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Published: January 6, 2010

St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado loses first abbot

Funeral arrangements set for Norbertine Fr. Ladislas Parker

Norbertine Fr. Ladislas K. Parker, the first abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 3, shortly after midnight. He was 94.

The abbey issued the following notification of the abbot’s death, “Our heavenly Father, the Lord of the living and the dead, has called to Himself Reverendissimus Dom. Ladislas Francis Keresztesy-Parker, Abbot Founder and First Abbot of St. Michael’s in Orange, on Sunday, 3 January, A.D. 2010, at 12:05 A.M.”

The abbey provided the following details on Fr. Parker’s funeral arrangements:

Thursday, January 7:
4:30 p.m. – Reception of the Body into the Abbey Church
5:00 p.m. - Vespers

Friday, January 8:
Midnight – Vigil Office of Readings and Homily
9:00 a.m. – Lauds of the Dead
11:00 a.m. -- Requiem Mass
4:20 p.m. -- Mid-afternoon Prayer followed by transfer of Body to Mission San Juan Capistrano Basilica
7:30 p.m. -Vespers of the Dead with Homily at Mission San Juan Capistrano Basilica

Saturday, January 9:
9:30 a.m. -- Funeral Mass at Mission Basilica
11:30 a.m. -- Burial at Ascension Cemetery
12:30 p.m. – Reception - open to all



The abbey issued the following statement regarding Fr. Parker’s life:

Francis Pürker was born in German-speaking Vaskeresztes, Hungary, on December 19, 1915. He attended school in Szombathely at the Norbertine gymnasium directed by confreres of St. Michael’s Abbey in Csorna. Upon graduation Francis entered the Abbey’s novitiate and received the name of Ladislas. After novitiate and profession, he completed philosophical studies in the studium of the Abbey and was then sent to Rome, where he pursued theological studies at the Gregorian University.

Fr. Ladislas was ordained a priest on August 20, 1940 and completed his doctoral studies in 1942 with a dissertation on “The Doctrine of St. Augustine on Hope.” Upon return from his studies Fr. Ladislas was named master of novices and professor of moral theology at the Abbey, posts he filled until escaping Communist Hungary along with his confreres in July 1950.

Received warmly by Abbot Sylvester Killeen and the confreres of St. Norbert’s Abbey in DePere, Wisconsin, Fr. Ladislas and his companions served in a variety of ministerial settings doing both parish and academic work in the Abbey’s widely-spread apostolates. Fr. Ladislas, though, was the driving force enabling his fellow refugees to reunite in 1957, reestablishing both the common life in Santa Ana, California, and a common apostolate at Mater Dei High School, at the invitation of Cardinal James McIntyre, Archbishop of Los Angeles. He served on the faculty of Mater Dei until 1961 when in August a new foundation was opened as a junior seminary and novitiate of the Abbey of St. Michael’s in Csorna, Hungary.

From 1959 - 1975, Fr. Ladislas was administrator of the community with its growing number of seminarians. In June 1975 the community in Silverado became an independent priory and Fr. Ladislas was elected the first prelate. In August, 1984, following the decision of the Order’s definitory, the canonry was elevated to abbey status and Fr. Ladislas was named its first abbot. Upon reaching 75 years of age in 1990, he was re-elected prelate. Abbot Parker became abbot emeritus upon his resignation in June 1995. By that time and under his wise and loving governance the community had grown to 41 priests and nearly 60 confreres.

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