Br. Gabriel Balassone, OFM, 92, passes away

Br. Gabriel Balassone, OFM, 92, a respected musician and Franciscan friar for more than 60 years, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2026. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and a classically trained opera singer who graciously shared his passion for music and his remarkable singing voice with others.   

Visitation will be held Friday, March 6, 2026, at 10 a.m. at St. Clement Catholic Church, 4536 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45217, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Burial will be at noon at St. Mary Cemetery, 701 E. Ross Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45217, with a luncheon to follow at St. Clement Friary, 4536 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45217.  

Br. Gabriel was born on May 24, 1933, in Niagara Falls, New York, to Gaetano and Frances (née LaCivitia) Balassone, Catholic immigrants from Sulmona, Italy. His father worked in a factory, while his mother managed the household for their family of seven. He attended Ferry Avenue Elementary School, South Junior High School – where he first joined the choir – and Niagara Falls Senior High School. In 1955, he graduated from State University of New York at Fredonia with a bachelor's degree in fine arts, majoring in music. From 1955 to 1957, he served as a seaman in the United States Navy, stationed in the Florida Keys.  

Then, his life took a dramatic turn when he changed course to pursue religious life. Inspired to serve as a brother, he applied to join the Order of Friars Minor and was received into the Order on Aug. 15, 1962, in Cincinnati. He made his first profession there on Aug. 16, 1963, and took his solemn vows on Aug. 16, 1966, in Southfield, Michigan.   

From 1966 to 1968, Br. Gabriel, who was fluent in Italian and could read German, served at the General Curia, the administrative body of the Order of Friars Minor in Rome, where he assisted Fr. Cyprian Berens, OFM, General Treasurer. While in Italy, he established connections with Italian relatives whom he had not previously met. “Oh, they treated us so well, embracing us as family,” he recalled in the Shrine story. “We also traveled to Assisi, a memorable trip.”  

He next moved to Duns Scotus, the Franciscan School of Philosophy (now closed) in Southfield, where he served in multiple roles over 24 years between 1968 and 1992, including faculty music instructor and assistant director of lay students (1968 to 1973), glee club conductor, library director to the magnificent two-story library (1973 to 1992) and music director (1980 to 1992).   

Resuming his education, he completed 32 hours of postgraduate music studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, from 1970 to 1972. He took a sabbatical year (1992 to 1993) at the former House of Prayer in Cedar Lake, Indiana. Between 1994 and 1997, he served as liturgy director at Mt. St. Francis Retreat Center in Indiana. In 1997, he relocated to St. Anthony Friary in Cincinnati, assuming roles such as guest master, director of a 45,000-volume library, music minister and porter, along with other tasks that helped keep the friary and shrine running smoothly – including playing organ and piano and serving as cantor for numerous provincial events, both celebrations and funerals, until he retired in 2014. In 2019, he transferred to St. John the Baptist Friary in Cincinnati.  

Br. Gabriel was known for his calm and humble nature. In that Shrine interview, he shared that what he valued most about Franciscan life was living in community. He cherished being part of a brotherhood made up of men with different backgrounds, personalities and styles of ministry. As he put it, “Each follows Jesus in the way of St. Francis.”  

Br. Gabriel considered playing a part in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Verdi's "Aida,” starring soprano Martina Arroyo, as one of his most cherished experiences. His longtime piano accompanist at St. Anthony Shrine, Susan Quirk, told SJB News Notes in a 2017 interview that Br. Gabriel’s booming bass singing voice was “the best I have ever heard. That’s all I can say.”   

In the same interview, Br. Gabriel was asked when he realized he had singing talent. Typically, he deflected, saying “I don’t hear myself like other people do. It’s not about how I sound. It’s the fact that it’s a prayerful experience.” He was also known for his love of flowers and the wonderful upkeep of plants at St. Anthony Shrine and his affinity for the Dewey Decimal System in his library duties.  

Br. Gabriel’s late aunt, Sr. Anna Balassone, was also a professed religious, serving with the Sisters of Charity. Br. Gabriel is survived by his brother friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   

In the video below, Br. Gabriel sings “Jesus the Lord” by Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ, recorded in 2014 when he was 81 years old.