Father Richard J. Kozak, 84, died April 15. He was a retired archdiocesan priest and former pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Homewood, now St. John Neumann Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Kozak attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

He was assistant pastor of St. Felicitas Parish and associate pastor of St. Simeon, Bellwood; St. Maria Goretti, Schiller Park; and Sacred Heart, Melrose Park. He was pastor of the former St. Joseph, Homewood, for nearly 17 years before retiring in 2015.

In a 2012 interview with the archdiocesan newspaper, Kozak mentioned that he lost sight in one eye a month before being ordained. He said, “I’m convinced it deepened my spiritual vision of the Lord even though I lost physical vision. It happened on St. Joseph’s Day, March 19, 1967. I look back on my life and say, ‘Well Lord, I guess you had a plan for me.’”

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Joan (Ternan) McCann, 85, died April 9 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1961. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, a master’s in the teaching of mathematics and a master’s in education management and supervision.

Sister Joan’s ministry was dedicated to education, administration and consultancy. She taught at schools in Washington, D.C.; Freeport, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin; and Baltimore Maryland; as well as at St. Mary School, Evanston, and Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity School, Winnetka.

She was an assistant superintendent in the Office of Education of the Archdiocese of Atlanta before joining with Adrian Dominican Sister Mary-beth Beres to found Leadership Systems, a nonprofit consulting ministry serving religious congregations, social service organizations and schools.

Following that ministry, Sr. Joan served the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation as vicaress provincial of the Southern Province before becoming vicar for consecrated life for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Sister Joan retired in 2010 and volunteered in the Oak Lawn area until 2024, when she moved to Stair Crest, a senior living community in Muskego, Wisconsin.

She is survived by three sisters: Marjorie Kayser, Alice McCann, and Nancy Tegtmeyer.  

School Sister of Notre Dame Catherine (David Maureen) Sarther, 83, died April 10 at Ascension Resurrection Life Center.

A member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 63 years, she taught high school at Academy of Our Lady and taught in elementary schools in Chicago and Milwaukee. She also assisted international students at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park, was a researcher for Chicago Public Schools, and served her community as a provincial councilor in Chicago and a general councilor in Rome.

She is survived by her siblings: David Sarther, James Sarther, Margaret Fox and William Sarther.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Jeanne Drea, 82, died April 28 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1972.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in upper elementary education, a certificate in theology and, later, a master’s in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago.

She taught at schools in Illinois and Wisconsin, and ministered in parishes in Wisconsin and Florida. She also worked for Catholic Charities and in various outreach programs in Florida.

She is survived by her brother, Harry Drea.

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth Catherine Marie (Barbara Ann) Kawa, 82, died Oct. 27, 2025, in Park Ridge.

She attended Holy Innocents Parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Holy Family Parish before entering religious life as a postulant in 1964.

She ministered in Texas as well as at St. Camillus School and at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

Sister of the Holy Family Nazareth Phyllis (Emnilda) Siedlecka, 93, died Jan. 23.

She attended St. Adalbert Parish and St. Ann High School before entering religious life in 1952.

She taught primary school in Illinois, Indiana and Texas and served as a local superior. She also ministered at the provincialate and at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth Bernadine (M. Norbertine) Wachowiak, 91, died Feb. 22.

She attended St. Hedwig parish and school and Holy Family Academy before entering  religious life in 1951.

She ministered as a teacher, principal and director of religious education with assignments at St. Hyacinth; St. Blase, Argo; St. Michael; St. Emily, Mount Prospect; Immaculate Heart of Mary; St. Josaphat; St. Hedwig; St. Andrew; St. Ladislaus and the community’s provincialate at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

She is survived by a brother, Kenneth, and a sister, Rita.

School Sister of St. Francis Rita Mae Rabitoy, 92, died at Sacred Heart Convent in Milwaukee on March 26.

Born in Michigan, Sister Rita Mae was received into the community in 1950, made her first profession of vows in 1952 and made her final vows in 1958.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Rita Mae ministered at St. Benedict High School (1954-1956); Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview (1956-1957); St. Mary, Buffalo Grove (1963-1967); St. William (1967-1971, 1972-1985); Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1985-2005); and St. Cyprian, River Grove (1971-1972 and 2005-2006), where she also volunteered in retirement from 2006-2018.

Providence Sister Mary Lois (Ollie Marie) Hennel, 98, died April 3 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1946 and professed final vows in 1954.

In her 79 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as a teacher in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In 1970, she left teaching for administrative work, serving the St. Gabriel Province in Indianapolis and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. She also served in the business office at the motherhouse.

After retiring in 2002, she continued to serve as a volunteer in the business office and in the Providence Food Pantry.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at Our Lady of Sorrows (1949-1953) and as secretary at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1990-1994).

Sister Mary Lois is survived by a brother, Joseph Hennel, and a sister, Maggie Hennel.

Dominican Sister Marie Anna (Rose de Lima) Stelmach, 80, died April 8 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Born in Baltimore, she made profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1965.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in math and theology from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest. She also earned a master’s degree in divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary in New Jersey; a master’s degree in theology from Seton Hall University in New Jersey; and certification as a registered nurse from Bon Secours Memorial School of Nursing in Virginia.

Her ministry focused on teaching, pastoral care, missionary work and health care. She taught in California, Wisconsin and New York as well as at Visitation School in Chicago. She served as a missionary in the Diocese of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad; and as a director of religious education in Rockford, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; and Louisiana.

She worked in hospital chaplaincy and prison ministry before serving as a registered nurse in Virginia and for the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation.

She is survived by two sisters, Helen Wyczalek and Jean Huether.

Father Robert G. Mair, 86, died March 29. He was pastor emeritus of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Glenview.

Born in Chicago, Father Mair attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1965.

After ordination, Mair served as assistant pastor of St. Nicholas, Evanston, and St. Joseph, Wilmette. He was associate pastor of St. Peter, Skokie, and St. Mary of the Lake.

He became pastor of St. Catherine Labouré in 2000 and retired in 2009.

Father William E. Vanecko, one of Father Mair’s classmates, remembered him as a good pastor and athlete.

“He was a big fan of golf,” Vanecko said, as he recalled the days when they played basketball and softball together.

Deacon Hippolito Crespo, 83, died March 23 in Puerto Rico, where he had lived for several years. He was ordained in 1999 and ministered at St. Sylvester Parish. He moved to Puerto Rico in 2010.

Deacon James Revord, 91, died March 24. He was ordained in 1993 and ministered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he moved with his family to Minnesota and Ohio before settling in Chicago. He attended Loyola Academy and the University of Notre Dame, where he studied mechanical engineering.

He married his wife, Patricia, in 1957, before beginning a three-year stint as a damage control officer in the U.S. Navy. After returning to Chicago, he worked as a mechanical engineer in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry.

As a deacon, he led faith-sharing groups and baptismal preparation and did hospital visits and bereavement ministry with his wife. He also delivered countless homilies, baptized hundreds of babies, witnessed many marriages and offered many beautiful eulogies.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children Mary Eileen, Janie, John, Tom, Julie and Patrick; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Deacon William Engler, 84, died March 26. He was ordained in 1986.

He ministered at St. Mary, Riverside; St. John of the Cross, Western Springs; and St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, Tinley Park, accompanying people in need, in doubt and in joy. He loved officiating baptisms and marriages and held deep affection for his deacon family.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kate; his sons Vincent and Matthew; three grandchildren, and his sister, Marianne Lillie.

Deacon John Lorbach, 75, died March 26. He was ordained in 1996 and served at St. Raymond de Penafort Parish in Mount Prospect.

Deacon Lorbach served as the parish’s director of worship, coordinated the baptism program and was the parish representative to St. Mark Lutheran Church, the parish’s covenant partner.

He is survived by his wife, Ingrid; his children Brian, Timothy and Mary Kate; three grandchildren; and siblings Diane Wilson, David Lorbach and Karen Schappert.

Deacon Feliks Pezowicz, 81, died March 31. He ministered at Transfiguration Parish in Wauconda.

Born in Poland, he loved serving the community and regularly provide comfort and ministry services to the elderly. He was a fixture in the rosary group Kolo zywego rózanca Swietej Tereski od Dzieciatka Jezus.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Josette; his children Thomas Pezowicz and Donna Lesczynski; four grandchildren; and his sister Waclawa Krasowska.

Jesuit Brother James E. Small, 104, died March 19 in Clarkston, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, Brother Small was a postulant in the Jesuit novitiate in Milford, Ohio, for a few months when he was 18, but he went on to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II and worked as a machinist and Chicago police officer before entering the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus in 1952. He made his final vows in 1963.

Brother Small served as the infirmarian at the Milford novitiate (1955-1958) and West Baden College, Indiana (1958-1963).

He returned to the novitiate a carpenter (1963-1969) before being missioned to Loyola Academy in Wilmette, where he spent over four decades ministering as a carpenter and an artist-in-residence. In 2013, he moved to Colombiere Center in Clarkston.

Throughout his life, Brother Small would copy famous paintings and sell them to support Loyola Academy. Later in life, he began painting original artwork that currently hangs on the walls of Colombiere Center.

According to the Loyola Academy website, his paintings raised over a million dollars for tuition assistance at the school, where he also taught Saturday art classes to students of all ages.

Providence Sister Mary Catherine (Marikay) Duffy, 90, died March 20 in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indianapolis, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1953 and was given the name Sister Marie Michele. She professed final vows in 1960.

Of her 73 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in elementary schools in Illinois and California for nine years and then ministered in Arequipa, Peru, for nine years. Upon return, she served in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’ Hispanic apostolate, and in 1987 was part of founding the Hispanic Education Center. She continued working in Hispanic ministry and ministry to immigrants.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Athanasius, Evanston (1955-1956); Our Lady of Mercy (1956-1958); and St. Sylvester (1958-1961).

Redemptorist Father Albert Castellino, 91, died March 23 in Missouri. Father Albert preached the Good News in four languages on five continents for nearly six decades.

Born in Maharashtra, India, he professed temporary vows with the Province of Bangalore in 1954 and professed perpetual vows in 1957. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1961.

Father Albert met and worked with St. Teresa of Calcutta in India before becoming active in the Marriage Encounter program there. Couples from the United States who assisted in building the program in India asked the charismatic Father Albert to return to the United States to lead the program in the Diocese of Boise.

While in the United States, Father Albert became involved in other movements within the church: the Cursillo and charismatic movements, as well as Teens Encounter Christ and Engaged Couples Weekends. He began preaching missions throughout the West Coast in 1981.

He joined the former St. Louis Province in 1988, and was known as a creative, engaging and effective itinerant preacher. He maintained an extensive network of friends throughout the country.

As a member of the mission team, Father Albert was stationed at St. Alphonsus Parish from 1986 to 1993 and St. Michael Parish from 1993 until 1999.

Deacon John A. Henricks, 79, died March 6. He was ordained in 1993 and ministered at Sacred Heart Parish (Melrose Park) and St. Giles, Oak Park.

Born in Ohio, he moved with his family to Baltimore, then Indiana, before arriving in Oak Park, where he attended Fenwick High School. During his time there, he did service work with Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly, which inspired a lifetime of social justice work and caring for others.

He earned a master’s degree in social service administration from the University of Chicago and worked as a licensed clinical social worker at Chicago-Read Mental Health Center and Rush University Medical Center.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Lois; three daughters, Rebecca, Jennifer and Elizabeth; and one grandchild.

Father John Paul Lucas, 85, of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas died Feb. 4.

Born in Cleveland, Father Lucas attended Ohio State University, the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and Notre Dame de Namur University. During his time in the seminary, he regularly wrote articles for the Byzantine Catholic World.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1966 and incardinated into the St. Nicholas Eparchy, based in Chicago, in 1985. Father Lucas served parishes in Sacramento, San Francisco and Santa Clara, California, before coming to Chicago to serve at St. Michael Parish in the West Pullman neighborhood.

In 2002, Father John was appointed English-language editor of the eparchial newspaper New Star, and in 2007 he became its managing editor.

He is survived by his brother, Donald.

Deacon Manuel Rodriguez Torres, 99, died Feb. 15 in Chicago. He was ordained in 1972 and served at St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Roosevelt Road).

Born in Puerto Rico, Deacon Rodriguez Torres and his wife, Carmen, built a life in Chicago rooted in love for their family and commitment to serving others.

He was preceded in death by Carmen, his wife of 59 years; a daughter; and a grandson. He is survived by 13 children and dozens of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary (Marie Alfred) Rathert, 82, died Jan. 20 in Muskego, Wisconsin.

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1963. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest; a master’s degree in math education from Ohio State University; and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University.

Sister Mary’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, pastoral care and social service work. She taught math at Visitation High School and at Trinity High School, River Forest, as well as in Milwaukee and in Omaha, Nebraska.

She then served her congregation on the formation team for the Sinsinawa Dominican Novitiate, as a provincial councilor for the Eastern Province, and as councilor on the Sinsinawa Dominican Leadership Council.

She worked in outreach and parish ministry in Florida, West Virginia and Virginia, and as a program director in Washington.

Sister of the Living Word Mary Ann Zrust, 96, died Jan. 22.

Born in Minnesota, Sister Mary Ann spent her first 18 years of ministry as an elementary teacher in Missouri, Minnesota and Louisiana, before serving as a principal in Minnesota.

She was one of the first in leadership for the Sisters of the Living Word, founded in 1975, and was again elected to leadership in 1993. 

From 1983 to 1993, Sister Mary Ann was pastoral associate at St. Mary of Celle Parish, Berwyn. From 1998 to 2005, she was the associate director for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of the Vicar for Priests.

She wrote two books on the history of her religious community and the writings of the foundress, Sister Annamarie Cook.

She spent the past eight years at Resurrection Life Center.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Sigrid (Lillian Agnes) Simlik, 97, died Jan. 23 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1949. She earned a bachelor’s degree in classics from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, and a master’s degree in theology from St. Mary University, San Antonio. 

She was a teacher in Maryland, Wisconsin and Illinois, where she taught various foreign languages in the role of lecturer at Rosary College.

She also ministered in Oklahoma, and was a hospital chaplain in Texas and Nebraska.

School Sister of Notre Dame Cabrini Ganz, 105, died Jan. 31 at Ascension Resurrection Life Center.

Born in Italy, she was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 84 years.

