She appeared at first to be shy and unprepossessing, yet her powerfully intimate relationship with God shone through everything she did. Marion gave herself selflessly...
We mourn the passing of Marion Kaple on January 13, 2023. She has been a strong, beloved member of our Contemplative Outreach Atlanta community. Marion Helena Keeler Kaple was born in North Dakota. She became Sister of St. Francis in Rochester, Minnesota. After she left the order and came to Atlanta, she fell in love with Don Kaple, a former Glenmary priest. They connected on a deep level that most couples never reach, both committed to spiritual self-development and discovery.
They loved their son Dan and daughter Katie. After Don passed away suddenly in 2017, Marion felt a deep loss for the rest of her life. She also grieved for her daughter Katie, who died suddenly in 2022. In spite of these losses, she continued working as an active volunteer for Contemplative Outreach Atlanta right up until the end.
She appeared at first to be shy and unprepossessing, yet her powerfully intimate relationship with God shone through everything she did. Marion gave herself selflessly to our Contemplative Outreach Atlanta community in many ways. She has been our treasurer for eight years. I loved getting to know her when I mentored her to become a commissioned presenter of Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshops along with Ken Hatcher and Carl McColman. As we shared our spiritual journey with each other, her soft spoken words revealed her astoundingly close connection with God shining through. She communicated this clearly in the workshops she gave and supported. Her two Centering Prayer groups were lucky recipients of her wisdom and beautiful commitment as well.
We will miss her terribly. We treasure the many gifts she selflessly gave us, filled with her great love.