DECEMBER 10
On this day in 2004, our confrere, Father Guy Gau, OSB, died in Watertown, South Dakota while riding in a car with Brother Rene Wilson, OSB. After spending the afternoon in town at the clinic and doing some shopping, they were deciding where to have their evening meal before returning to the abbey. Father Guy died before a decision was made.
      Eugene Gau was born in Sioux City, Iowa on September 2, 1932. His father taught shoe repair to students at St. Paul’s Indian Mission, Marty, South Dakota on the Yankton Reservation, one of the places staffed by our community. In 1956, he entered the novitiate at Blue Cloud. Professing vows on August 15, 1957, he received the name Guy. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 27, 1962.
      During the decade of the Sixties, Father Guy served as chaplain of the Catholic students at Flandreau Indian School and was the pastor of St. William’s Church in nearby by Aurora, South Dakota. Following these assignments, he was at our priory in Coban, Guatemala, and later on at Immaculate Conception Mission in South Dakota. While on the Crow Creek Reservation, he was also the pastor of St. Joseph’s Church at Ft. Thompson.      From 1971 until 1973, he was at Arizona State University earning a master’s degree in counseling. Upon completion of this work, he was a marriage counselor at St. Ann’s Mission in Belcourt, North Dakota on the Turtle Mountain Reservation. Returning to South Dakota, Father Guy worked for the Diocese of Sioux Falls as the Director of Marriage and Family Counseling for four years. Next he became Director of Catholic Family Services, and from 1981 until 1986, he was the Executive Director of the Beginning Experience. For a brief time he was a therapist with Benedictine Family Services in Yankton. In more recent years, until his health began failing, he was the Director of the Blue Cloud Abbey Retreat Center.
      Father Guy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease thirteen years ago. He had great determination to live an active life regardless of his physical affliction. Although he had to slow down, this did not keep him from going places. We had often razzed him because of the several pieces of luggage he required for a trip. For this final journey, he took nothing with him — not even an overnight bag. And before he could decide where to dine in Watertown, South Dakota, he was whisked off to eternity, where we trust he has reservations for the heavenly banquet.