He was born Joseph Paul Kline III to Joseph P. Kline and Vanetta Hiltner Kline, in Philadelphia. He attended the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Elementary School and St. Joseph Preparatory, a Jesuit high school. At 15, Kline performed his first public organ concert.
Kline entered the Juilliard School in New York, studying under Vernon de Tar. During his final year at Juilliard in 1970-71, Kline presented the complete organ works of J.S. Bach in 14 recitals, an accomplishment that earned a profile in the New York Times.
Kline ended his budding music career in 1972, when he entered the Trappist monastery of Gethsemani in Kentucky. Taking the name of Francis, he was sent to Rome to study theology at the Benedictine Athenaeum, Sant’ Anselmo, earning an advanced theological degree in 1984.
In 1986, he was ordained a priest and appointed novice director for the community at Mepkin, which was a foundation of the Gethsemani monastery. He was appointed the third abbot of Mepkin on Jan. 21, 1990.
Even as he struggled with a diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia, a disease which progressed to lymphoma, Kline kept to his monastic schedule as much as possible.
Also, the blogger at the Eagle and the Elephant notes the passing on Saturday of Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe, founder of the Community of St. John
There are two foundations of the Community of St. John in the US: one in Texas, and the other in Illinois. Probably the most well-known member of the community in the US is Fr. Antoine Thomas, of Children of Hope, an apostolate formed to promote and support Eucharistic Adoration with children. Michael worked with him on his book Praying in the Presence of the Lord with Children, published by OSV. In the tradition of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, Fr. Antoine also leads youth and young adults in mountain climbing/hiking trips both here in the US and in Europe.
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