Father Thomas Peter Wahl, OSB

Monk of Saint John's Abbey
Collegeville, Minnesota

Born: November 23, 1931

Professed: July 11, 1952

Ordained: June 7, 1958

Died: July 4, 2025

Thomas Peter Wahl was the youngest of four children of Arthur Lewis and Romana Priscilla (Seberger) Wahl in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, born on November 23, 1931. His father was a building contractor (including a number of campus buildings), and his mother was a homemaker.   

Thomas graduated from Cathedral High School in 1949. He received a BA from Saint John’s University in 1954 with a double major in philosophy and modern languages. He made his solemn profession as a monk of Saint John’s Abbey in 1955, completed his priesthood studies at Saint John’s Seminary, and was ordained in 1958.

Father Thomas’ continuing education included two pontifical degrees: an STL in 1959 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in biblical studies; and the SSL from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, concentrating on the Book of Psalms, in 1967. In line with his interest in languages, the requisite Greek, Latin, and Hebrew for Scripture study, Father Thomas had command of French, German, and Italian. Further Old Testament studies culminated in a PhD in 1976 from the Union Theological Seminary in New York. The title of his scholarly dissertation, “On Strophic Structure in Individual Laments of Psalms, Books I and II,” showed his abiding fascination with praying the psalms in the liturgy of the Church.

Beyond his academic achievements, Father Thomas served as associate pastor at Saint Bernard’s parish in Saint Paul from 1959 to 1961 and at Saint Boniface parish in Minneapolis from 1961 to 1964.

Father Thomas’ ongoing career was marked by academic initiatives and pastoral service. He taught Hebrew and the Old Testament at Saint John’s School of Theology from 1967 through 1990, attaining the rank of associate professor. He participated in a clinical pastoral education (CPE) program at Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1986, and then again at Methodist Hospital in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, in 1987.

An especially notable achievement of Father Thomas was founding the Saint John’s University School of Theology Jerusalem Studies Program in Israel in 1974. He also served as a team chaplain at Saint Benedict’s Monastery in Saint Joseph in 1989.

Following a sabbatical year in 1993 at Saint Anselm’s Priory and Parish in Tokyo, Japan, a foundation of Saint John’s Abbey in 1947 that relocated to Fujimi in 1999 and renamed Trinity Benedictine Monastery, Father Thomas began a twenty-five year commitment of pastoral ministry in Japanese and English among the international faithful in Japan, fulfilling a hope earlier after his ordination, where he served as prior in 2002 to 2005. He also taught Hebrew upon request and served as a spiritual advisor.

Father Thomas wrote two books, including How Jesus Came, Pueblo Publishing, 1981, and The Lord’s Song in a Foreign Land, Liturgical Press, 1993. He also translated from the Italian, Romano Penna’s two-volume Paul the Apostle: Jew and Greek Alike, Michael Glazer Books, 1996.

Father Thomas loved baking a variety of breads, especially sourdough, and enjoyed cooking and gardening. He was a novice in the art of painting Icons and became an accomplished calligrapher.  Father Thomas was conscious of healthy cooking, eating, and gardening, was a distance bicyclist, and avid walker. He was very concerned about the well-being of the planet and promoted recycling. Father Thomas had a very playful and inviting personality, always welcoming people with a big smile, easy conversation, and exchange of ideas. 

Father Thomas died on July 4, 2025, in the Mary, Mother of God Nursing Home, Albany, Minnesota. He is survived by his nephew, Dick Bitzan and wife, Mimi, Sartell, Minnesota, a special friend, Maria Theresa Fowell, Ely, Nevada, and the community of Saint John’s Abbey.  The monks, family, and friends will receive the body at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 9, and celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial for Father Thomas at 10:00 am on Thursday, July 10 in Saint John’s Abbey and University Church, with interment in the abbey cemetery.

The service will be live-streamed (https://www.youtube.com/saintjohnsabbey).