Theodore Seneschal, O.S.B., Monk, Presbyter, Storyteller, and Cuddler, won his fight against cancer by dying at St. Gregory's Abbey on April 28, 2005, amid his monastic brothers and family. He was 62 years old.

Born Terry Wilfred Seneschal in San Diego, California, to Wilford George and Emma Elizabeth Mattis Seneschal Hash, on July 23, 1942, he grew up in San Diego and in the Los Angeles area.

He chose the name James at his Confirmation. He attended St. Benedict Grade School in Montebello, California, St. Gregory's High School and College in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and was clothed as a novice at St. Gregory's Abbey on June 23, 1962, taking his monastic name Theodore. He professed his temporary vows of Obedience, Stability, and Conversion to a Monastic Way of Life on Midsummer's Day, June 24, 1963, the Feast of the Birth of John the Baptizer.

Father Theodore finished his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, and after one year of theological studies at St. Gregory's he professed his final vows. He finished his studies in theology at St. Gregory's, St. Meinrad Seminary, and St. Louis University; he was ordained subdeacon and deacon, and after finishing his Master's Degree in Education at the University of Indiana at Bloomington, he was ordained to the priesthood on June 20, 1970.

Fr. Theodore then began a 34 year career at St. Gregory's College and University as Instructor in English, Religious Studies, Theology, Scripture, Marriage and the Family, Logic Latin, and Ethics. He held the administrative positions of Residence Hall adviser and Director, Head of Campus Ministry, Dean of Students, and Resident Chaplain. While he was Dean he inaugurated the "Late Night Breakfasts" for students studying for their final examinations at the end of each semester. Faculty and staff prepared food and helped the students with their last-minute work. Father Theodore helped with the "Orchestra and Chorus" of various University productions, including Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma, and Fiddler on the Roof. He also has roles to play in Romeo and Juliet, Barnum, 110 in the Shade, and The Lady's Not For Burning.

He completed studies for a Master's Degree in Theology from the University of Notre Dame, and did postgraduate studies at Boston College, Loyola Orange and Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, and Santa Clara University.

Fr. Theodore was active in parish ministry in Oklahoma, going out on many weekends to substitute for the pastors and for raising scholarship funds for St. Gregory's University. He took great delight in being able to preside at Mass in Spanish, and even to give homilies, read mostly from texts prepared by others. A detached retina in the summer of 2003 blinded him sufficiently to keep him from any further parish assignments.

He was associate pastor at St. Benedict Church in Montebello, and pastor at St. Vincent de Paul parish in McLoud, Oklahoma. At various times he held the posts of Guestmaster, Master of Ceremonies, Cantor, Subprior, and Master of Junior Monks at St. Gregory's Abbey.

On weekends that he did not have a parish assignment he took groups of students on campouts at Sacred Heart near Konawa, Oklahoma, and on canoe float trips along the Illinois River. Fr. Theodore also enjoyed swimming and riding his bicycle off campus whenever he could get away for a few hours. During his last years he rode from place to place on St. Gregory's campus because, as he said, "It hurts too much too walk."

He developed flower and vegetable gardens near the monastery and in the courtyard of Degrasse Residence Hall. There he laid walkways of recycled bricks, most of which he gathered and cleaned himself. This was an ongoing work in progress, dedicated to al the people connected with St. Gregory's who had died since he began the project. His own name will be added to the list. While he was Resident Chaplain he adopted a Siamese-Tabby Cat whom he named "Gregory;" "Easy to remember," he said. Gregory was popular with several generations of students.

His study of theology led him to a profound love and appreciation of the liturgy. In November, 2003, he ceased presiding at the Abbey's Conventual Mass, except for a few Sundays during lent, 2004. "I wanted to do it well," he said, "and I can't see and get around well enough to do it." Father Theodore did, however, continue to preside at Eucharist with the students in St. Benedict's Chapel in Residence Hall until the end of the Fall Semester, 2004.

The last few years of his life found him on the periphery of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter. He was preparing to be a priest-presenter for Encounter Weekends, but had to discontinue this when he was diagnosed with cancer of the prostate, which had already spread to his bones.

His latest "low impact ministry," as he called it, was being a "Cuddler" of premature, high-risk infants at the University of Oklahoma Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City. This experience was much more than "just holding babies;" these little human beings were truly tiny, weighing upward of two pounds and hooked up to feeding tubes and monitors. Friday afternoons became a high point of his week when he could spend a few hours with them. His long-time family friend and caregiver, and oblate of St. Gregory's Abbey, Jan Pasienski, drove him back and forth to Children's Hospital, and to other medical appointments.

Fr. Theodore was a regular participant in the radio program Cavalier Chat, with discussions on the sacraments, vocation, and the place of theological studies in the university. In November, 2004, he was on National Public Radio with Puzzlemaster Will Shortz and the moderator of Weekend Edition, Leann Hansen. "It was quite an honor," he said; "only about fifty people a year get called to do this."

Fr. Theodore was preceded in death by numerous monks of St. Gregory's Abbey, by his parents, his half-sister Winifred Balekian, his nephew Paul and sister-in-law Mari Phillip Seneschal. He is survived by the monks of St. Gregory's Abbey, his brother Phillip Seneschal, his sister-in-law Jacqueline Magness Seneschal, and seven nephews and nieces.

The services for Fr. Theodore are: Reception of the Body at St. Gregory's Abbey, Shawnee, Oklahoma, at 11:45 a.m. Monday, May 2; Vigils of the Office of the Dead at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 2, in St. Gregory's Abbey Church; Mass of Resurrection at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3, in St. Gregory's Abbey Church, with Rt. Rev. Martin Lugo, O.S.B., Abbot, presiding, with burial in the Abbey Cemetery to follow.

Memorials may be made to a scholarship fund in his name at St. Gregory's University, 1900 W. MacArthur Street, Shawnee, Oklahoma 74804.