She ministered as an elementary school teacher in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan; as an artist, homemaker and community staff member in DeKalb, Illinois; Chicago; and Rome; and in prayer and presence at Marian Village, Homer Glen; and Advocate Resurrection Life Center.

Holy Cross Father Kenneth Michael Molinaro, 77, died Feb. 9 in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Patrick Elementary School in South Bend, Indiana, and graduated from South Bend Central High School in 1966 before enrolling in the Holy Cross candidate program at the University of Notre Dame.

He entered the Holy Cross novitiate in 1968 and made his first vows in 1969. He graduated from Notre Dame in 1971 with a degree in sociology and spent the next two years teaching at St. Catherine Laboure School in Glenview. During that time, he received a degree as a reading specialist from the National College of Education in 1973. He returned to Moreau Seminary and was ordained a Holy Cross priest in 1976.

After ordination, Father Molinaro served as principal at Sacred Heart Grade School in Winnetka until 1981. He ministered in South Bend before being assigned as principal (1986-1998) and then president (1998-2000) of Notre Dame High School in Niles.

He then served in leadership positions in his community until he retired in 2021.

He is survived by his brothers, Joseph and Daniel, and his sisters, Anna Grace Riblet and Kathleen Carpenter.

Viatorian Father Donald J. Fitzsimmons, 93, died Feb. 13 in Arlington Heights.

Born in Pontiac, Illinois, he graduated from Cathedral Boys High School in Springfield before entering the community. He made his first vows in 1951 and was ordained in 1960.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history from Loyola University Chicago; a master’s degree in history from St. Louis University; a diplôme in religious studies from Lumen Vitae: Institut Science, Brussels; and a master’s degree in doctoral studies and religious education from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

Father Fitzsimmons taught in Peoria before becoming a teacher and counselor at St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1970-1988). From 1988 to 1997, he was a drug abuse counselor at Lutheran General Recovery Center, Vernon Hills. He also served as a substance abuse counselor in the Keys to Recovery Program at Holy Family Hospital, Des Plaines (1998-2001). In 2001, Father Fitzsimmons retired to the Viatorian Province Center, Arlington Heights.

He is survived by his brother, Robert, and his sister, Patricia Andreatta.

Notre Dame de Namur Sister Mary Lou Stoffel, 90, died Feb. 16 in Cincinnati.

Born in Chicago, she was in the 72nd year of her religious life.

Sister Mary Lou’s ministry as educator and administrator took her to various communities in Ohio and to Chicago, where she ministered for many years at St. Robert Bellarmine School.

After her retirement, Sister Mary Lou served her community in her ministry of presence and prayer, and in cheering on her beloved Chicago Cubs.

Viatorian Father Daniel J. Mirabelli, 94, died Feb. 21 in Moline.

Born in Chicago, he graduated from Fenwick High School in Oak Park. He made his first vows in 1952 and was ordained in 1960.

Father Mirabelli earned a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Ambrose College, Davenport, Iowa, and a master’s degree in American history from Loyola University Chicago. He taught in Peoria before serving as business manager and teacher at St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1961-1966). After that, he ministered in Rock Island.

He is survived by his sister, Marianna Dituro.

Father James W. Kinn, 94, died Feb. 8. He was the pastor emeritus of Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein.

Born in Chicago, Father Kinn attended Maternity BVM School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1957. He also earned a master’s degree in math education from DePaul University.

After being ordained, he continued his studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake before serving as assistant pastor at St. Victor, Calumet City. He then resided at St. Bartholomew Parish, St. Bridget Parish and Our Lady of Charity Parish, Cicero, while teaching math, German and religion at Quigley North.

He then was associate pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle before being named pastor of St. Bride in 1978. In 1982, he was named pastor of Santa Maria del Popolo, a post he held until he retired in 2002 and was named pastor emeritus.

Deacon Charles J. “Chuck” Woods Sr., 84, died Feb. 1 in Naperville, where he had lived since 1990. He was ordained in 1987 and served at St. Odilo Parish, Berwyn. He was incardinated in the Diocese of Joliet in 1997, where he served at St. Raphael Parish.

Born in Chicago, Deacon Woods attended Kelly High School, the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn and the University of St. Francis in Joliet, and worked for Western Electric, AT&T and Lucent Technologies from 1962 to1996.

In 2000, he earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago and was a social worker at Joliet Area Community Hospice until 2007. He also volunteered at Edward Hospital, Naperville, and Morton Arboretum, Lisle.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Barbara; his children Chuck Jr., Nancy, Dennis and Patrick; and five grandchildren.

Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate Sister Mary (Mary Angelita) Remias, 85, died Dec. 28, 2025, in Warwick, New York.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Our Lady of Angels and St. Mary’s High School before entering the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate in 1958 and professing perpetual vows in 1966.

Sr. Mary earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from Mundelein College and a master’s degree in religious education from the Archdiocesan Catechetical Institute at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York.

During her early years of ministry, Sr. Mary served in catechetical missions and family missionary visitation in New York, Boston and Pennsylvania, and supervised sisters in formation in New York.

In 1974, Sister Mary became the apostolate director for the congregation, a post she held for many years. She was also a formation director for postulants and junior professed Sisters.

In 1990, she traveled to Nigeria to help ascertain the viability of a mission there. That mission was opened the following year.

For 20 years, Sister Mary served as a general councilor for  the congregation. She also served as a local superior in convents in New York City and New York state and in Pennsylvania.

She is survived by her sister, Helen Remias.

Father Edwin D. Pacocha, 89, died Jan. 24. He was pastor emeritus of St. Cornelius, now part of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Pacocha attended St. John Berchmans School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1962.

After ordination, he was assistant pastor of St. Priscilla; St. Mary of Czestochowa, Cicero; St. Mary, Buffalo Grove;  and St. John Vianney; Northlake. He was associate pastor of St. Paul of the Cross, Park Ridge. He served as pastor at St. Cornelius for more than 20 years until he retired in 2008 and was named pastor emeritus.

Father Richard Yanos, pastor at Queen of Peace Parish in Chicago, had known “Father Ed” when Father Pacocha assisted at St. Eugene Parish as a retired priest.

 “He was a hardworking priest, and even though he was retired he was always willing to do what was needed at the parish,” Yanos said. “He helped with daily Masses, weekend Masses, confessions at the parish and at the school. The students loved him.”

Yanos added, “Among our parishioners, he was known as ‘Fast Eddy’ because his Masses were always short.”

Providence Sister Dorothy (Margaret Eugene) Gartland, 96, died Dec. 25 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Missouri, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1948 and professed final vows in 1955.

She taught in Illinois, Indiana and Washington, D.C., and was an advocate and worked in various parish ministries.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Immaculate Conception (1953-1955) and St. Mel (1969-1974). She worked at the 8th Day Center for Justice (1974-1986) and lived and ministered at Maternity BVM Parish (1986-2018).

She returned to the motherhouse in 2018 and in 2024, she dedicated herself totally to the ministry of prayer.

Sister Dorothy is survived by her sister, Mary Ann Kunkel, and three brothers: Eugene, William and John Gartland.

Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ Sister Joan Kathleen (Colette) Fisher, 95, died Dec. 27 in Donaldson, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in 1948 and professed her first vows in 1951. 

She was an elementary school and Montessori teacher in Indiana and Illinois, including at Angel Guardian Orphanage.

In 1978, she founded the Daystar Program in Cairo, Illinois, to bring hope to people who were poor, elderly or otherwise disadvantaged, and in 1997, she was one of the founders of Sojourner Truth House for women and children in Gary, Indiana.

Sister Joan was also director of the Poor Handmaid Associate Community from 1986 to 1992. In 2002, she moved to the Poor Handmaid Motherhouse to minister to her mother, who then lived at Catherine Kasper Nursing Home. In 2006, Sister Joan was asked to become a member of the Catherine’s Cottage Supportive Community.

Felician Sister Mary Lourdine (Irene) Lachowski, 101, died on Jan. 6 at Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in Joliet, she joined the Felician Sisters aspirancy in 1938 and attended Good Counsel High School.  She entered the Felician Sisters postulancy in 1942 and professed her final vows in 1950. She ministered for over 50 years as a teacher and principal in elementary schools in Illinois and Wisconsin. Later, she was active in Mercy Home Phone Ministry.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Helen (1942-1943); St. Joseph (1944-1949); St. Bruno (1952-1953); St. Wenceslaus (1953-1960); Ascension (1963-1971); Holy Innocents (1971-1972); St. Linus, Oak Lawn (1972-1982); and Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1982-2004); and Mercy Home for Boys & Girls (2004-2020).

Sister of St. Joseph of Carondolet Virginia Anne (Mary Patricia) Fannin, 96, died Jan. 14 in St. Louis.

Born in Chicago, Sister Virginia Anne entered the community in 1948 and made her final profession in 1956.

Sister Virginia Anne spent her first 19 years of ministry working in education in Missouri, Hawaii, Alabama and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Viator Grade School (1966-1967).

She then served as a medical records technician in Michigan and Missouri, before returning to Chicago as a receptionist at DePaul University (1978-1979).

She spent the next 21 years at St. Viator school and parish as a religious education instructor (1979-1992), librarian (1970-1998) and parish sacristan (1996-2000).

From 2000 to 2003, she served at Our Lady of the Nativity as a receptionist and a volunteer librarian and tutor.

Mercy Sister Elizabeth (Betty) Campbell, 91, died Jan. 18.

Born in Wisconsin, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1955 and professed perpetual vows in 1961.

Sister Betty ministered in solidarity with the Latin American community in both Central America and the United States for more than 60 years, denouncing human rights violations, criticizing U.S. foreign policies that undermined democratic movements in Latin America and conducting consciousness-raising workshops about the effects of these policies on the poor.

Sister Betty received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. Xavier College (now University) in 1960. She ministered at two Sisters of Mercy-affiliated hospitals, in Chicago and in Davenport, Iowa, before going to Sicuani, Peru, in 1962. During her 11 years there, she met Carmelite priest Father Peter Hinde, with whom she would minister and advocate for 56 years, until his death from COVID-19 in 2020.

Over the course of her ministry, Sister Betty and Hinde helped start Catholic Worker communities named Casa Tabor in Washington, D.C.; San Antonio; and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

She also returned to Central America, working in medical clinics in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras.

In 1980, Sister Betty responded to St. Óscar Romero’s call for volunteers to assist the people of El Salvador, and established clinics in the basements of two parish churches in San Salvador, the capital. While in El Salvador, Sister Betty met and became friends with Maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and lay missionary Jean Donovan, the four American churchwomen who were raped and murdered by the El Salvador National Guard on Dec. 2, 1980.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Alban (Marjorie Elizabeth) Hermes, 98, died Jan. 18 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Born in Illinois, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1947. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Edgewood College, Madison, Wisconsin; a master’s degree in educational administration from DePaul University; and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Loyola University Chicago.

Sister Alban was a teacher and pastoral minister. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Sabina; Visitation; St. Thomas More; St. Patrick, Lemont; and St. Mary, Evanston.

She was also a pastoral minister at St. Mary Parish, Evanston. She spent the last 28 years of ministry at Our Lady of Knock Parish, Calumet City, where she taught RCIA, led Bible study and ran a food pantry as well as a meal site.

She also ministered in Illinois and in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Alabama.

She is survived by her sister, Ursula Zerbe.

 

 

 

Deacon Samuel E. Pincich, 85, of Glenview, died Dec. 23. He was ordained in 1984 and served at St. Isaac Jogues, Niles, now part of All Saints Parish in Morton Grove; and St. Zachary Parish, Des Plaines.

Born in Chicago, he moved to Glenview and began his banking career in 1960. He retired from the American Bankers Association in 2023. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1963 and served in the Signal Corps in Ankara, Turkey, until 1965. He was a member of the Optimist International service club and Toastmasters and was president of his local United Way chapter.

He is survived by his wife, Theresa, and his children Samuel Pincich, Steven Pincich, and Susan Pincich Cahill. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Fritz Long.

Deacon James Condill, 87, of Barrington, died Dec. 24. He was ordained in 1979 and served at St. Anne, Barrington, and started a deacon truck stop ministry.< p/> Born in Elgin and raised in Barrington, Deacon Condill attended Salem Methodist Church. He graduated from Barrington High School and continued his basketball career at Montana State University.

He married his wife, Mary Ellen Harrer, in 1960 at St. Anne Church in Barrington in 1960, and became a parishioner there after becoming Catholic.

He worked in heating and air conditioning before beginning a career in the retirement community world, working at Friendship Village in Schaumburg and for the company that opened the Breakers at Edgewater Beach. He then worked for the Cenacle Sisters, overseeing operations at the Cenacle Retreat and Conference Center in Chicago.

Deacon Condill was predeceased by his wife. He is survived his children J.B. Condill, Jeffrey Condill, Courtney Condill-Peterson and Devyn Kelly; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

 

Dominican Sister Mary Helen (Mary Christiana) Schmitz, 88, died Dec. 13 at her home in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, she professed vows as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1957.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Thomas the Apostle School. She also taught in other Illinois communities and in New York, Iowa and Wisconsin.

She also provided private elder and childcare to families in the Madison, Wisconsin, area. She is survived by two sisters, Jean Norman and Betty Meyers.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Melissa Waters, 95, died Dec. 21 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in New York City, Sister Melissa was raised in Washington, D.C., before entering the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1950. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosary College, River Forest; a master’s degree in English from the University of Minnesota; and a doctorate in ministry from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque, Iowa.

She taught in Illinois, New York, Minnesota and Alabama. She served in congregation leadership as director of ongoing formation and then as provincial until 1980, when, after having completed her doctorate, she was called to Rosary College, now known as Dominican University, where she served for 38 years. She was an English teacher, associate dean for advising, assistant professor and administrator of the Rosary in London program. She retired in 2018.

“Sister Melissa’s great gift was establishing and continuing relationships with every group of people on campus, particularly students,” said Dominican Sister Marcella Hermesdorf, professor emerita of English at Dominican University. “The students loved her and she was a great advocate for them. She was so supportive and affirming to all. You never left Sr. Melissa’s office without feeling better about yourself and any situation you were dealing with.”

She is survived by her brother, Richard.

Father James L. Barrett, 79, died Dec. 15. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, Evanston, and St. Margaret Mary Parish.

Born in Chicago, he attended Brother Rice High School; St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, Minnesota; the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary; and Loyola University Chicago.

