06/10/2026
We share with sadness that Fr. George Seidel, O.S.B., monk of Saint Martin's Abbey has passed into eternal life, and we give thanks for his faithful witness as we trust in the hope of Christ’s resurrection.
Father George Seidel, O.S.B., lived a rich and varied life as a monk, scholar, and teacher. A professor of philosophy at Saint Martin’s University for more than 50 years, he authored nine books and numerous articles, while also serving as abbey organist and member of the monastic schola. His many pursuits included mountain climbing, jazz piano, boxing in his youth, and donating over 100 pints of blood; he also wrote fables that occasionally shaped his preaching.
Born in Tacoma, Washington, on April 25, 1932, and raised in southern Idaho, he entered Saint Martin’s as a student before joining the novitiate in 1952. After professing vows and graduating with degrees in philosophy and music, he studied theology in Rome and made solemn profession at Subiaco. Ordained in 1958, he went on to earn advanced degrees in philosophy from the University of Toronto, with further study in Freiburg, where he met Martin Heidegger.
He joined the Saint Martin’s faculty in 1962 and remained a dedicated teacher and mentor for decades. Within the monastery, he served in leadership roles including prior and subprior, and contributed to broader Benedictine life through his work on Renew and Create. His intellectual curiosity led him across the world—from studying in Buenos Aires to living briefly as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, and later conducting research in Europe and the United States.
He once described his return from Europe via the Trans-Siberian Express as one of his final great adventures.
He is survived by his confreres, his brother John, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, his many students over the years, and friends.
The Vigil will be Friday, June 19 at 7:30 p.m. and the Funeral will be Saturday, June 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Martin's Abbey Church.