Father John (Mark) Borgerding

Father John (Mark) Borgerding passed away on May 15, 2022 at the Bethesda Nursing Home in Willmar. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, July 22, 2022 at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Belgrade.  Visitation will be held one hour prior the service at church.  Burial will be in the church cemetery. Memorials may be directed to St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Box 69, Belgrade, MN. 56312. Arrangements are with the Johnson Funeral Home in Belgrade.

Mark Edward Borgerding was born July 5, 1935 in Belgrade, the fourth son of Alphonse and Wanda (Koetter) Borgerding. Mark attended school in Belgrade graduating as Valedictorian in 1953. He then attended St. John’s University and Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota until he decided to join the newly founded St. Andrew’s Priory in Valyermo, California in 1961. Mark was received into the community of Benedictine Monks at St. Andrew’s in 1962 and given the name John. He was then sent to the University of Louvain in Belgium for advanced studies in psychology and philosophy, graduating with a Masters degree.  Father John was ordained into the priesthood on August 6, 1966 by Bishop Timothy Manning of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and said his first solemn mass on August 21, 1966 in the parish church of St. Francis de Sales in Belgrade.

Father John served in a variety of roles at St. Andrew’s including as Prior from 1974 to 1992 and was actively engaged in counseling of those who came to the Priory for spiritual guidance. After retiring as Prior in 1992 he returned to Belgrade in 1997 to care for his aging mother.

He enjoyed listening to classical music, reading of spiritual, psychological and scientific literature and learning more about philosophy, physics and astronomy in addition to his dedication to counseling of numerous spiritual seekers over the course of his career.

Father John was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers and one sister-in-law, Howard (Caroline), James and George. He is survived by his sister, Mary Gerding and husband Dale of Chicago, and sisters-in-law Marjorie Borgerding of Ft. Worth, Texas and Shirley Borgerding of Sartell.

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