After being ordained in 1982, Father Barrett served as associate pastor of St. Luke, River Forest; St. Zachary, Des Plaines; and Queen of All Saints Basilica. He was pastor of St. Joan of Arc for about 10 years and of St. Margaret Mary for another 10 years before he retired.

Father Jeremiah Boland remembered his close friend as the consummate parish priest. “He loved the rhythm of parish life,” Boland said. “He set deep roots wherever he served, cultivating many lifelong friends. He was a Vatican II priest through and through. He really believed in building community and bringing people together.”

Deacon Carlos Soria, 92, died Dec. 17. He was ordained in 1978 and ministered at St. Sylvester Parish, now part of Jesus, Bread of Life Parish.

Born in Torreon, Mexico, he was a professional cyclist and had a deep love for woodworking, according to his family.

Deacon Soria is survived by his wife, Leticia, and their children George, Maria, Alejandra, Carlos, Steve, Patricia and Moses; 18 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Deacon Guido Pozo Sr., 80, died Dec. 23. He was ordained in 2001 and ministered at the former Resurrection Parish, now part of Our Lady of Mercy Parish, and St. Alphonsus Parish (Wellington Avenue).

Born in Ecuador, Deacon Pozo practiced law there and taught bilingual education in Chicago, in addition to serving as a deacon.

He is survived by his wife, Maria Eugenia; his children Mariana Ruiz, Guido Pozo Jr. and Daniel Pozo; and six grandchildren.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Catherine (Jules) Meyering, 97, died Dec. 7 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Evanston, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1952. She earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Rosary College, now Dominican University, in River Forest, and a master’s degree in French from Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

For 32 years, she taught at Trinity High School, River Forest. She also taught in Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa. She ministered for five years at Holy Family Hospital, Des Plaines, before retiring to the motherhouse in 2007.

School Sister of St. Francis Gwen Floryance, 97, died Dec. 10 in Milwaukee.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Gwen entered the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1946 and made her final vows in 1954.

Beginning in 1950, Sister Gwen ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Joseph, Wilmette (1957-1962), and at Blessed Agnes (now St. Agnes of Bohemia) (1962-1963).

Sister Gwen retired in 2004 and ministered through her art and through prayer and presence in Milwaukee at St. Joseph Center (2004-2019) and at Sacred Heart retirement home since 2019.

She is survived by her sister, Loretta Lieske.

Franciscan Sister of Chicago Mary Francine (Theresa) Labus, 89, died Dec. 15.

She was born in Chicago and began as a postulant in her congregation while attending Madonna High School. She professed first vows in 1953 and final vows in 1960.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr and St. Louise de Marillac, La Grange Park.

She studied at Loyola University Chicago and ministered in novice direction for her community before serving as principal and superior at St. Pancratius, teaching at Madonna High School and then serving as principal at Five Holy Martyrs.

She then served in the leadership of her congregation, including as a councilor and secretary general. She later ministered in Crown Point, Indiana, and worked in formation and mission integration.

She retired in 2013.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Maggie (Marie Josette) Hopkins, 81, died Dec. 16 at her home in Madison, Wisconsin.

Born in Milwaukee, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1966. She earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Mundelein College and a master’s degree in theology from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.   

Sister Maggie taught at Trinity High School, River Forest, as well as in Minnesota and Wisconsin. She served as her congregation’s vocation director at Sinsinawa and served in youth ministry at Cardinal Stritch College, Milwaukee.

For several years, she served on the Edgewood High School Board of Directors. Sister Maggie served for more than 30 years at Edgewood University, Madison, as an educator and vice president of mission.

She is survived by a brother, John Hopkins; and a sister, Frances Quinn.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Helen (Marcellus) Hurley, 89, died Dec. 18 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1956. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in curriculum.

She taught at St. Patrick, Lemont, and St. Richard. She also ministered in California, Iowa, Washington and New York, as well as in Wisconsin, where she was an associate professor in early childhood education at Edgewood College, Milwaukee, and a pastoral associate.

Franciscan Father Paul (Nikola) Maslach, 89, died Jan. 3.

Born in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina, he attended elementary school in Italy before arriving in the Unites States in 1951.

He attended St. Joseph High School in Westmont, starting his studied in theology and philosophy there before graduating in 1955.

He entered the Order of Friars Minor that year, and continued his studies in New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. He made first vows in 1956 and solemn vows in 1969 before being ordained a priest in 1962.

He was an associate pastor of Sacred Heart Croatian Parish (1962-1964). After assignments in Milwaukee and St. Louis, he was pastor of St. Jerome Croatian Parish (1976-1979).

After ministering in Pennsylvania, he returned to Chicago as guardian (1982-1985, 1994-1995) and custos (1985-1994, 2009-2012) of St. Anthony Friary.

He was pastor of Sacred Heart Croatian (1995-2000) before again ministering in Milwaukee. His final pastoral assignment was as director of the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac Mission in Chicago (2012-2017).

He resided at St. Anthony Friary in his retirement.

Providence Sister Rosemary (Rose Clare) Rafter, 93, died Dec. 1 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Bloomington, Illinois, Sister Rosemary moved to Indiana with her family as a child. She entered the Sisters of Providence in 1951 and professed perpetual vows in 1958.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in education from Indiana State University and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from George Williams College of Aurora University.

In her 75 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education, community leadership and pastoral ministry in Illinois, New Hampshire and Indiana, including a term as provincial of her community’s motherhouse province.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Andrew (1963-1965) and served as director of student services and Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1977-1980).

She is survived by two sisters, Joan Whitehouse and Sue Rafter.

Deacon Emiliano Rodriguez Sr., 97, died Nov. 16. He was ordained in 1974 and ministered at St. Sebastian and St. Bonaventure parishes before he retired in 2001.

He is survived by his children Carmelo Rodriguez, Amparo Mendoza, Julia Rodriguez-Coss, Herman Rodriguez and Emiliano Rodriguez Jr.; eight grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

Deacon Dennis M. Cristofaro, 77, of Colon, Michigan, died Nov. 21. He was ordained in 2014 and served at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills.

Born in Chicago, Deacon Cristofaro graduated from Mendel Catholic High School in 1966 and married Barbara Cimbala the following year. They were married for 57 years before his wife died in 2024.

Deacon Cristofaro worked for the Chicago Transit Authority for more than 25 years, beginning as a mechanic and retiring as a maintenance manager. After his retirement, he and his wife moved to Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served as a deacon at St. Elizabeth Seton. During his time in Illinois, he also served as a trustee on the Orland Hills village board.

He continued his diaconate ministry in Michigan, and served in municipal government in Colon.

He is survived by his children Brian Cristofaro, Denise Keel, Rosemary Burklow and Jennifer Camacho; 12 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his siblings Jo Chiappetta and Mario Cristofaro.

Deacon Daniel G. Carroll, 78, died Nov. 25. He was ordained in 1982 and served at St. Walter Parish, St. Benedict Parish and St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Orland Park.

Deacon Carroll was a graduate of Little Flower School, Leo High School and DePaul University Law School.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mary Ellen; his children Maura and Daniel Carroll; three grandchildren; and his brothers Dennis, James and Gerard Carroll.

School Sister of Notre Dame Carol (Mary Joseph) Brunner, 78, died Nov. 18 at Ascension Resurrection Life Center.

Born in Chicago, she was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 58 years.

She served as an elementary school teacher at St. James, Highwood, St. John de la Salle and St. Constance, as well as in Dixon and DeKalb, Illinois.

She also taught at Madonna High School and served as the director of vocations for the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Sister Carol was a nurse at Ravenswood Hospital and St. Francis Nursing and Rehab in Evanston and a medical advocate for SSND sisters at Resurrection Life Center.

Father Francis L. Schouten, 96, died Nov. 7. He was a former member of the Society of the Divine Word and the former associate pastor of St. Eugene Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Schouten attended St. Willibrord School; Divine Word Seminary in East Troy, Wisconsin; and Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, before continuing his studies in philosophy and theology in Techny, the  North American headquarters of the Divine Word Missionaries, where he was ordained in 1955.

For the first half of his priestly life, Schouten was a member of the Society of the Divine Word who ministered for years as a missionary in Ghana after being assigned there in 1956. He served as a parish priest, built schools and churches and taught at a secondary school outside Accra, the capital.

When his health declined, he returned to Chicago and assisted at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Evergreen Park for several years.

“Father Schouten was well regarded by the people of Most Holy Redeemer,” said Father Michael G. Foley, vicar for priests. “He was a gentle soul.”

Schouten decided to become a diocesan priest and was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Chicago with the blessing of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in 1990. He served as associate pastor at St. Eugene Parish until he retired in 1999.

After retirement, Schouten continued to assist at Most Holy Redeemer until 2020.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Marjorie (Stella Maris) Buttner, 96, died Nov. 7 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Boston, Sister Marjorie professed vows in 1953. She earned a master’s degree of education in guidance and counseling from Loyola University Chicago.

Sister Marjorie’s ministry was dedicated to teaching and archival work. She taught at Visitation High School and at schools in Wisconsin and Montana. She served as the congregation archivist at Sinsinawa Mound in Wisconsin for nearly 20 years.

She is survived by her sister, Carole Maloof.

Father Robert J. McGlinn, 95, died Oct. 18. He served in the Archdiocese of Chicago, in Latin America and in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Born in Chicago, Padre Roberto, as he was known, attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1955.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Francis Xavier, La Grange, and Precious Blood. He then served at San Miguelito Panama Mission. After returning to the United States in 1968, he earned a graduate degree in bilingual education at the University of Wisconsin. After obtaining the degree, he was invited to the Diocese of Comayagua in Honduras to care for priestless Catholic parishes.

When the permanent diaconate was established in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Padre Roberto was appointed to direct the formation of Hispanic candidates. In the early 1970s, he assisted in the migrant ministry in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, while also returning frequently to help the Diocese of Comayagua.

In 1991, he became administrator of Cristo Rey Parish in Racine, Wisconsin, where he served for 16 years.

In 2007, Padre Roberto was appointed administrator of St. Hyacinth and St. Vincent de Paul parishes of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Then he was offered the opportunity to gather the Hispanic people scattered across western Waukesha County into a worship community which now has a home at St. Jerome Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

In his 80s and 90s he remained active in priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, volunteering at the Racine Correctional Institution, at Catholic Charities Day Care and at New Perspective Senior Living Center while continuing his dedication and priestly ministry to the Hispanic people of Racine, Milwaukee and western Waukesha County at St. Jerome Parish.

Sister of St. Joseph Marybeth McDermott, 93, of La Grange Park, died Oct. 18.

Sister Marybeth had been in religious life for 74 years. After earning a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University, she spent more than 40 years ministering in schools run by the Sister of St. Joseph of La Grange.

For 15 years she was the program director of School on Wheels Literacy Bus, where she was a teacher and trainer of teachers for ESL, GED, and citizenship training. According to her community, Sister Marybeth was a fierce advocate for immigrants.

Springfield Dominican Sister M. Elise (Elizabeth Christine) Bocke, 108, died Oct. 24 at Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield.

Born in Quincy, Illinois, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Springfield in 1937 and made her first profession of vows in 1939.

She taught in the Illinois communities of Springfield, Chicago, Cary, Aurora and Chicago Heights.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. John Bosco (1964), before becoming a language arts curriculum consultant for the archdiocesan Office of Catholic Education. (1964-1973)St. Edward (1985-2010), where she was a reading specialist and taught English language learners. She taught English and reading at Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights (1973-1983), and concluded her teaching years at St. Edward (1985-2010), where she was a reading specialist and taught English language learners.

Jesuit Father James W. Schulz, 80, died Oct. 20 in Clarkston, Michigan.

Born in Cincinnati, he entered the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus in 1964. He was ordained in 1977 and made his final vows in 1983.

Father Schultz earned bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and classical languages from Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in economics from Fordham University. He also earned master’s degrees in theology and pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago.

He taught psychology, history and English at Colegio del José in Arequipa, Peru (1971-1972). After ordination, he moved to Chicago where he worked with immigrants and undocumented people at the Eighth Day Center for Justice (1978-1980) and was an associate pastor at Holy Family Church (1980-1981).

After serving in Jesuit ministries on the East Coast, Father Schultz returned to Chicago. He was associate pastor of St. Mary (1988-1990) and the pastor of St. Procopius Parish (1990-1992). He then served in Northwest Indiana before becoming associate pastor of St. Turibius (2010-2011) and pastor of Mary, Queen of Heaven, Cicero (2011-2014). He also spent seven years as a chaplain at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital (2014-2021).

He is survived by his sister, Diane McCullough.

Paulist Father Bradford C. Schoeberle, 69, died Oct. 21 in Texas. He was a former pastor of Old St. Mary’s Parish.

Born in Wisconsin, he studied at St. Francis de Sales College Seminary and earned a bachelor’s degree in theology before earning master’s degrees in religious studies from Edgewood College and pastoral studies from Washington Theological Union.

He worked as a parish director of religious education before entering the Paulist novitiate in 1995. He made his first promises the following year and his final promises in 1999, before being ordained a priest in 2000.

He ministered in California and Michigan before serving as pastor of Old St. Mary’s from 2018 to 2024, when he was assigned to St. Paul the Apostle in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.

He is survived by his sisters Pam Hinz, Jeanne Butcher and Marisa Schoeberle; and his brother, Gary Schoeberle.

Born in Chicago, she Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Richelle (Marirose) Schmitz, 95 died Oct. 25 in Muskego, Wisconsin.

Sister Richelle professed vows with Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1951. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in education from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Her ministry was dedicated to teaching and educational administration. Sister Richelle taught in New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught and served as principal at St. Giles, Oak Park; and was principal at St. Mary of the Woods.

 

School Sister of St. Francis Ellen Mary Schwaiger, 94, died Sept. 25 at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee.

Born in Milwaukee, Sister Mary Ellen was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1952; made her first profession of vows in 1954; and made her final vows in 1960.

Beginning in 1955, Sister Ellen Mary ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was a musician at Alvernia High School (1955-1963) and St. Benedict High School (1963- 1979). In retirement, she ministered through her prayer and presence in Milwaukee from 2019 until her death.

Father John R. Price, 85, died Sept. 11. He was the former pastor of Mary, Queen of Heaven Parish, Cicero.

Born in Chicago, Father Price attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1966.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Celestine, Elmwood Park, and St. Peter, Skokie, before serving as associate pastor of St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates; St. Eulalia (now part of Sacred Heart and St. Eulalia Parish), Maywood; and St. Ann. He served for 12 years as pastor of Mary, Queen of Heaven, and as chaplain at Northeastern Illinois University for six years.

