Dale "Fran" Bennett

Dale Bennett, aka Francis “Fran” Bennett, was born on September 20, 1958 and went home to her maker on January 6, 2022. Fran, as she was known as late, led a very full and colorful life, leaving behind family and many friends from all over the world. She was preceded in death by parents Harold & Helen Bennett and twin brother Donald Bennett. Brought up in a loving religious family, Fran felt a calling to monastic life in her mid teens. She studied at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus Ohio to become a priest, followed by her ordination as a Franciscan Brother at a mass attended by family and friends. She started spiritual life as a Trappist at The Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where she was named Brother Francis after her much-loved saint, Francis of Assisi. Later she lived in monasteries in Paris and Montreal. After she moved away from monastic life, Fran became a hospice chaplain working with the sick and dying in parishes, hospitals and hospices. Fran was a talented artist and studied the practice of Greek Iconography, producing some wonderful results. She also wrote and published a powerful book, “I Am That I Am”, about her work with the dying and her spiritual experiences in the monastery. It became a best-seller in its field and as a result of that, as well as interviews on YouTube, she was soon asked to lead spiritual retreats in the US and later in Europe. She gained a large following, helping vast numbers of people overcome issues in their lives, guiding them towards inner harmony through prayer and meditation. As a retreat and workshop facilitator, Fran had a great gift for spontaneous joy – which she would express through the recitation from memory of poems and prayers, and sometimes through song. One of Fran’s favorite songs which she played but also sang was: Everything is Holy Now by Peter Mayer “It used to be a world half-there Heaven’s second rate hand-me-down But now I walk it with a reverent air Cause everything is holy now.” Many have been touched by her life and the world was forever changed by having had Fran in it. May she rest in eternal peace. Amen. A virtual memorial service for Fran will take place on March 26, 2022. Full details will be available by mid-February at www.fullcircleawakening.com