We Welcome You to Join Us!
Homecoming is a special time for alumni to gather, so please make plans to join old friends in Covington in the coming days! Join us on the beautiful grounds of Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College for the 106th Homecoming & Alumni Day on April 10th, 2026. Planned activities will give you a chance to catch up with classmates and to learn about the new and exciting things happening at Saint Ben’s. We look forward to seeing you!
St. Ben’s Abbey Open, Sept. 18th
Bayou Oaks in City Park, New Orleans
Save the Date
Alumni Day, April 10th
Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College Campus
SCHEDULE
1-4 PM - Registration
2:30 PM - Schola Alumni Practice
4 PM - General Assembly
5:30 PM - Mass
6:30 PM - Cocktail Social
7:30 PM - Dinner
HONOREES
2026 Alumnus of the Year
Fr. Ronald L. Calkins, Class of 1978
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2026 Son of Saint Ben
Fr. Dustin Dought, Class of 2013
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2026 Honorary Alumni Association Member
Gloria Callais
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2026 Honored Classes
’66, 76’, ‘86, ‘96, ‘01, ‘06, ‘16, ‘26
FEES & REGISTRATION
Alumni Dues: $35 Alumni: $5 Students
Social & Dinner: $50 Alumni; $25 Students
Sponsor a Seminarian: $30
2026 ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Fr. Ronald L. Calkins
Retired, Archdiocese of New Orleans
Class of 1978
Fr. Ronald Calkins was born on May 1, 1951 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the youngest child of Gay and Dolores Calkins who are both deceased. His two brothers, Deacon Richard Calkins and Dennis Calkins are both deceased. Richard‘s wife June lives in Mississippi, and Dennis‘s wife Mary lives in Mandeville. His sister, Kathleen Calkins Berault lives in Slidell. She is married to Deacon Warren Berault.
Fr. Calkins attended Saint Agnes elementary school in Jefferson, Louisiana, St. John Vianney Prep in New Orleans, Louisiana; Saint Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict, Louisiana; and Notre Dame seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1978 by Archbishop Philip M Hannan at St. Louis Cathedral.
Fr. Calkins recently shared, he has a great love for St. Ben's. "The Abbey has meant a great deal to me.The spiritual formation I received at Saint Joseph Seminary College is the foundation that has helped me through the years of my priesthood. Through the years, I have returned to the Abbey. I love to go on retreat at the Retreat Center. The Abbey is a very special place in the woods."
He served as Parochial Vicar at a number of parishes in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He also served as Vocation director for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and CYO Youth Ministry Director for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He also served on the Presbyteral Council for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and was a Consultor for the Archbishop.
He served as Pastor of Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Mandeville, Louisiana for 19 years and Pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Metairie for four years.
He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher and Legatus
He received the St. John Vianney award from Notre Dame Seminary in 2016 and the first Legacy award from Mary Queen of Peace Parish in 2026.
He retired from active ministry in 2018 and currently resides at St. Anthony’s Gardens in Covington, Louisiana, where he serves as a Priest Chaplain.Fr. Landry is a retired priest with the Diocese of Lafayette. Born in Rayne on June 6, 1924, he marked his 100th birthday last summer.
2026 SON OF SAINT BEN
Fr. Dustin P. Dought
Diocese of Lafayette
Class of 2013
Father Dustin Dought was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he attended St. Genevieve Elementary School and Teurlings Catholic High School. Following graduation, he enrolled at Seton Hall University in New Jersey to pursue a degree in Diplomacy and International Relations. During his freshman year, he began discerning a call to the priesthood and entered priestly formation for the Diocese of Lafayette at St. Joseph Seminary College in 2007, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Theological Studies. Father Dought continued his theological education at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he completed the Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) and the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) in Liturgical Studies. He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.Th.D.) in Liturgical Studies at The Catholic University of America. His doctoral research focuses on “Praise and Petition in Early Roman Prayers of Blessing,” examining the historical and theological dimensions of early Christian liturgical prayer.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 8, 2013, for the Diocese of Lafayette. His early priestly assignments included service as parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Eunice and Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Duralde, Louisiana, as well as campus minister at St. Edmund Catholic High School. From 2017 to 2021, Father Dought served as pastor of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Lafayette. During this time, he also served as Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Lafayette, chaplain of Teurlings Catholic High School, and a member of the Board of Pastors of Sts. Leo–Seton Catholic School.
In 2021, Father Dought was appointed Associate Director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and in 2023 he became Executive Director of the Secretariat. In this role, he assists the bishops of the United States in matters concerning the Church’s liturgical life, sacramental practice, and liturgical formation.
In addition to his pastoral and administrative responsibilities, Father Dought is actively engaged in teaching and formation. He teaches Ordained Ministries in the seminary program at The Catholic University of America and has lectured widely for diocesan formation programs, seminarians, deacons, clergy, and lay pastoral leaders. A frequent presenter at national and diocesan conferences, his work focuses on liturgical theology, the sacraments, the ars celebrandi, and the relationship between worship and ecclesial life. Father Dought remains deeply grateful to St. Joseph Seminary College for the solid intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral formation he received there, which laid a lasting foundation for his priesthood and ongoing service to the Church.
2026 HONORARY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
Dr. Jim Bradford and Mrs. Dayle Bradford
Dr. Jim Bradford and his wife, Dayle, first met at the LSU Medical School cafeteria, where a chance encounter began a love that would span more than six decades. They were married in 1963 and soon began building a life centered on faith, family, and service to others.
In 1968, with three young children in tow, they moved to the North Shore, where they would ultimately raise a family that grew to include five children, eleven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In the early 1970s, while searching for property to build their forever home, they felt providentially led to River Road, where their family roots would grow alongside their connection to the surrounding community.
Their relationship with St. Joseph Abbey began in the mid-1970s in a simple but meaningful way. On Ash Wednesday, with four small children at home, Dayle began calling local churches in search of an evening service the whole family could attend. That search led them to St. Joseph Abbey for the first time. What began as a single visit soon grew into more than fifty years of friendship, devotion, and support for the Abbey and its mission.
Over the decades, the Bradfords became deeply connected to the life of the Abbey community. Through his medical practice, Dr. Bradford cared for monks and seminarians alike, generously offering his services whenever they were needed. Jim and Dayle also opened their home in warm hospitality, welcoming Vietnamese seminarians who had fled their war-torn country to celebrate Christmas with their family.
Those gatherings would grow into decades of joyful Christmas celebrations, bringing together the Abbey Schola and many of the remarkable musicians whose voices and talents have enriched the Abbey’s liturgical life. Music, friendship, and faith became hallmarks of the Bradfords’ enduring relationship with the Abbey. Dayle’s dedication also helped inspire what would later become the Deo Gracias fundraiser, strengthening the Abbey’s ability to continue its mission of prayer, education, and service.
In November 2025, Dayle passed away after a valiant battle with Alzheimer’s, surrounded by her loving family and comforted in her final days by visits from monks and dear friends from St. Joseph Abbey. She now rests on the hallowed grounds of the Abbey she loved so deeply—an especially fitting resting place for someone whose life was so closely intertwined with its community.
Through the years, Jim and Dayle Bradford have embodied the Benedictine spirit of hospitality, generosity, and faithful stewardship. Their lives reflect a deep love for family, community, and the enduring spiritual home they found at St. Joseph Abbey.