Father Leroy A. Wickowski, retired archdiocesan priest, remembers Father Price as a “good friend, strong in his beliefs and convictions.”

Father David B. Krolczyk, 78, died Sept. 16. He was the former pastor of St. James Parish, Sauk Village, now part of All Souls Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Krolczyk attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1972.

He was assistant pastor of Our Lady of the Mount, Cicero, and associate pastor of Sacred Heart, Melrose Park; St. Mary of Czestochowa, Cicero; and St. Jude the Apostle, South Holland. He was pastor of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr, Posen, from 1988 to 2002, and then served as pastor of St. James Parish until he retired in 2021.

After his retirement, he celebrated Masses at St. Joseph Church in Dyer, Indiana, and St. Liborius Parish in Steger.

“He was a very good priest,” said Father John W. Clemens, retired archdiocesan priest. Clemens remembered his classmate as “very faithful, dedicated and very loyal to his people.”

Deacon John “Jack” Smith, 83, of Mount Prospect, died Sept. 15. He was ordained in 1997 and served at St. Zachary Parish, Des Plaines.

Born in Chicago, Deacon Smith attended St. Viator School and St. Patrick High School. He worked in Jewel food stores for nearly 20 years before opening independent grocery stores in Chicago starting in 1975.

In addition to his parish ministry, he offered pastoral care and comfort to patients and residents at area hospitals and nursing homes.

Deacon Smith is survived by his wife of 59 years, Linda; their children Kelley Dettloff, Jeanine Stantesly, Kristine Wise and Thomas Smith; six grandchildren; and his brothers William Smith and Robert Smith.

Deacon Terrance Norton, 80, died Oct. 1. He was ordained Oct. 1 and served at St. Luke Parish in River Forest, now part of St. Luke and St. Bernardine Parish.

Deacon Norton grew up in Westchester and attended Fenwick High School, the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and DePaul University College of Law.

He married his wife, Renee, in 1970, and the couple adopted three daughters.

He worked as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Racketeering section. He later worked at the Better Government Association, taught and worked in the clinical law practice at IIT’s Chicago Kent College of Law and was the national pro bono partner at Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal, now Dentons, before returning to IIT Kent to help open and run the Center for Open Government.

In the 1980s, the Nortons joined other St. Luke parishioners to help found the Learning Center in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood to teach literacy to adults whose educations have been cut short. The couple tutored, raised money, and served on the Board.

He is survived by his wife; daughters Bridget, Cara and Elizabeth; four grandchildren; and his brother, Mike.

Divine Word Father Joseph McDermott, 99, died Sept. 5 in Techny.

Born in Iowa, he aspired to be a Major League Baseball player as a boy. He entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1939 at 13, and professed vows in 1945.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1952 and served as a missionary in the Archdiocese of Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea from 1953 to 1976. He provided pastoral care in the Catholic mission in Ambullua, a highlands region of the world’s second largest island.

In 1976, Father McDermott returned to the United States to work as assistant business manager at Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa. He assisted the business office for 20 years.

In 1977, he filled in for Divine Word Father William Hegarty at St. Anselm Parish in Chicago when Father Hegarty retired due to health reasons.

He moved to Techny in 2024.

Sister of St. Joseph Henrietta Hibbs, 99, died Sept. 17.

She had been in religious life for 82 years.

Sister Henrietta earned a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and a master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago, and she ministered in many schools operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, including St. Margaret Mary, Mount Carmel, St. Anthony, Alexine Learning Center and St. John Fisher.

She also volunteered at homeless shelters, organized food and clothing drives, and visited the sick and homebound, and she volunteered to work with several parishes in Mississippi. Her parish work included regular visits to the Parchman Prison, where she helped plan retreat experiences for the women who were incarcerated.

Holy Spirit Missionary Sister Maria Elisabeth Klodt, 100, died Sept. 18.

Born in Germany, she began her formation in religious life in West Germany in1948, professing first vows in 1950 and final vows in 1956.

She received a mission appointment to the United States and arrived in Techny, Illinois, in 1952. After completing English studies and some classes at DePaul University, she moved to Washington, D.C., where, in 1962, she earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology at George Washington University. She worked as a hospital pharmacist at St. Therese Hospital in Waukegan, for the next 20 years, and worked for many years at the Medical Park Pharmacy in the St. Therese Professional Building.

Sister Maria Elisabeth earned a certificate from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, which prepared her for service in pastoral ministry and as local leader for her religious sisters in Melrose Park and Waukegan, and as directress of Maria Hall in the Convent of the Holy Spirit in Northfield.

School Sister of St. Francis Joan Schumacher, 91, died Aug. 28 in Milwaukee.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Joan was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1952, made her first profession of vows in 1954 and made her final vows in 1960.

Beginning in 1954, Sister Joan ministered in the Archdioceses of Chicago, Milwaukee and Omaha. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Joan taught at Our Lady of Victory (1955-1960); St. Anne, Barrington (1961-1965); Our Lady of Charity, Cicero (1965-1967); and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview (1968-2014).

In retirement, Sister Joan ministered through her prayer and presence at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (2014-2024) and at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee from 2024 until her death.

Divine Word Father Joseph Bisson, 89, died Aug. 30.

Father Bisson, who returned to the United States in 2017, was the last American Divine Word Missionary to leave Papua New Guinea and was the longest serving Catholic missionary in the Archdiocese of Mount Hagen. Decades earlier, the Society of the Divine Word foresaw the benefits of forming priests and brothers who were born and raised on the island and eventually passed leadership roles to them.

“Joe was a man with a true commitment as a religious, as a priest and as a missionary. He certainly was a man with a clear calling,” said retired Divine Word Father Thomas Krosnicki.

Born in Boston, Father Bisson began his studies with the Society of the Divine Word in 1949 and professed vows in 1955.

Ordained in 1963, Father Bisson lived 70 years in religious vows and devoted 53 years to the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea. He held a master’s degree in education from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and he was proficient in seven languages: English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Pidgin and a Papua New Guinean tribal language.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Colleen (Lillian) Nolan, 79, died Sept. 3 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she professed vows with the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1966.

Her ministry was dedicated to education. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Barnabas and St. Basil. She also taught in Rockford and in Maryland, Oklahoma and Florida.

She served as codirector and director of the Apostolic Volunteers program for the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation; as mission educator for the Missionary Society of St. Columban in Forest Park; and as director of religious education at St. Luke Parish, River Forest.

She is survived by her brother, Thomas Nolan, and sisters Elizabeth Charrat, Mary Cippera, and her twin, Kathleen Shrauger.

Peter P. Paurazas, died Aug. 18 at the age of 96. He was pastor emeritus of the former St. Rene Goupil Parish, now part of Two Holy Martyrs Parish.

Born on in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

Father Paurazas served as assistant pastor of St. Joseph Parish (South Saginaw Street), Immaculate Conception Parish (44th Street) and St. Adrian Parish (Washtenaw Avenue). He became pastor of St. Adrian Parish in 1980 and became pastor of St. Rene Goupil Parish in 1992. He served as pastor of that parish until he retired in 2000.

Father Marcel J. Pasciak, pastor emeritus of St. Patricia Parish, remembered his friend of 30 years as a kind priest, very well loved at the parishes he served and an avid traveler. “His parishes were all on the South Side; he was a big White Sox and Bears fan,” said Pasciak.

Providence Sister Joyce (Robert Ellen) Brophy, 96, died Aug. 27 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana

Born in Joliet, Sister Joyce entered the Sisters of Providence in 1947 and professed final vows in 1955.

She taught and was a principal in schools in Illinois, Indiana and California. Interspersed within her years of teaching, she held a number of administrative positions in the congregation.  She held positions in the formation program for new members (1965-1969), served as provincial of the Motherhouse Province (1984-199) and worked in the St. Mary-of-the-Woods College Development Office (1980-1982)

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Sylvester (1950-1954), Our Lady of Mercy (1955) and St. Agnes (1969) and was principal of St. Genevieve (1969-1971).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Duchesne (Mary) Maxwell, 94, died Aug. 2 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she professed vows in 1953. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in library science from Rosary College, now Dominican University, in River Forest.

Sister Duchesne’s ministry was dedicated to teaching and pastoral care. She taught at St. Thomas More School, and later served as assistant administrator at Queen of Peace High School, Burbank. She also taught, was a librarian and was an administrator at schools in Wisconsin, Iowa and other dioceses in Illinois.

She served on the leadership council of the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation, then was a chaplain at hospitals in Nebraska and director of pastoral care at a senior home in Minnesota.

She is survived by her sister, Loretta Maxwell.

Sister of the Living Word Jeannine Randolph, 85, died Aug. 8.

Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of Christian Charity in 1957 and professed final vows in 1966. In 1975, she transferred to the Sisters of the Living Word, who were forming a new community.

During her first years of ministry, she taught in Riverdale, Morton Grove and Chicago, as well as in Iowa and Minnesota. She later ministered as pastoral minister in Louisiana and Illinois.

She served as director of novices for the Sisters of the Living Word and ministered as a massage therapist for her last 18 years of ministry.

In retirement, she lived at Resurrection Village Life Center, Addolorata Villa, Amazing Grace and finally at Resurrection Life Center.

Deacon Joseph P. Casey, 77, died July 30. He was ordained in 2013 and served at St. Patrick Church, now part of St. Brigid Parish, in Wadsworth.

In addition to his parish ministry, the Lindenhurst resident served as a hospice chaplain for more than 10 years.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Donna, sons Sean and Tim Casey and four grandchildren.

Benedictine Sister Sr. Mary (Mary Gerald) Melady, 79, died April 17 at St. Joseph Court, the infirmary of St. Scholastica Monastery.

Born in Evanston, she St. Ignatius School and St. Scholastica High School before entering the Benedictine community in 1963.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Mundelein College and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago, as well as credentials for teaching English as a Second Language from Northeastern University.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. George, Queen of All Saints, St. Joseph (Orleans Street) and St. Scholastica Academy.

She then studied at and worked at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Hyde Park, eventually becoming its co-director and earning a doctorate in ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

She began directing her community’s initial formation program in 1999 and returned to to teaching ESL, first part-time at Oakton Community College, and then full-time at Taft High School. She maintained that ministry after retiring from teaching. She also volunteered in various capacities at Holy Spirit Life Learning Center.

She was appointed subprioress in 2015 and continued in that role until the summer of 2023.

She is survived by her brother, Patrick.

Adrian Dominican Sister Shirley Ann (Blanche Marie) Cushing, 97, died July 18 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 78th year of her religious life. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College, Adrian; a master’s degree in English from DePaul University; and a master’s degree in religious education degree and a law degree from the University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy).

Sister Shirley ministered in education, as a community leader, in religious education and as an attorney in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio; and Tokyo, Japan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1947-1951) and St. Edmund, Oak Park (1951-1957).

Providence Sister Brigid Ann (Margaret Rose) Bonner, 85, died July 23, in Indiana.

Born in Whiting, Indiana, Sister Brigid Ann entered the the Sisters of Providence in 1958 and professed final vows in 1965.

Of her 67 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education and social work in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mark School.

She is survived by a sister, Providence Sister Eileen Rose Bonner, and a brother, Neil Bonner

Divine Word Father Gary Riebe-Estrella, 79, died June 2 in Techny. He was Catholic Theological Union’s first Latino vice president and academic dean.

Born in Los Angeles, he entered Divine Word Seminary in Riverside, California, in 1959. He professed vows in 1968 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1971.

In Chicago, he studied at DePaul University and Catholic Theological Union. He received his master’s degree in theology from DePaul.

He served in pastoral ministry and leadership roles in the society’s Western Province before earning a doctorate in practical theology from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain, in 1992. The following year, he returned to the Chicago Province to serve as a professor at CTU.

In 1996, he became one of the first Latinos in the United States to hold a major leadership position in a premiere theological school. He served as the vice president and academic dean of CTU for 12 years and is credited with cultivating a racially, ethnically and culturally diverse faculty.

A longtime member of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, he served as president of the organization from 1996 to 1997 and again from 2009 to 2010.

Father Riebe-Estrella’s pastoral work with Hispanic communities and decades of scholarship and leadership in theological education led to opportunities throughout his ministry to work with religious orders, organizations and higher education as a consultant in areas of diversity, formation and theological education.

He founded and served as director of the formation house Casa Guadalupe in East Los Angeles and was appointed by the generalate to positions in the PANAM Zone, which encompasses North and South America.

In 2014, he was transferred back to the Western Province.

Father Riebe-Estrella returned to live in Techny in 2025.

Divine Word Father William Seifert, 85, died June 21 in Techny. He was an anthropologist and missionary in Papua New Guinea for more than 30 years.

Born in Pittsburgh, he entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1957, professed vows in 1962 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1967.

Father Seifert earned a doctorate in anthropology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., before being assigned to the Anthropos Institute, headquartered near Bonn, Germany, and sent to Papua New Guinea as one of the Melanesian Pastoral Institute’s first staff members.

Father Seifert specialized in urbanization and urban pastoral practice. For eight years, he contributed to the institute through his writings, research, courses and workshops. He then founded a parish in Goroko, Papua New Guinea, managed the Goroka Diocese’s finance office and the conference and pastoral center, served as liaison with the Papua New Guinea immigration and labor departments for entry permits and represented the diocese in dealings with the Papua New Guinea Lands Department.

He then served as vicar general, diocesan administrator and episcopal vicar.

He also served as director of the Overseas Training Program (also known as Cross-Cultural Training Program) for seminarians from other countries for 15 years and as a hospital and prison chaplain.

Father Seifert had been living in the Divine Word Residence in Techny since 2006. In semi-retirement, he served as assistant novice director from 2009 to 2018.

He is survived by his brother, Daniel Seifert.

Sister of St. Joseph Grace Sbrissa, 86, died June 23.

In religious life for 68 years, Sister Grace taught math in many schools and was a dominant presence at Nazareth Academy. She also served the congregation as an administrator and treasurer.

She is survived by her sisters Sister of St. Joseph Joellen Sbrissa, Toni Gillette and Sandi Szymborski.

