinator of Information and Records at the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in Silver Spring, Maryland (2009-2016), where he managed the CMSM membership database and created a new website for the conference. Returning to Saint John’s, he coordinated tours of the Saint John’s Abbey and University Church and assisted at the reception desk in the Abbey Guesthouse.
Over the years, Brother Richard served on several committees and boards: book review editor of Sister’s Today; president of the American Benedictine Academy (2006); member of the Board of Regents, Saint John’s University, and the HMML Board of Overseers.
Brother Richard enjoyed researching heraldry, family history, photography, and reading biographies and the lives of the saints. He was intense and systematic in his work responsibilities. Brother enjoyed good food and conversation with confreres, and in retirement in the Abbey Health Center, he prepared the daily liturgy program of the celebrant and confreres.
Brother Richard died on October 10, 2025, in the retirement center at the abbey. He is survived by his brother, Thomas (and Ida Oliver), Tsaile, Arizona, and the community at Saint John’s Abbey. The monks, family, and friends will receive the body on Friday, October 17, at 7:00 pm and celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial for Brother Richard on Saturday, October 18, at 10:00 am in the Saint John’s Abbey and University Church, with interment in the abbey cemetery. The service will be live-streamed at youtube.com/saintjohnsabbey.