By Editor, August 24, 2025
Father Andrew Dominic Ciferni, O. Praem., entered eternal life on August 21, 2025. Born February 3, 1942, in Philadelphia, PA, he was the eldest of four sons of Amelia and Amedeo Ciferni. A son of South Philadelphia, he grew up serving at St. Edmond’s Parish and developed a lifelong love of liturgy, faith, and his Italian heritage.
After meeting the Norbertines at Bishop Neumann High School, he entered the Order in 1959 and professed his vocation at Daylesford Abbey. His formation and studies took him to St. Norbert College, the Gregorian University in Rome during Vatican II, and the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his doctorate in liturgy. Ordained in 1968, Father Andrew’s ministry spanned decades as teacher, liturgist, theologian, and formation director, serving at Daylesford, Catholic University, and Washington Theological Union.
In 2013, Father Andrew became the Director of the Center for Norbertine Studies at Saint Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. He also served as a Trustee of the college, ultimately holding the position of Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2022. Father Andrew returned to Daylesford Abbey in 2018 but continued to chair the college’s Board of Trustees. He also served on Archmere’s Board of Trustees.
At Daylesford, Father Andrew held various roles, including canonry liturgist, director of formation, master of professed, vocation director, and a member of the programming team for the Abbey’s Spirituality Center. In 2020, he composed the text for the hymn “Novem Saeculi,” which commemorated the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Norbertine Order.
In 2014, Father Andrew authored the text for “Sound the Bells of Holy Freedom,” which was selected as the official hymn for the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, presided over by Pope Francis. This was a testament to Andrew’s passion for liturgy, which was central to his ministry as a Norbertine: to lead the faithful in joyful and intentional prayer through words and music.
Despite his impressive and well-recognized accomplishments as a Norbertine at Daylesford Abbey, Father Andrew cherished the beauty of the world, deeply influenced by his Italian-American heritage and humble upbringing. He had a profound love for all things Italian, including fine wine, exquisite art, and culinary delights that pleased his palate. His interests also extended to classical music and literature, as he was an avid reader of historical, religious, and architectural texts, possessing a seemingly unquenchable intellectual curiosity. Additionally, he was a devoted fan of the Fightin’ Irish of the University of Notre Dame.
During the last three years of his life, Father Andrew battled cancer. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, he embodied Saint Paul’s words in Romans 12:12: “Rejoice in Hope, Endure in Affliction, Persevere in Prayer.” While Andrew was a remarkable liturgist during his life, facing death, he exemplified grace, serenity, and surrender to his caregivers and to the will of the God he loved and praised throughout his religious life. Inspired by Pope Francis’ own example of heroic suffering, Father Andrew passed away on August 21, 2025, holding on to the belief that, as Pope Francis stated, “Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5).
See funeral information here.
Image courtesy of Daylesford Abbey.