Providence Sister Joan (Joan Patrice) Kirkpatrick, 92, died July 9 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Colorado, Sister Joan entered the Sisters of Providence in 1956 and professed final vows in 1964. In her 69 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 18 years in Indiana, Illinois and California. In 1974, she was asked to come to the Motherhouse to serve as treasurer of the Sacred Heart Province and manage the motherhouse operations.  After eight years in this ministry, she returned to California where she continued serving in a business capacity at several institutions.   

Having earned a master’s degree in counseling, she did a five-year psychotherapist internship in California and then returned to Indiana, where she served as a counselor.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught mathematics at Providence High School.

She is survived by a sister, Lynn Poole, and brother, Rob Kirkpatrick.

Father John Walter Roller, 91, died June 28. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor emeritus of St. Thomas Becket Parish in Mount Prospect.

Born in Chicago, he attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1960.

After ordination, he was assistant pastor of Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein; St. Luke, River Forest; St. Ann, Lansing; and St. Benedict (Irving Park Road). He was associate pastor of St. Athanasius, Evanston, and St. Theresa, Palatine.

Father Roller went on to become pastor and then pastor emeritus of St. Thomas Becket Parish in Mount Prospect. He served as a retired resident at St. Thomas Becket and St. Emily in Mount Prospect. Roller celebrated his 65th anniversary and completed his final Mass on May 3.

Father Michael Grzesik, an archdiocesan priest and friend of Father Roller, said he remembers the love and respect he received from the communities he served, and he remembers Father Roller’s boisterous and authoritative voice.

“When he spoke, people listened,” Grzesik said. “When he gave homilies, he told great stories and he engaged the people and really brought them closer to Christ.”

Viatorian Father Arnold E. Perham, 95, died June 21 at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights.

Born in Chicago,  Father Perham grew up in St. Viator Parish and graduated from St. Mel High School.  He pronounced his first vows in 1948 and was ordained in 1956. 

Father Perham earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Loyola University Chicago; a master’s degree in mathematics from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.; and a master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

After teaching in Springfield, he taught at St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1962-1968). He then taught at Loyola University Chicago (1968-1973) while serving as director of scholastics. He returned to St. Viator High School in 1973 and taught there until 2010. From 2011 to 2019,  he volunteered in the Math Lab at the school, and from 2020 to 2025 he volunteered remotely by sending practice tests and study guides to members of the Math Club at St. Viator High School.

He is survived by his sister, Faustine Perham.

Augustinian Father Richard Allen Young, 61, was born in Oak Lawn.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Quincy College, a master of divinity degree from St. Thomas Theological Seminary in Denver, and a doctorate in ministry from Catholic Theological Union.

Father Young was received into the Franciscan novitiate in 1989, professed simple vows the following year and professed solemn vows in 1993 before being ordained a priest in 1995. He served as a Franciscan in Roswell, New Mexico.

He was separated from the Franciscans in 2002 and began the process for incardination into the Archdiocese of Chicago. As a priest with the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served as associate pastor of St. Ita Parish (2005-2009).

He was admitted to Augustinian initial formation in 2009. He began his Augustinian novitiate in 2010, professing temporary vows in 2011 and solemn vows in 2014.

During his time in the Augustinian pre-novitiate, he taught at St. Rita of Cascia High School and continued teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the religious studies department of DePaul University (2001-2009).

He was assigned to St. Rita of Cascia High School Monastery from 2011 to 2013, teaching, serving St. Rita’s campus ministry and serving as director of Augustinian mission at the school.

In 2013, Father Young moved to Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, where he was a member of the faculty and campus ministry. He served as administrator of St. Rita Parish in Racine, Wisconsin (2015-2016), and then returned to Providence Catholic, eventually becoming theology department chair.

He also assisted at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Orland Park (2016-2025), served as the Midwest Augustinian province liturgical director from January 2013 through June 2022 and served as province director of Augustinian mission and ministry from July 2018 through June 2024.

He is survived by his father, Richard Young, and his brother, Steven Young.

Archbishop John Vlazny, 88, died May 23 in Beaverton, Oregon.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Gall School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1961. He also studied at the North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a baccalaureate in sacred theology in 1960 and a licentiate of sacred theology in 1962.

He served as associate pastor of St. Paul of the Cross, Park Ridge; St. Clement; and St. Aloysius, where he was also pastor.

He was also on the faculty and dean of students at Quigley North, and earned master’s degrees in classics from the University of Michigan and school administration from Loyola University Chicago. In 1981, he was appointed rector of Niles College Seminary.

In 1983, Archbishop Vlazny was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago and served as episcopal vicar of Vicariate I. Four years later, he was named bishop of Winona, Minnesota.

In 1997, he was named archbishop of Portland, Oregon, where he succeeded Cardinal Francis George. He served as archbishop of Portland until his retirement in 2013.

Father Harold B. Murphy, 88, died May 13. He was pastor emeritus of the former St. Timothy Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Murphy attended St. George High School in Evanston, Loyola University Chicago and Pope John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, and he earned a master’s degree in English at Northwestern University.

He was ordained in 1968, and he served as assistant pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, Oak Park; St. James, Arlington Heights; and St. Monica. He became pastor of St. Timothy in 1986 and served there for 20 years. He also taught part-time at Loyola University and other institutions.

Deacon Dennis Renk, 83, died May 4 in Florida. He was ordained in 1976.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Augustine School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He entered a Franciscan community before leaving to marry and have a family.

He worked as a hospital chef and food distributor on the South Side of Chicago before he retired.

He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen. He is survived by his daughter, Patricia Beach, 10 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

Deacon Michael McNulty, 93, died May 6. He was ordained in 1979 and ministered at Divine Mercy Parish, formerly Sacred Heart Parish, Winnetka.

A lifelong parishioner at Divine Mercy, Deacon McNulty knew every pastor of Sacred Heart and then Divine Mercy Parish. After being ordained a deacon, he sold the family business, McNulty Paper Company, to devote himself to ministry.

He celebrated baptisms and funeral services and witnessed weddings, managed parish finances, spearheaded outreach efforts, instructed future deacons and was a field advocate for the Archdiocese of Chicago Marriage Tribunal.

He was predeceased by his wife of 34 years, Mimi. He is survived by his children Maureen Valvassori, Michael McNulty and Patrick McNulty; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Providence Sister Theresa Clare Carr, 93, died on May 5 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indianapolis, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1950 and professed final vows in 1957. She earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree from Indiana University.

Of her 75 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as teacher for 50 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and California, then served as a catechist, substitute teacher and volunteer.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Mercy (1957-1962).

Sister Theresa Clare is survived by her brothers, Edward Carr, Cornelius (Bud) Carr and Michael Carr; and her sister, Catherine Warren.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Therese (Loran) O’Malley, 98, died May 7 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she made her profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1951. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; a master’s degree from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.; and a doctorate from Columbia University, New York, all in mathematics.

Her ministry was dedicated to teaching. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, where she also was director of institutional research and a volunteer at the McGreal Center. She also taught elsewhere in Illinois, and in Connecticut, Wisconsin and Rhode Island.

Father Robert L. Tuzik, 77, died April 19. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former associate pastor of St. Colette Parish in Rolling Meadows, now part of St. Clare of Assisi Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Tuzik attended St. Tarcissus School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1973. In addition to his master of divinity, he earned a licentiate in sacred theology from Mundelein Seminary and a doctorate in liturgy from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Father Tuzik served as assistant pastor of St. Mary Parish, Lake Forest, and as associate pastor of St. Linus, Oak Lawn; St. Zachary, Des Plaines; St. Joseph, Libertyville; and St. Colette. Father Tuzik was also pastor of St. Emily, Mount Prospect.

He served as adjunct faculty at Mundelein Seminary, teaching liturgy to seminarians and deacon candidates, and as a consultant to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Office for Divine Worship. He served also as a special consultant to the late Cardinal Francis George.

Deacon Richard Warfield, 83, died April 17. He was ordained in 1979 and served in a variety of ministries.

Deacon Warfield was a U.S. Army veteran and retired Chicago police officer. He served as a deacon with the Chicago Police chaplaincy unit, at the Ford City Catholic Center and in pastoral care at Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Lou; his son, Richard; three grandchildren; and his brother, Charles.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Antonetta (Philomena) Martinka, 86, died April 13 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters in 1960.

Sister Antonetta’s ministry was dedicated to teaching in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Luke School, River Forest, and taught and served as business officer at Trinity High School, River Forest. She also taught at St. Zachary School, Des Plaines, and St. Giles School, Oak Park, and she served as business officer at Divine Providence Convent, Des Plaines.

She is survived by her sister, Marie Gibbs; and her brother, Rudy Martinka.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Catherine (Alberto) St. Martin, 92, died April 19 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Minneapolis, Sister Mary Catherine made her religious profession in 1953. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, and a master’s degree in curriculum and administration from Saint Xavier University.

She taught and was principal at St. Giles, Oak Park, and taught at St. Louis de Montfort, Oak Lawn; St. Thomas the Apostle; Epiphany; and St. Martin de Porres High School, Waukegan. She also was principal of St. Thomas More School.

Sister Mary Catherine also ministered as an administrator, assistant prioress and pastoral caregiver.

She is survived by a sister, Clare Foley.

Father John P. Lucas, 82, died April 5. A retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was the former judicial vicar with the Court of Appeals of the Province of Chicago.

Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Immaculata High School in Kansas, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Father Lucas was ordained to the priesthood in 1968, at St. Peter Basilica in Rome. He served as assistant pastor of St. Cyprian, River Grove; associate pastor of St. Edmund, Oak Park; and as judge at the Metropolitan Tribunal and at the Court of Appeals of the Province of Chicago.

Father Michael Bradley knew Father Lucas since 1993.

“I began working at the tribunal and got to work with him,” Bradley said. “He studied in Rome for his degree in canon law. He was fair-minded in applying the law and had a real gift in combining his canon law knowledge and expertise in pastoral ministry.

“When he had to decide on a possible marriage annulment, he did it with great deal of concern for all parties. They were not just cases for him, they were people.”

After retirement, Father Lucas continued to serve on appeal cases as the adjutant judicial vicar in charge of the Court of Second Instance of the Metropolitan Tribunal until his death.

Father George J. Kane, 99, died April 7. At the time of his death, he was the longest tenured priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor emeritus of Church of the Holy Spirit in Schaumburg, now part of St. Gregory of Nyssa Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Kane attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1951.

He served as assistant pastor of Holy Rosary (113th Street), Holy Cross (65th Street), St. George (Wentworth Avenue) and St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates. He taught at St. Mary of the Lake University/Mundelein Seminary (1966-1972) and he was the founding pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit.

Between his assignments at Holy Cross and St. George parishes, Father Kane served as a U.S. Air Force chaplain from 1959 to 1963. He served in South Korea, ministering to fighter pilots preparing to go to Vietnam.

Father John Hoffman knew Father Kane since his seminary internship at Father Kane’s parish, more than 50 years ago.

“He was a great homilist, wicked smart and had a great sense of humor,” Hoffman said.

He added that Father Kane  was a supporter of women’s participation in the church and the Second Vatican Council.

“He believed in it, he believed it made such a difference for the laity, parishes and the church,” Hoffman noted. “He believed in Christ’s way of life for us and that it is Jesus Christ we seek, as Pope John Paul II said.”

During a January 2024 interview with Chicago Catholic, Father Kane looked back on his ministry in the archdiocese and impact of the Second Vatican Council. “I was hoping we would get away from this ultra-authoritarian mode the church had, and get into the way of Vatican II,” he said. “That struck me as a life-giving kind of a vision, and it correlated with the best I had in my seminary training.”

Father Patrick J. Lee, 74, died April 14. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on Belmont Avenue.

Born in Evergreen Park, Father Lee attended Marist High School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1976.

He served as associate pastor of St. Christopher, Midlothian; St. Matthias; St. Giles, Oak Park; and Immaculate Conception Parish on North Park Avenue.

Father Lee served as pastor of both Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph parishes on North Orleans Street from 1987 to 2013, laying the groundwork for the combination of the two parishes, which merged in 2016. Before retiring, he served as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for nine years.

He was a faculty member at Quigley Preparatory Seminary from 1979 to 1986.

Father John Hoffman, who met Father Lee in the seminary, remembered his friend as a deeply spiritual priest who had a clear focus on ministering to the people in the parish.

“Especially when folks were ill, he would make visits to the hospitals. He was very loyal to the Church, and was not reluctant to challenges. He prayed often for the LGBTQ community.”

Father Lee was an advocate for the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, or AGLO Chicago. During a Mass in 2023 that celebrated the 35th anniversary of the ministry, AGLO recognized Lee for his support since the group’s inception.

Adrian Dominican Sister Marilyn (Therese Noel) Francoeur, 88, died Feb. 22 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Adrian, she was in the 70th year of her religious life.

Sister Marilyn spent 30 years ministering in education in Michigan, Illinois and the Dominican Republic. She also was an administrator and ministered in her congregation’s information office and archives.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was assistant treasurer (1977-1978) and treasurer (1978-1984) at Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette, and was administrator of the Parable Conference in River Forest.

She is survived by a sister, Herline Harm, and two brothers, Douglas and John Francoeur.

Viatorian Father Daniel T. Nolan, 76, died April 4 in Wheeling.

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he attended Bishop Gorman High School in Nevada, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He pronounced his first vows in 1973 and was ordained in 1983.

Father Nolan graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He earned a bachelor’s in secondary education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Catholic Theological Union, Chicago.

He moved to Illinois for the Viatorian novitiate and taught at St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1972-1973), and attended classes at Loyola University Chicago (1973-1974). He then taught and was a school administrator in Rock Island, Illinois.

After ordination, he ministered in schools and parishes in Nevada. From 2002 to 2007, he was director of vocations (2002-2007), director of mission appeals (2002-2007) and director formation (2004-2007) for the Chicago Province in Arlington Heights.

After his service to the province, he worked in campus ministry and hospital pastoral care, including as a chaplain at Presence St. Joseph Hospital (2014-2017).

He moved to the Province Center in Arlington Heights in 2022, and to Addolorata Villa in Wheeling earlier this year.

He is survived by his brother, William Nolan.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Eleanor “Ellie” (Francesco) Hoffmann, 91, died April 7, in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Lincoln, Illinois, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1954.

Sister Ellie’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, pastoral care and preaching in Wisconsin and Illinois. She served the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation as vicaress provincial of the eastern province and in vocation ministry and ministered as spiritual director and retreat leader at the Dominican Motherhouse, Sinsinawa Mound. She was a mentor for many Dominican Associates of Sinsinawa.

