Father Leonard Siebenaler, a native of New Trier who ministered nearly 64 years as a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, died Jan. 16 in Hastings, where he had been living in retirement. He was 89.
Father Siebenaler hailed from a family of religious vocations, including his brothers, retired Fathers Martin and John Siebenaler of the archdiocese. The brothers grew up on a dairy farm and attended the parish’s school, now closed.
Father Leonard Siebenaler was ordained with his brother, Father Martin, Feb. 22, 1959, by Archbishop William Brady at the Cathedral of St Paul in St. Paul. The two brothers celebrated the 60th anniversary of their ordination together at a Sunday Mass, Feb. 24, 2019, at the parish where they grew up, St. Mary in New Trier.
“I especially enjoyed parishes that had grade schools,” Father Leonard said at the 60th anniversary gathering at St. Mary. “I enjoyed parish work, but I was especially enlivened by having large schools connected and having children around.”
Father Martin, 90, told The Catholic Spirit it was his “privilege to give holy Communion to Leonard on his death bed,” a fact he planned to include in the homily he had prepared for the 10 a.m. Jan. 20 funeral of his brother at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.
Known as viaticum, it was “bread for the journey home,” the priest said. “I choke up very easily talking about him,” Father Martin said.
The two shared their childhoods, their schooling, their priesthoods, their retirements, Father Martin said. They both loved to golf, though “we weren’t great golfers,” he said, and trips together were common to Gulf Shores, Alabama, to hit the links.
His brother loved dogs, especially beagles, he had a beautiful singing voice and he played classical music on the guitar, Father Martin said.
Father Leonard’s priestly ministry was remarkable for the dedication he gave to his parishioners, Father Martin said. While he lived a full and long life, he was nearly killed at age 12 when the tractor he was driving tumbled about 6 feet off the barn driveway. He came away from that with “scrapes and two black eyes,” Father Martin said.
“God must have thought, ‘I’m going to need him as one of my priests, for a long time,’” he said.
Father Leonard’s ministry included serving as an assistant pastor of St. Anne in Minneapolis from 1959 to 1964, assistant pastor of St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake from 1964 to 1968, and back to St. Anne from 1968 to 1971.
He was named pastor of St. Paul in Zumbrota in 1971. He served as pastor of St. Columba in St. Paul from 1976 to 1981, Most Holy Trinity in St. Louis Park from 1981 to 1993 and St. Michael in St. Michael from 1993 until his retirement in 2002.
A visitation for Father Leonard was held 4-7 p.m. Jan. 19 at Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel in Hastings. The funeral Mass was preceded by visitation at the church from 8:30-10 a.m. and followed by a reception.
Interment will be at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Cemetery in Hastings.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Jan. 19.
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