Br. Mark Ligett, OFM

Br. Mark Ligett, OFM, 76, passed away Jan. 21, 2025, at St. Luke Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was a professed Franciscan friar for 54 years. Br. Mark was known for his warmth and humor and his deep sense of gratitude for his vocation and fellow friars. He was also a skilled weaver. Visitation will be held on Friday, Jan. 31 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Clement Church, 4536 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217, followed by the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in the friars’ plot at St. Mary Cemetery, 701 E. Ross Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. A luncheon will follow at St. Clement. Br. Mark was born on June 24, 1948, in Worthington, Ohio, to Robert and Barbara Ann (née Musser) Ligett. He attended St. Mary School and Bishop Fenwick High School, both in Middletown, Ohio. Br. Mark went on to attend St. Francis College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he studied fine arts and weaving. Br. Mark also studied at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio: Xavier University in Cincinnati; and Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. He continued his studies at the New Orleans Major Seminary in Louisiana; St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana, earning a Master of Theological Studies; and weaving at St. Mary of the Woods College in Indiana. Br. Mark was received into the Franciscan Order at Holy Family Parish in Oldenburg, Indiana, on Aug. 15, 1969, and made his first profession there on Aug. 8, 1970. He professed solemn vows at St. Anthony Shrine in Cincinnati on March 25, 1975. Early in his Franciscan ministry, Br. Mark served as director of religious education (DRE) at St. Anthony in Streator, Illinois, from 1972 to 1973. He then spent a year in discernment as a Trappist novice at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Gethsemani, Kentucky. From 1974 to 1975, he resided at St. Anthony Shrine in Cincinnati while studying at Mount St. Joseph. In 1975, Br. Mark was assigned as an instructor at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he served until 1981. He went on to serve as DRE at St. Paul Parish in Lafayette, Louisiana, from 1981 to 1982, then in the same role at St. Mary’s in Bloomington, Illinois, from 1982 to 1983. He spent the following year in discernment with the Trappists at New Melleray Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa. In 1984, Br. Mark returned to Bishop Luers High School, where he taught for the next four years. He then served at Bishop Fenwick High School, his alma mater, for two years. From 1990 to 1992, Br. Mark ministered the Franciscans’ formation program in Cincinnati. He went on to spend the next 13 years as pastoral administrator at Holy Trinity Parish in Harlan, Kentucky. In 2005, Br Mark became part of the founding community of the inter-provincial House of Prayer in Ava, Missouri, serving there until 2008. From there, Br. Mark went on to minister at St. Francis Retreat House in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he served in a variety of roles, including co-administrator. He especially enjoyed welcoming guests and managing the gift shop. Most recently, Br. Mark had been receiving care at Holy Family Senior Living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Br. Mark was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his sister Tracy Ligett Cole and brother Gary Ligett, friends and his brother friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, including classmate Br. Jerome Beetz, OFM.