She is survived by a brother, Father Robert Hoffmann.

Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Alice (Francis Alice) Naour, 91, died Jan. 9 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 73rd year of her religious life.

Sister Mary Alice ministered in elementary and secondary music education in Michigan, Illinois and Henderson, Nevada. She also served at the Dominican Motherhouse, where she was activities assistant, pastoral minister and an assistant in the liturgical ministries department.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita (1953-1954), St. Carthage (1954-1957), St. Columbanus (1957-1959) and St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1968), and was a residence moderator at Bishop Quarter (1967-1968).

Adrian Dominican Sister Kathleen (Charles Miriam) Walli, 87, died Jan. 25 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 64th year of her religious life.

Sister Kathleen ministered 19 years in elementary and secondary education in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Florida. She also served nine years as a college professor in Illinois and Michigan, two years as secretary of the congregation in Adrian and 15 years as a pastoral associate/religious education director in Wisconsin. Sister Kathleen became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2017.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mary, Star of the Sea.

She is survived by her sisters Suzanne Condon, Joy Brock, Maribeth Czerwonka and Sheila Glodowski; and her brothers Douglas, Michael, Lance and Henry Walli.

School Sister of St. Francis Jesse Marie Mortimer, 91, died in Milwaukee on March 16.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Jesse Marie was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1954, made her first professions of vows in 1956 and perpetual vows in 1962.

Beginning in 1957, Sister Jesse Marie ministered in the archdioceses of Chicago, Omaha and Milwaukee. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Benedict High School from 1983 to 1989.

Sister Jesse Marie is survived by her brothers, John and Eugene Mortimer.

Providence Sister Joan Mary (Mary Ann) Schaefer, 95, died March 20 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Cicero, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1948 and professed final vows in 1956. In her 76 years as a Sister of Providence, she taught for 46 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Massachusetts, including 21 years as a principal. Retiring from full-time teaching in 1998, she continued to substitute in the Chicago area.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows (1968-1969), was principal of Immaculate Conception (1975-1989), taught at St. Francis Borgia (1990-1992) and at Providence-St. Mel (1992-1998).

In 2017, she moved to the motherhouse, where she served in a variety of ways, the foremost being Providence Hall receptionist.

Felician Sister Mary Theophilia (Theresa) Tworzydlo, 92, died March 24, in Swedish/North Shore Hospital.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. John of God School and Lourdes High School.  She entered the Felician Sisters Postulancy in 1951 and professed her final vows in 1959.  She ministered as an elementary teacher in  Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin for a total of 20 years. Later, she

served in a variety of positions at St. Andrew Life Center in Niles.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Mary Magdalene (1953-1957), Good Shepherd (1957-1959, 1977-1978), St. Bruno (1960-1965), Holy Innocents (1967-1971), St. Stanislaus, Posen (1973-1977) and St. Andrew Life Center, Niles (1978-2014).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Diane (Mary Alana) Kennedy, 91, died March 30 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Oak Park, she entered the Sininsawa Dominican congregation in 1957, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosary College. She later earned master’s degrees in English and theology and a doctorate in ministry.

Sister Diane’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, preaching and administration. She served her congregation as director of initial formation and as vicaress of the congregation. She was executive director of the Parable Conference for Dominican Life and Mission; director of ministry at St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota; academic dean at Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis.; and associate provost and vice president for mission and ministry at Dominican University. Sister Diane concluded her public ministry as promoter for the cause of Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP.    

She is survived by a sister, Jane Gelinas.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Virginia (John Martha) Helmann, 89, died April 1 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. 

Born in Wisconsin, she professed vows with the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1955.

She taught at Visitation and schools in Chicago as well as in other cities in Illinois and in Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin. She also ministered in spiritual direction in New York and as a holistic health therapist at the Dominican Motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Father Matthias E. Lorenz, 81, died March 5. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former chaplain of St. Anthony Hospital and university professor.

Born in Chicago, Father Lorenz attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1969. He also earned a master’s degree in music at the Chicago Conservatory College, a master’s degree in public administration at Roosevelt University and a doctorate in theology and human sciences with concentration on issues in medical ethics and bioethics at the University of Chicago.

Father Lorenz was assistant pastor of St. Gregory the Great and St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish. He later served at De La Salle Institute and was director of pastoral care and chaplain at St. Anthony Hospital. He also served as: a teacher and dorm counselor at Benedictine University in Lisle; adjunct professor at DePaul University; and visiting professor and Newman Center associate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He retired in 2014.

Father Leon Rezula, former pastor of St. Julian Eymard Parish in Elk Grove Village, remembered the child-like simplicity and profound faith of his classmate.

“He had a variety of experience in his priesthood,” Rezula said. “He was very outgoing, loved people and loved to meet new people.”

Deacon Leonard Richardson, 88, died Feb. 26. He was ordained in 1988 and served at St. Sabina Parish.

He was born in Louisiana and moved to Chicago with his family when he was 4 years old. He attended Holy Trinity and St. James schools and De La Salle Institute, becoming one of that school’s first African American students. He went to DePaul University to study accounting.

He married his childhood sweetheart, the late Beverly Ann Goodman, in 1957, and the couple had eight children. Deacon Richardson worked for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, with extra jobs to support his family at Sears and at H&R Block.

After viewing the body of Emmett Till in 1955, Deacon Richardson became active in the Civil Rights Movement, and in 1966 marched with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Marquette Park.

He and his family were among the first African American families to join St. Sabina Parish in 1965. Deacon Richardson sang in the choir and was a fourth degree Knight of St. Peter Claver before entering diaconate formation.

He is survived by daughters Yolanda, Linda, Latanya, Donna, Deidra, Angela and Coretta and son Leonard Malcolm; his sister Katherine Richardson; 33 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

School Sister of St. Francis Sister Irene Daniels, 95, died Feb. 4 at Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Irene was received into the community in 1946, made her first vows in 1949 and made her final vows in 1954.

Beginning in 1948, Sister Irene ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Matthias School from 1948 to 1955.

In retirement, Sister Irene volunteered and ministered through her prayer and presence at St. Joseph Convent in Milwaukee (2003-2015) and at Our Lady of the Angels from 2015 until her death.

School Sister of St. Francis Maureen Durkin, 79, died Feb. 15 in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Maureen was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1965; made her first profession of vows in 1967; and made her final vows in 1976.

Beginning in 1968, Sister Maureen ministered in Chicago and Milwaukee. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered in Chicago in home care for another sister’s parent in 1994, then served as a registered nurse at St. Joseph Home (1995-2006), St. Joseph Village (2006-2007), Hospice of Illinois (2007-2009) and Maxim Health Care Services (2009-2011).

Most recently, Sister Maureen ministered as a health advocate for her community’s U.S. province from 2011 until the time of her death.

Sister Maureen is survived by her sister, Mary Eileen Wudtke, and her brother, Edward Durkin.

Divine Word  Father Gerald Theis, 92, who served in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, died March 10 in Techny.

Born in Aurora, Father Theis entered the Divine Word Seminary in East Troy, Wisconsin, in 1946 and professed vows in 1952. In addition to his theology degrees, he earned a master’s degree in education from the Catholic University of America.

Father Theis was ordained to the priesthood in 1960 and left for the Archdiocese of Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea in 1961. For the first eight years of his priesthood, he worked in a remote mountain area with people who had never seen a European or a trader. To visit the 53 mission stations and 20,000 people in his care, he walked thousands of miles.

In 1969, Father Theis was appointed education secretary and archdiocesan supervisor of schools. He also served as chairman of the Governing Council of Holy Trinity Teachers College in Mount Hagen, and later became vicar general of the archdiocese.

He moved to Techny in 2013, and assisted at weekend Masses at St. Nicholas Parish, Evanston, and other area parishes.

“He was a model missionary and model priest — hardworking, dedicated to people, prayerful and faithful in all that he did,” said Divine Word Father Joseph Bisson, a seminary classmate and fellow missionary in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Father Richard J. Lo Bianco, 70, died Feb. 23. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Deerfield.

Born in Chicago, Father Lo Bianco attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College Seminary of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1979.

He served as associate pastor of St. Denis, St. Walter Parish and St. Germaine Parish, Oak Lawn. He then served as pastor of St. Gerald, before becoming associate pastor of St. Alexander, Palos Heights, and Our Lady Mother of the Church, Willow Springs.

Father Lo Bianco became pastor of Divine Savior, Norridge, in 2009, and then pastor of Holy Cross in 2021. He retired in 2024.

Father Gregory Sakowicz, one of Lo Bianco’s classmates, recalled his friend’s zest for life, how he “had a love for life and was very passionate about what he did and what he believed.”

Deacon Edward Patrick DeLorenzo, 84, died Feb. 21. He was ordained in 1975 and ministered at St. Edmund Parish, Oak Park, and Divine Providence Parish, Westchester.

He taught for 10 years at St. Patrick High School, and as a deacon, presided at many family and friends’ baptisms, weddings and funeral services.

School Sister of St. Francis Gloria Fews, 94, died Jan. 9 at Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Aurora, she was received into the community in 1951, made her first vows in 1953 and made her final vows in 1955.

Beginning in 1953, Sister Gloria ministered in Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Holy Angels School from 1953 to 1970.

In retirement, Sister Gloria ministered through prayer and presence at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee from 2016 to 2018, and at Our Lady of Angels from 2018 until her death. 

Sister Gloria is survived by her sisters, Diana Burbridge and Charlotte Pointer.

Redemptorist Father Thomas Franciscus, 85, died Feb. 13 in Arizona.

Born in Nebraska, he entered the Redemptorists’ St. Joseph College in Kirkwood, Missouri, in 1957. He professed temporary vows in 1960. In 1963, at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, he professed permanent vows and in 1965 he was ordained a priest.

After ordination, he served for one year in St. Louis before being assigned to St. Michael Parish in Old Town. He earned a master’s degree in theology from Loyola University Chicago while in full-time ministry. In addition to providing Spanish-language catechesis, he worked with members of youth gangs and engaged in government redevelopment programs.

He later ministered in Missouri and Colorado, before moving to California’s Central Valley, always working in Hispanic ministry. During that time, he earned a licentiate in canon law and began working in the tribunal in the Diocese of Stockton before serving as judicial vicar in the Dioceses of Reno, Nevada, and Monterey, California, while also in parish ministry.

He joined the Redemptorist Renewal Center community in Tucson, Arizona, in 2023.

Adrian Dominican Sister Shirley Mary (James Barbara) Heymes, 94, died Nov. 22, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 76th year of her religious life.

Sister Shirley ministered 46 years in education in Chicago as well as in Florida, Michigan and Ohio, and she was a volunteer for 11 years at the Dominican Literacy Center in Detroit.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita of Cascia School.

She is survived by two brothers, Paul Heymes and James Heymes, and a sister, Barbara DeCrick.

Adrian Dominican Sister Miriam Joseph (Josephine Bernadette) Lekan, 101, died Nov. 23, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Cleveland, she was in the 81st year of her religious life.

She ministered in education and nursing in Illinois, Michigan, Florida and Ohio.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Bishop Quarter, Oak Park. 

Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Katherine (Sean Marie) Dolan, 85, died Dec. 4, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan. She was in the 66th year of her life.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Academy of Our Lady in Chicago and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history and a master of divinity degree in pastoral ministry from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California.

Sister Mary Katherine ministered in education, community organization, administration and as a pastoral associate in California, Arizona, Missouri and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was a pastoral associate at St. Martin de Porres Parish (1992-1993) and administrator of Grace House women’s residence (1994-2011).

She is survived by two brothers, Thomas Dolan and Lawrence Dolan.

Adrian Dominican Sister Shirley (Elaine Therese) Boettcher, 94, died Dec. 12, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 77th year of her religious life.

Sister Shirley ministered in education and nursing in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, New York, Iowa and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita of Cascia (1953-1954); St. Carthage (1954-1957), St. Columbanus (1957-1959); Bishop Quarter, Oak Park (1967-1968); and St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1968).

Sister Shirley is survived by a sister, Elaine Marcotte.

Adrian Dominican Sister Margaret Mary (Richard Mary) Heinz, 97, died Dec. 14, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan. She was in the 78th year of her religious life.

Born in Chicago, Sister Marg graduated from Aquinas High School. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and was licensed in clinical pastoral education.

She ministered in education and pastoral care in Illinois and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1961-1966) and Aquinas High School (1966-1969) and was director of pastoral care at Ravenswood Hospital (1976-1997).

She is survived by a sister, Rita Heinz.

Little Sister of the Poor Josephine Brannan, 79, died Feb. 7 in Palatine after a long illness.

Born in St. Louis, she entered the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1965.

After professing her vows in 1968, and for the next 57 years, she devoted herself to a life of service for the needy elderly in a variety of roles and locations.

She is survived by two brothers and three sisters.

Deacon Thomas Corcoran, 81, died Jan. 23.

He was ordained in 1994 and served at St. Raymond de Penafort Parish, Mount Prospect (1994-2003), and Our Lady of the Wayside Parish, Arlington Heights.

At Our Lady of the Wayside, Deacon Corcoran oversaw the care and outreach ministries, including Respect Life, PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter), Our Lady of Unity (formerly St. Mark) sharing parish activities, ministry of care, bereavement ministries, shawl ministry, special needs ministry and domestic abuse ministry.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Irene.

Providence Sister André (Genevieve Louise) Panepinto, 82, died Jan. 11 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Born in Joliet, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1960 and professed final vows in 1968. During her 64 years in religious life, she ministered in elementary education in Illinois for 22 years, nine of which were as principal. After four years as director of the Learning Resource Center at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana, she taught another 20 years in Massachusetts, retiring in 2012.

In 2015, she moved back to Illinois, giving service as needed to her sisters. In 2018, she moved to the motherhouse where she ministered as a driver. Beginning in 2022, her physical condition required that she dedicate herself totally to the ministry of prayer.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at Maternity BVM (1965-1968) and Mother Guerin Convent, River Grove (2015-2018).

She is survived by a sister, Mary Kay Scholtes, and a brother, Ignatius Panepinto.

School Sister of Notre Dame Donita Mathis, 95, died Jan. 14 at Resurrection Life Center.

Born in Chicago, she was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 72 years. She served as an elementary school teacher in Chicago and Blue Island and as a registered nurse in Chicago, Oak Park and Des Plaines. She was a minister of prayer and presence at Frances Manor in Des Plaines, Resurrection Life Center in Chicago and Marian Village in Homer Glen.

