Meet a Monk: David Klingeman
Abbey archives
Timothy Backous, O.S.B.
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T seems that one could open just about any door at Saint John’s Abbey or its environs and find Brother David hard at work. There is a logical explanation for this: Brother David Klingeman, O.S.B., is the abbey’s archivist, its guestmaster, and one of its main organists for Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. And although David would never admit this, he excels in all his work.
After graduating from high school David attended nearby Wartburg College where he earned a degree in music education. Feeling called to monastic life in some form, he began a systematic search for communities in the Midwest. In 1978 he made his way to Saint John’s, which just happened to be the last place on his list. He notes: “What attracted me was that there were so many younger people, and the community had a sense of excitement and dynamism about it.” It was the perfect atmosphere for a young, talented musician who was deeply interested in a Benedictine way of life. He professed first vows on 11 July 1980 and solemn vows three years later. A man of many talents, Brother David began to explore his career options. His first assignment was to Computing Services where he worked as an intern for what was then a burgeoning
enterprise on the Saint John’s campus. From 1981-1985 David served in Alcuin Library as a technical services clerk, a position that inspired him to seek further education in the library sciences, which he did at Simmons College in Boston. In 1987 David returned to the abbey with a M.S.L.S. degree and began serving as a public services librarian specialist overseeing the government document collection of Alcuin Library, and later as circulation librarian. Brother David’s service in the library ended in 1995 when Abbot Timothy Kelly, O.S.B., called him to a meeting and shared with him that Father Vincent Tegeder, O.S.B., the abbey archivist at that time, wished to retire. Abbot Timothy asked David to consider this important work. Without hesitation, he agreed, but asked for some time for training. He was given a year of study at the University of
Born in Postville, Iowa, David was raised in the nearby town of Monona, where his parents owned and operated the town’s only diner and taught him his earliest lessons in hospitality. Even though the abbey guesthouse does not feature a blue plate special yet, the atmosphere attempts to capture a blend of Iowa charm and Minnesota nice, and Brother David’s leadership values both. Brother David, organist
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Klingeman archives
Wisconsin–Milwaukee and began his new assignment on 1 August 1996. Abbey archivist is a position David takes quite seriously. This nearly 160-year-old institution has a rich archival deposit, but a good curator must have a nose for what is ultimately worthless or of great value. Between professional “know how” and consultation with the abbot and other confreres, Brother David is adept at paring down the mountains of stuff that pours into the archives each year. He admonishes his confreres: “No matter how much you accumulate or accomplish, you will end up with one lateral inch of shelf space when you die, so start throwing things away so I don’t have to do it!” Sobering but sound advice! As one could imagine, those shelves are filled with many fascinating, sometimes historical, treasures. Some of David’s favorites include over five thousand glass-plate negatives and a series of Saint John’s banknotes—actual currency that was printed because banks were too far away from the campus. Like any Benedictine monastery, Saint John’s Abbey takes hospitality seriously. Until 2006, however, there were only six rooms for visitors, making it difficult to accommodate all those who wished to stay on campus. After tenacious and careful planning, spanning decades, the monks opened a new guesthouse in 2006. Built to house forty-five people, the new facility was in need of a monk to manage it
had to repeat his mother’s rebuke of a surly patron: “See if you can find another restaurant in this damn town!”)
Brother David, archivist
Klingeman archives
well. Since guests deserve the best attention a monastery can give them, Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B., turned to Brother David to fill this important position. Unwilling to give up his work in the archives, David added to his plate the job of guesthouse director, and in 2013 he also became the abbey’s guestmaster. The job requires attention to detail and the same skills one would need to run a small inn. But, more importantly, it demands a clear understanding of the Benedictine spirit that must be seen and felt within the walls of the guesthouse. Each person who comes to the monastery must be welcomed like Christ himself (Rule of Benedict 53), and every effort must be made to meet each guest’s needs. This is a demanding and relentless enterprise, for guests “are never lacking in a monastery” (RB 53.16). (As guestmaster, David has not yet
If you were to ask Brother David to describe a typical day, he might look at you over his glasses with a stare that says, “Are you kidding me?” And that would be an appropriate response, given the many and varied tasks he juggles each day. Yet, each manifestation of his talent for music, organization, and hospitality is accomplished with finesse, professionalism, and exacting detail. All his jobs, especially that of playing the organ for abbey liturgies, have people breathing down his neck one way or another. Each of his jobs carries heavy expectations of excellence, but perhaps growing up in that small town diner taught him how to meet those needs by being prepared, being welcoming, and being good at what he does.
Klingeman archives
Brother David, child prodigy
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