Fr. Dominic Monti, O.F.M., a revered Franciscan scholar and educator whose lifelong devotion to the Franciscan intellectual tradition was matched by decades of service to St. Bonaventure University, peacefully passed away on Sept. 16, 2026, while in hospice care. He was 83 years old, a Franciscan friar for 61 years and a priest for 55 years.

A native of Bradford, Pennsylvania, Fr. Dominic’s relationship with St. Bonaventure spanned nearly six decades, beginning as a student and ultimately encompassing roles as professor, scholar and university leader.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Bonaventure in 1967 before entering Holy Name Province of the Order of Friars Minor. He was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1971.

Fr. Dominic went on to pursue advanced studies at The Catholic University of America, Union Theological Seminary and the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he earned a doctorate in theology, specializing in the history of Christianity, in 1979.

That deep grounding in church history would shape a distinguished career as an educator and scholar.

“Fr. Dominic had the ability to embrace the challenges and difficulties of daily life, contemplate their deeper meaning, and allow them to shape a wise vision of the world — to see the world and the people around him as gifts from the Creator and instruments of grace,” said Minister Provincial Br. Michael Perry, O.F.M., of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“A brilliant mind, Fr. Dominic possessed the humility of St. Anthony of Lisbon (Padua). A caring heart, Fr. Dominic invited all to approach the banquet of the Lord, with no one excluded, and no one left behind. A visionary scholar, Fr. Dominic masterfully bridged history and theology, finding God’s evolving invitation within every epochal change and affirming it as a call toward broader horizons,” Br. Michael said. 

After teaching theology at St. Bonaventure early in his career, Fr. Dominic spent many years teaching church history at Washington Theological Union and Christ the King Seminary. He returned to St. Bonaventure in 2002 as a professor of theology, later becoming Distinguished Professor of Franciscan Studies and Professor of Franciscan Research at the Franciscan Institute.

His scholarship helped make the Franciscan tradition accessible not only to academics, but to generations of friars, students and laypeople seeking a deeper understanding of Franciscan history and spirituality.

“Fr. Dominic was one of the most respected friars in the Franciscan Order, one of our greatest scholars.  He helped form hundreds of friars in Franciscan history, traditions and theological scholarship. He was invited to several General Chapters of the Order in Assisi as an expert on our Franciscan life,” said Fr. John O’Connor, O.F.M., guardian of St. Anthony Shrine in Boston.

“Personally, he was one of my closest friends and advisers as my vicar during my years as director of our Franciscan Seminary in Washington, D.C., and during my nine years as Provincial of Holy Name Province. I treasured his insights and wisdom.”

Fr. Dominic was the author of “Francis & His Brothers: A Popular History of the Franciscan Friars,” a sweeping history of the Franciscan movement. He also served as a translator and editor of volumes of the works of St. Bonaventure and contributed to “Francis of Assisi: Early Documents,” among other scholarly work.

His research and writing explored Franciscan history and spirituality, the life and thought of St. Bonaventure, and the broader history of Christianity. Even late in his life, he remained intellectually engaged, continuing to write and publish for the Commission on the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition.

For all his scholarly credentials, Fr. Dominic was known by students and colleagues as an approachable and humble teacher, someone whose command of history never overwhelmed his pastoral instincts or his ability to make complex ideas understandable.

His service to St. Bonaventure extended well beyond the classroom.

On March 9, 2003, Fr. Dominic was named interim president of the university during one of the most challenging periods in its history. He served through May 31, 2004, providing a steady presence during a critical leadership transition.

His calm demeanor, deep affection for St. Bonaventure and grounding in the university’s Franciscan mission helped guide the campus community during that period and reinforced the trust colleagues placed in him.

“Fr. Dominic took the presidency of St. Bonaventure at the darkest hour in its history. What he brought to that critical time was his profound knowledge of the importance of history. He knew the history of the university and the two provinces that were its founders,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., president emerita of St. Bonaventure who succeeded Fr. Dominic as president.

“His expertise in Franciscan history gave him perspective and patience. And he knew that there was deep in the Bonaventure community a profound capacity for renewal. Now he becomes a blessed name in that story.”

Fr. Dominic later served as provincial vicar of Holy Name Province, one of the senior leadership positions within the province, while remaining closely connected to the university and the broader Franciscan academic community.

Throughout his ministry, Fr. Dominic resisted drawing attention to himself. His understanding of Franciscan life instead emphasized accompaniment, inquiry and helping others discover meaning.

Speaking at a St. Bonaventure Mission Forum in 2016, he reflected on the role Franciscan friars could play in the lives of students. Their purpose, he said, was not to “promote specific beliefs” but to “encourage people to discover their own truths as human beings.”

It was an approach reflected in his own life as an educator.

Whether lecturing on centuries of church history, examining the writings of St. Bonaventure, mentoring a student or colleague, or helping lead the university through uncertainty, Fr. Dominic brought the same qualities to his work: intellectual rigor, humility, patience and a profound commitment to the Franciscan tradition.

For generations of students, friars and colleagues, he was both a scholar of Franciscan history and part of St. Bonaventure’s own history — a teacher and Franciscan whose influence reached far beyond the classroom and whose life embodied the intellectual and spiritual tradition he spent decades studying, preserving and sharing.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 164 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked in the Top 25 overall and for value by U.S. News and World Report (2026).

About the Franciscan Friars/Order of Friars Minor: The Franciscan friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe belong to the Order of Friars Minor. They are a coast-to-coast Catholic brotherhood devoted to living the Gospel in the manner of St. Francis of Assisi and in imitation to Jesus Christ. They serve the poor, the forgotten and the marginalized alongside people of goodwill located across the United States, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.  The Order of Friars Minor was founded by St. Francis of Assisi around 1209. Friars Minor profess vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to the Pope and Roman Church, emphasizing radical Gospel living, preaching, and service to the poor.