Servant of the Holy Heart of Mary Sister Agnes (Mary) Cunningham, 101, died Jan. 22 in Clifton, Illinois.

Born in England, she was raised in Chicago and was a parishioner of Visitation and St. Gall parishes in her youth. She entered the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary in 1940 and professed vows in 1943.

Sister Agnes ministered in education, teaching elementary school through post-graduate students. She was a professor of church history and patristics at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary from 1967 to 1991, where she helped to educate and form a generation of lay men, priests and bishops. In addition, she served as a freelance writer, theological consultant and translator for her religious community. She was the first female president of the Catholic Theological Society of America.

On her 80th jubilee, she mused, “I wish that everybody knew that as we are passing through times of darkness, challenge and doubt … God still gives us strength and love to support others.”

Father Thomas E. Lamping, 70, died Dec. 31, 2024. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former associate pastor of St. Bartholomew.

Born in Joliet, he attended Bertha-Hewitt High in Bertha, Minnesota, Crosier Seminary in Onamia, Minnesota; Indiana University in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1984.

Father Lamping served as associate pastor of St. Joseph, Summit; St. Philomena (now San José Luis Sánchez Del Río), St. Jerome; Queen of Angels (now part of Queen of Apostles); and St. Bartholomew.

Father Michael Gabriel, one of Father Lamping’s classmates, remembered Father Lamping as a great person who “loved life and was incredibly dedicated to the priesthood.”

Gabriel also recalled Father Lamping’s close relationship with his family, how “he was very dedicated to his parents and really loved those around him.”

Father James E. Flynn, 82, died Jan. 5. He was pastor emeritus of Holy Name of Mary Parish.

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1967.

Father Flynn was assistant pastor of St. Priscilla, Resurrection (now part of St. Martin de Porres) and Our Lady of the Mount Parish (now part of Our Lady, the Mystical Rose Parish) in Cicero. He served as associate pastor of St. Angela (now part of St. Simon Cyrene) and Holy Name of Mary (now part of Our Lady of Kibeho Parish), where he was named pastor emeritus after he retired in 2012.

He served in retirement at Ascension-St. Susanna in Harvey and St. Gerard Majella in Markham.

Father Thadeo Mgimba, archdiocesan priest and one of Father Flynn’s close friends, remembers Father Flynn as a remarkable person who “was very simple, humble and had a golden heart.”

“He was my spiritual father, my mentor and my friend,” Mgimba added.

Father Stephen F. Kanonik, 68, died Jan. 7. He was pastor of St. Benedict Parish on Irving Park Road.

Born in Chicago, Father Kanonik attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1982.

He served as associate pastor of St. Bruno and St. Louise de Marillac, La Grange Park. He then served as pastor of St. Ladislaus, St. Juliana and St. Benedict Parish. He also served as moderator of the curia and recently had been a member of the Priest Placement Board.

Father Thomas Refermat, associate pastor of St. Benedict, remembered Father Kanonik as “a man who loved the people, cared for the people and wanted to speak up for his parishioners.” “He loved them, and his parishioners loved him, especially the children,” Refermat said. “Working side by side with him, I always saw him as an older brother.”

Father James Kastigar, one of Father Kanonik’s classmates, remembers Father Kanonik as a “very kind, gentle man who really loved other people and he took time to listen to them. He’d always stop what he was doing to talk to people.”

Deacon Robert Boharic, 79, died Jan. 12. He was ordained in 1999 and served at St. Paul VI Parish, formerly at St. Mary, Riverside.

Born at Misericordia Maternity Home in Chicago and then adopted, he attended St. Sabina Parish and Leo High School.

A former U.S. Marine, Deacon Boharic was a prosecutor and a judge in Cook County. He told Chicago Catholic in 2012 that his journey to the diaconate began after his son, Bobby, died of a childhood cancer in 1982.

At that time, he and his wife, Kathleen, began to dig deeper into their faith and became more active in their parish.

Deacon Boharic is survived by his wife, his children Father Thomas Boharic, Marie Schwarzenberger, Margaret Boharic and John Boharic; and seven grandchildren.

Felician Sister Paul Marie (Mary Pulveria, Stella) Pietroczynski, 101, died Dec. 19 in Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended Holy Trinity School and Good Counsel High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1942 and professed her final vows in 1950. She ministered in various elementary schools as a teacher and principal in Illinois, Wisconsin, Alabama and Minnesota. She also served in the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Phone Ministry from 2004 to 2017.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Bruno (1942-1943); St. Turibius (1944-1946); St. Bronislava (1946-1947); St. Mary Magdalene (1947-1948); St. Hedwig, Niles (1948-1851); Our Lady of the Gardens (1955-1970); St. Joseph (1985-1986, 1993-1997); Sacred Heart (1988-1990); St.  Wenceslaus (1990-1992); and Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1997-2004).

Father Joseph C. Taylor, 97, died Dec. 8, 2024. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein before being ordained in 1953.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Maurice, St. Cajetan, St. Gabriel and St. Joseph the Worker, Wheeling, before serving as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish (Nelson Avenue).

Later, Father Taylor served as associate pastor of St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy, Oak Park, and St. Edward Parish. He retired in 1997.

Father Dominic Clemente, pastor of St. Edward Parish, remembered Father Taylor as a kind-hearted, humble and faithful priest. “He would attend Holy Mass daily, even when he couldn’t celebrate the Mass,” Clemente said. “He loved hearing confessions, anointing people and offering pastoral counseling. Being with people and celebrating the sacraments are what gave him life.”

Deacon William John Krueger, 90, died Dec. 17, 2024, in his home in Tucson, Arizona.

He served at St. Mary Parish, Buffalo Grove, and retired in 2018.

Born in Chicago, Deacon Krueger grew up in the Wauconda area, and married his wife, Patricia, in 1951.

Deacon Krueger found his greatest happiness in staying connected to his family, always knowing what everyone was up to and ensuring those he loved felt supported and cherished.

He is survived by Patricia and his children Bill, Claudia, Darcy, Kelly, Dan and Ryan; 14 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Deacon Walter Minor, 90, of Park Ridge, died Dec. 21, 2024. He was ordained in 1978 and served at Our Lady of Ransom Parish, Niles.

Born in Bath, Illinois, Deacon Minor attended Knox College in Galesburg, where he served in the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps. Stationed in Chicago after graduation, he met his wife of 67 years, Eleanor.

He worked in sales and coached his children’s teams in Park Ridge Park District.

He is survived by Eleanor; his children Chris Minor-Hubbell, Laurie Citta and Tracy Sernel; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren; as well his siblings Butch Minor and Sharon McNeil.

Felician Sister Mary Ramona (Elizabeth) Dombrowski, 83, died Nov. 14, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, she joined the Felician Sisters aspirancy in Chicago, where she attended Good Counsel High School. She entered the Felician Sisters postulancy in 1959 and professed her final vows in 1967. 

She ministered in elementary schools as a teacher and principal in Illinois. She also served in leadership positions within the Felician community. Later she ministered in the field of health administration in Milwaukee. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Turibius (1962), St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates (1965-1966), St. Bruno (1966-1967) and Good Counsel High School (1967-1980).

School Sister of St. Francis Antoinette Schreiber, 102, died Nov. 22, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in Pierron, Illinois, she was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1940, made her first profession of vows in 1942 and made her final vows in 1948.

Beginning in 1944, Sister Antoinette ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught (1944-1965) and was principal (1962-1965) at St. Maurice School.

Sister Antoinette retired in 2011 and served in the ministry of prayer and presence in Wisconsin.

Felician Sister Mary Josetta (Phyllis Prondzinski), 87, died Nov. 25, 2024, in Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, she joined the Felician Sisters Postulancy in Chicago in 1955 and professed her final vows in 1967. She ministered in elementary and high schools as a teacher, art instructor and librarian in Illinois, Alabama, Wisconsin and Minnesota. She also served in United Stand Counseling Center as an art therapist and later became an art instructor at the Portage Park  Senior Center in Chicago.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Joseph (1958-1960), Good Shepherd (1960-1961), St. Wenceslaus (1961-1963), St. Linus, Oak Lawn (1963-1968), St. Joseph High School (1979-1991), Good Counsel High School (1996-2004) and St. Ferdinand (2004-2007).

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Mary Bridget (Rosemary Patricia) Murphy, 84, died Dec. 7, 2024.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Peter Canisius School and Notre Dame High School for Girls before entering the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1957.

She taught at St. Victor, Calumet City (1962-1966), before being assigned to schools in Ohio, where she completed a master’s degree in education.

In 1972, Sister Mary Bridget began serving as a clinical reading instructor at St. Peter Canisius and St. Robert Bellarmine schools in Chicago, supervising the teachers in the area of reading and teaching them skills to help them help their students. In 1975, she became principal of St. Robert Bellarmine, a post she held for six years.

She returned to Ohio to serve in provincial leadership and secondary education. In 1987, she became principal of Notre Dame High School in Chicago at a time of decreasing enrollment and higher costs, due to fewer sisters on the faculty. She spent the remainder of her professional life ministering to the school and its alumnae.

In 1993, she was appointed president of the school, and in 2003, she became president emeritus.

School Sister of St. Francis Mary Alma Mayer, 97, died Dec. 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in Michigan, she was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1945, made her first profession of vows in 1947 and made her final vows in 1953.

Beginning in 1947, Sister Mary Alma ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Martin (1947-1952) and St. Matthias (1956-1979), where she also served as religious education coordinator (1975-1979).

Sister Mary Alma served as the sacristan at St. Joseph Chapel in her community’s Milwaukee motherhouse from 1979 until her retirement in 2015.

Sister Mary Alma is survived by her brother, Rolland Mayer, and her sisters, Janet Wieber and Katherine Coffman.

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth Elaine Marie (Deodata) Klugiewicz, 94, died Dec. 10, 2024, in Des Plaines.

Born in Chicago, Sister Elaine Marie joined the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1947 and professed her perpetual vows in 1956. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1964 and taught at St. Ann, Assumption BVM and St. Michael, as well as at schools in Texas.

After earning her master’s degree in library science from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, in 1972, Sister Elaine Marie served as a high school librarian, first at St. Ann and then at Holy Family Academy until 1984.

Sister Elaine Marie was one of the founding core members of the Nazareth House of Prayer in Schiller Park. She also served as director of religious education at St. Patricia, Hickory Hills; and for six years, Sister Elaine Marie was a local superior at Nazarethville Nursing Home. She was part of the formation Community in Grand Prairie, Texas, and later in Chicago. Before retiring to Nazarethville, Sister Elaine Marie ministered as the spiritual guide to the Associates of the Holy Family.

Divine Word Father Frank Drzaic, 90, a missionary in Paraguay and Croatia, died Dec. 17, 2024, in Techny.

Born in Omaha in 1934, he entered the high school seminary in 1949 and professed vows in 1954. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Techny in 1962.

For his first assignment, he was sent to Paraguay. During his time in South America, he was based in Hernandarias in Central Paraguay and in the city of Che’íro Kue (Cheiro-Cue), now known as Juan Emiliano O’Leary. He provided pastoral care, built schools and chapels, and started a medical clinic.

After 12 years as a missionary in Paraguay, Father Drzaic faced health issues and returned to the United States. He served in Texas and Mississippi for a decade.

Knowing that Father Drzaic was the son of Croatian parents and knew the language, his superiors then assigned him to the Austrian Province, where he worked in Croatia for three years. Following that appointment, he became a member of the Western Province and served St. Malachy Parish in Los Angeles.

In 1996, he was transferred back to the Chicago Province, where he served as an associate pastor for three parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago: Holy Trinity Croatian Catholic Church, St. Bronislava and Our Lady of Charity. Coinciding with his pastoral assignments, he was a part-time chaplain at St. Margaret Mercy Health Care Center in Hammond, Indiana; at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, Indiana; and Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park.

Father Drzaic moved to Techny in 2013. Even in retirement, his curious nature led him to learn the Hebrew alphabet, delve deeper into Scripture and practice sacred music on the keyboard.

In addition to his seminary training, Father Drzaic held a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

School Sister of St. Francis Dorothy Sinibaldi, 91, died Dec. 23, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in New York State, Sister Dorothy was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1953, made her first profession of vows in 1955 and made her final vows in 1961.

Beginning in 1955, Sister Dorothy ministered in Illinois, New York, and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Joseph School, Waukegan (1964-1967 and 1970-1974); and at St. Peter School, Skokie (1967-1970).

In retirement, Sister Dorothy ministered as a volunteer and through her prayer and presence in New York and in Wisconsin.

Father John S. Plotkowski, 76, died Nov. 25. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of St. Zachary Parish, Des Plaines.

Born in Chicago, Father Plotkowski attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1974.

Father Plotkowski was associate pastor of St. Marcelline, Schaumburg; St. Stephen Protomartyr, Des Plaines; Our Lady of Hope, Rosemont; and St. Mary, Buffalo Grove.

From 1982 to 1986, Plotkowski was on the faculty of Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He also served as pastor of St. Simeon, Bellwood, and St. Zachary. He retired in 2018.

Father Marcel J. Pasciak, retired archdiocesan priest and one of Plotkowski’s classmates, remembered Father Plotkowski as a very personable, outgoing man who “was well-liked by everybody and very lively.”

Marianist Father Timothy Dwyer, 89, died Nov. 18 in San Antonio. He had been a member of the congregation for 70 years.

Born in St. Louis, he first encountered the Marianists at DeAndreis High School there and entered the novitiate after graduating. He made his first vows in 1954.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1957, he taught high school in Texas and then in Switzerland, where he entered the Marianist seminary in 1964.

After being ordained in 1968, he taught and was a chaplain at St. Michael High School in Chicago, and then in a school in Texas. He then started to do retreat work, religious formation and provincial administration.

He ministered in Missouri, Texas, New Jersey and Ontario, Canada, including seven years as provincial superior of the St. Louis Province.

Benedictine Sister Margaret Ann (Mary Denis) Holtz, 92, died Nov. 30 in St. Joseph Court, the infirmary of St. Scholastica Monastery. She was a member of the Benedictine community for 74 years.

Born in Pennsylvania, Sister Margaret Ann visited her aunt Sister Gertrude Holtz, OSB, on a family trip to Chicago. She entered the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago in 1950.

