Fr. Dominic Monti, OFM, scholar, teacher and mentor

ALLEGANY — Fr. Dominic Monti, OFM, a respected educator, scholar and former provincial leader whose teaching and writing helped generations of friars, religious sisters and laypeople deepen their understanding of the Franciscan tradition, peacefully passed away Wednesday (Sept. 16, 2026), while in hospice care. He was 83 years old, a Franciscan friar for 61 years, a priest for 55 years and a member of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Fr. Dominic dedicated his life to studying, teaching and sharing the history and spirituality of the Franciscan movement. Regarded as an authority on Franciscan history and theology, he taught in seminaries and theological institutions for more than 30 years. He wrote, translated, and edited several scholarly works that continue to shape Franciscan studies today.

Born Brian Thomas Monti in Bradford, Pa., on July 11, 1943, he entered the Order of Friars Minor in 1964, professed his first vows in 1965, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1971.

His love of learning shaped a lifetime of ministry. Fr. Dominic earned degrees from St. Bonaventure University (1965), The Catholic University of America (1970), Union Theological Seminary (1971) and ultimately a doctorate with distinction from the University of Chicago Divinity School (1979).

He devoted himself to teaching and formation, serving on the faculties of Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, New York, and Washington Theological Union, where he taught Church history from 1979 to 2002. He also taught and lectured at many schools in the Washington, D.C., area while serving as director of the Franciscan Center of Theology and Spirituality.

He began as a full-time instructor of theology at St. Bonaventure University in 2002 and became the school’s interim president in 2003. Though he was asked to continue serving in the university’s highest office after helping guide it through a difficult chapter in its history, Fr. Dominic chose to return to what colleagues said was his first love: teaching.

Known throughout the Franciscan world for his deep knowledge of Franciscan spirituality, Fr. Dominic served as a resource and consultant at several General Chapters of the global Order of Friars Minor in Assisi, Italy. His scholarship was matched by his Franciscan brothers’ trust in him. He served on the Provincial Council of the legacy Holy Name Province and later as Vicar Provincial and Secretary of Formation and Studies, helping to guide the province’s formation and leadership for more than a decade.

His best-known books include two volumes in the Works of St. Bonaventure series and Francis and His Brothers: A Popular History of the Franciscan Friars, published in 2009 to commemorate the Order’s 800th anniversary.

Those who knew Fr. Dominic often spoke first not of his scholarship, but of his humility, warmth and friendship.

Fr. Dominic is survived by his sister, Susan M. Pfeiffer; nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews; as well as his brother friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Fr. Dominic’s passion for sharing Franciscan history and scholarship shines through in this presentation (“St. Francis: Myth or Reality?”) that he gave to the Secular Institute of Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ in 1993. He served as their spiritual assistant for more than a decade.

The friars invite family and friends to attend a wake scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 22, 2026) at the St. Bonaventure University Chapel. The evening will conclude with a wake service beginning at 7 p.m. A wake will continue prior to the funeral mass from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday (Sept. 23, 2026), at which time the funeral will be held. A lunch will immediately follow the mass, with burial taking place at the St. Bonaventure Cemetery Friars section.

The wake service and Funeral Mass will be livestreamed by St. Bonaventure University. To view the livestream on the day of Dominic’s services please go to the following address: https://video.ibm.com/channel/st-bonaventure-university-live-stream.

A gift made to Our Lady of Guadalupe Province in memory of Fr. Dominic Monti, OFM, a beloved friar, priest, professor and Franciscan scholar, will support the fund established in his honor to provide care for elderly friars, give.franciscanfriarscharities.org/page/200870/donate/1.

Arrangements are with the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home, Olean.