For decades, Sister Margaret Ann taught primary grades at schools throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago, including Queen of All Saints, St. John Nepomucene, St. George and St. Hilary, where she also served as assistant principal. She also taught at Mother of God School, Waukegan; and in Colorado.

As was the practice in religious communities at the time, Sister Margaret Ann took college courses while teaching; in 1964, she earned a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.

In the late 1970s, Sister Margaret Ann moved from teaching into positions of financial responsibility for both schools and community. She served in the business office of St. Scholastica Academy, Chicago, eventually becoming treasurer. Her ministry also included an appointment as treasurer of the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago. In her later years, Sister Margaret Ann coordinated monastery resources and housekeeping staff.

Father Philip C. Cleary, 71, died Nov. 3 in Mexico. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former associate pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish on Hermitage Avenue.

Born in Chicago, Father Cleary attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein before being ordained in 1979.

He then served as associate pastor at St. Boniface Parish and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. From 1982 to 1984, Father Cleary served as president of the Association of Chicago Priests and was elected to the National Federation of Priest Councils Executive Board in 1983.

During that time, Father Cleary learned about Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), a nonprofit organization that cares for orphaned and abandoned children in Latin America and the Caribbean. His initial plan was to volunteer for one summer at NPH’s main orphanage in Mexico, he told people, but he ended up making a lifelong commitment to the children of NPH.

Father Cleary served as national director of NPH Mexico before becoming executive director of NPH International. He resided at NPH’s main home in Miacatlán, Morelos, Mexico. He later became chaplain for the Diocese of Cuernavaca in Mexico and retired in 2023.

Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks, one of Cleary’s closest friends, remembers Father Cleary as a mentor, role model and friend who “lived life with great dedication.” Bishop Hicks spent a year in Mexico volunteering for one of NPH’s orphanages before entering Mundelein Seminary.

“He (Father Cleary) not only provided spiritual guidance but also a real dedication to the mission of improving the children’s lives,” Hicks said. “Because of watching his priesthood and how he lived it, he inspired me to enter the priesthood myself.”

Father Daniel J. Collins, 93, died Nov. 16. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, Northlake.

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1958.

Father Collins served as assistant pastor of St. Francis Borgia; St. Issac Jogues, Niles; Our Lady of Mount Carmel; and St. Christopher Parish, Midlothian. He then served as associate pastor of St. Leonard, Berwyn, and later as pastor of St. John Vianney.

Sister of the Living Word Marie McKenna, 72, died Oct. 15 after a long journey with cancer.

Born in Toronto, she began her vocation with the Sisters of the Living Word, having taught at St. Gregory High School and ministered as pastoral minister at St. Simeon in Bellwood. She was a clinical family therapist at Catholic Charities for more than 20 years while also maintaining a private practice.

Sister Marie’s skills in counseling, envisioning “out of the box” ideas, and her dedication to the common good through activism, concern for effective health care programs, and love for God’s creation melded into effective leadership for the Sisters of the Living Word. She shared her vision in two leadership terms, and unfortunately ending her second term early as cancer curtailed her energy and abilities.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Patricia (Alberta) Caraher, 90, died Nov. 13 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, Sister Patty professed vows in 1956. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosary College, River Forest, and a master’s degree in education from Marquette University, Milwaukee. 

Sister Patty’s ministry was dedicated to education and social justice. She taught in Mobile, Alabama, from 1960 to 1975. While there, she cofounded a program for prisoners called LINK. She taught English as a second language at Friendship House and at St. Thomas of Canterbury, Chicago, where she cofounded Amos Temporary Help and also ministered at Epiphany Parish and at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

She served the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation as Southern Province councilor for four years and provincial for six years. She also ministered in Atlanta, in the Bronx, New York; and in Florida and Louisiana.

She retired in Muskego, Wisconsin, in 2023.

She is survived by a sister, Frances Collins.

Sister of St. Joseph-Third Order of St. Francis Dorothy (Barbara) Monikowski, 81, died Nov. 16.

Born in Chicago, Sister Dorothy made final vows with the Sisters of St. Joseph-Third Order of St. Francis in 1968. She spent many years teaching in various grade schools in Chicago, and she was elected to the provincial council on two occasions.

Sister Dorothy earned advanced degrees in administration and organization development. She became associate director of planning for the Archdiocese of Chicago. She became an organization consultant and facilitator helping many religious congregations throughout the United States. Sister Dorothy also worked for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s of Office of Catholic Schools.

Archbishop James Patrick Keleher, 93, died Nov. 9 in Olathe, Kansas. He had served as the archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas, from 1993 to 2005.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Felicitas School and Mount Carmel High School for one year before entering the archdiocesan seminary system. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1958.

He was assistant pastor of St. Henry and taught at Quigley North, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before serving as rector of Quigley South and then USML/Mundelein Seminary.

He was named bishop of Belleville in 1984.

Sister of Christian Charity Campion (Mary Ann) Breske, 88, died on Sept. 28 at the Convent of the Holy Spirit in Northfield.

Born in Detroit, she entered the Sisters of Christian Charity in 1955. She pronounced first vows in 1958, and final vows two years later.

Sister Campion’s first ministry was teaching grade school. She taught at schools in Louisiana, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan as well as Illinois, where she taught primary grades and religious education at St. Gregory School and at St. Theresa, Palatine.

In August 1987, Sister Campion began a new ministry, undergoing training in Deaf ministry while residing at Josephinum Convent. The next year, she began doing ministry to the Deaf community in St. Louis. Later ministries took her to South Dakota and elsewhere in Missouri, before moving to Holy Ghost Parish in South Holland, where she taught religious education and helped with pastoral duties.

Residing at St. Joseph Convent in Wilmette, Sister Campion ministered as activities coordinator at Sacred Heart Convent. Seven years later, she was transferred to Josephinum Convent, where she served as local leader and visiting eucharistic minister.

She started offering prayerful presence at Sacred Heart Convent in 2017; in 2024, she moved to the Convent of the Holy Spirit.

Servite Father Michael (Lawrence) Doyle, 86, died Oct. 2.

Born in Chicago, he entered the Servite order in 1956 and professed solemn vows in 1962. He was ordained a priest in 1965.

Father Doyle held advanced degrees in theology and educational administration, and taught theology and philosophy at Monte Senario College in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.

In Chicago, he served as pastor of Annunciata Parish and Assumption Parish (2006-2009). He also served in province leadership in various capacities, and as a pastor in St. Louis.

Father Doyle volunteered for the Hillside Fire Department, as chaplain in the Chicago Fire Department, and for 25 years was an active and reserved duty chaplain with the U.S. Air Force. He retired in 1998 as a colonel.

He is survived by his sisters Anne Marie Templin and Maureen Reynolds

 

Deacon Ronald L. DeRose, 77, died Oct. 13. He was ordained in 1994 and ministered at Assumption Parish and as a chaplain in Kolbe House Jail Ministry.

He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War.

He is survived by his siblings Janet Salihar, Louis DeRose, Joseph
DeRose and Richard DeRose.

Sister of the Living Word Theresa Weber, 96, died Oct. 10.

She served as a house mother in the St. Vincent Orphanage near St. Louis, served her community, and for many years used her gerontology education and skills in various nursing homes and residences in Detroit.

Her last years were spent at Ascension Resurrection Life Center.

School Sister of St. Francis Corina Stifter, 103, died Oct. 13 at Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Minnesota, Sister Corina was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1938, made her first profession of vows in 1940 and made her perpetual vows in 1946.

Beginning in 1939, Sister Corina ministered in the Archdioceses of Milwaukee and Chicago, and throughout Central and South America. In Chicago, Sister served as a homemaker at Our Lady of Victory Convent (1939-1941) and at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent, Glenview (1943-1944). She also taught at Holy Angels School (1947-1955).

Sister Corina retired in 2012 and ministered through prayer and presence at St. Joseph Center Motherhouse in Milwaukee until 2017 and at Our Lady of the Angels from 2017 until she died.

Deacon Richard F. Johnson, 80, died Sept. 30. He was ordained in 2006 and ministered at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (Belmont Avenue).

Born in Chicago, Johnson worked as an attorney.

He is survived by his wife, Sheila; his children Brendon Johnson, Bridget Johnson and Laura Keim, one granddaughter; and his brother, Frank Johnson. He was predeceased by his son, Timothy Johnson.

School Sister of St. Francis Arlene Einwalter, 91, died Sept. 9 in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Iowa, Sister Arlene was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1949, made first vows in 1961 and made perpetual vows in 1957.

Beginning in 1951, Sister Arlene ministered in Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. William School (1951-1960).

Sister Arlene retired in 2021 and ministered as a volunteer and through prayer and presence at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee and at Our Lady of the Angels.

School Sister of St. Francis Noel Le Claire, 94, died Sept. 13 in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Michigan, Sister Noel was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1947, made her first vows in 1949 and made her perpetual vows in 1955.  

Beginning in 1951, Sister Noel ministered in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Illinois and Mississippi. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Noel served as a teacher at Our Lady of Charity School in Cicero from 1951 to 1957.

Sister Noel retired in 2017 and ministered through prayer and presence at Our Lady of the Angels in Greenfield.  

Sister Noel is survived by her sisters, Therese Remski and School Sister of St. Francis Margaret Le Claire.

Marianist Father Christian Aloysius Janson, 83, died Sept. 14 in San Antonio.

Born in St. Louis, he had been in religious life for 64 years.

Then-Brother Cris taught high school Latin and English in Texas and Wisconsin for several years before entering the seminary.

After being ordained in 1973, he taught and was a chaplain for seven years at St. Michael High School in Chicago and in Texas, before accepting a parish assignment in Mexico.

He served in four cities in Mexico for 16 years, before returning to Texas, where he worked in parish ministry and at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Agnes Francis Jung, 89, died Sept. 27.

Born in Chicago, she was in the 72 year of her religious life.

Sister Agnes Francis’ ministry was as a primary grade teacher in Illinois and Ohio. After retirement, she served the community at Mount Notre Dame in Cincinnati.

She is survived by her sister, Julie Marselek.

Bishop Edward J. Slattery, 84, died Sept. 13. He was bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma.

Born in Chicago, Bishop Slattery attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1966.

“I’m saddened by the news of Bishop Slattery’s death, but I am thankful to our Almighty God for his service to the church and his unwavering support to Catholic Extension Society,” said Cardinal Cupich. “Join me in praying for this son of Chicago.”

After being ordained, Slattery served as assistant pastor at St. Jude the Apostle, South Holland. In 1971, he became vice president of the Chicago-based Catholic Extension Society, a funding agency for the American home missions. He then served as the society’s president from 1976 to 1994.

During that time, he also served as pastor of St. Rose of Lima.

He was installed as third bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa at Holy Family Cathedral on Jan. 12, 1994. He retired in 2016 and served the Diocese of Tulsa as bishop emeritus.

He is survived by his siblings Winnie C. Dollear, Anne T. Stevenson, Catherine J. Freihage, Margaret I. Sheehan and James E. Slattery.

School Sister of Notre Dame Mary Margaret Murphy, 92, died Sept. 16 at Ascension Resurrection Life Center.

Born in Chicago, Sister Margaret Mary was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 72 years.

She taught elementary school in Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Michael, St. Alphonsus, Santa Maria Incoronata-Santa Lucia, St. Columba and St. Florian; was a part-time parish receptionist at St. Columba and administrative assistant at. St. Florian; and did a ministry of prayer and presence at Marian Village. She also was a leader and companion for SSND Associates for many years.

Resurrection Sister M. Paulette Pieta, 84, died July 24.

Born in Chicago and baptized at St. Roman Church, she lost her parents at an early age and was raised by her grandmother and aunts.

Sr. Paulette entered the Sisters of the Resurrection in 1963 and professed her first vows in 1965 and her final vows in 1971. She taught kindergarten at St. Casimir for 10 years and then served as administrator of Resurrection Day Care for 30 years. When the day care was closed, she ministered at Resurrection College Prep High School, where she supervised study periods and helped in the office for about 14 years. In the community, she served as local superior for a number of years.

Deacon Derald James “DJ” Shinkle, 92, died Aug. 20. He was ordained in 1978 and ministered at Sacred Heart Parish, Winnetka.

He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen, and his children Lisa Patt and Monique Blair. He is survived by his children Ray Shinkle, James Shinkle and Honor Shearer; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Divine Word Father Raymond Hober, 92, a missionary in the Philippines for more than three decades, died Aug. 3 in Techny.

Born in Pennsylvania, Father Hober entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1946 and professed vows in 1952 in New York. In 1960, he was ordained to the priesthood in Techny.

Following ordination, he was assigned to the Philippines, where he undertook additional theology courses in Manila before going to Mindoro, where he taught secondary school and college classes and served as a college administrator.

He simultaneously served the SVD Mindoro Province as treasurer. After a successful career in higher education, Father Hober was assigned to the Social Action committee of the Vicariate of Calapan. During this time, he found and dug water wells for communities desperately in need of fresh water.

In 2001, Father Hober was assigned to the Pittsburgh Community of the Chicago Province to travel and deliver mission appeals. He moved to Techny in semi-retirement in 2016.

Sister of the Living Word Rita Ramos, 90, died Aug. 6.

Born in Chicago, she spent her entire religious life and ministry in various missions in the Chicago area. She served as an elementary teacher for 17 years, and in parish ministry, teaching English as a Second Language, and fostering leadership in the Latino community from 1974 to 1989.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at Maternity BVM; St. Raphael; St. Teresa; St. Aloysius; Annunciation; St. Gregory; Our Lady of the Angels; St. Pius V; St. Joan of Arc, Skokie; Morton Community College, Cicero; Household International, Mount Prospect; High School District 214, Arlington Heights; Harper Community College, Palatine; St. Nicholas, Evanston; and St. Hedwig. She also served in Westmont, Aurora and Elgin; and in Wisconsin.

Deacon William Kalivoda, 84, died Aug. 4. He was ordained in 1979 and served at St. Julian Eymard, Elk Grove Village.

He retired in 2013 to care for his wife, Ginny, who predeceased him.

He is survived by his children Bob Kalivoda and Carol Bochat, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Divine Word Father Gerard O’Doherty, 85, died in Techny on July 16. He had served on three continents.

“He will be remembered by those who live and follow his example,” said Father Thomas Krosnicki SVD, who delivered the homily at Father O’Doherty’s funeral Mass. “He took pride in being a missionary servant.”

Born in Dublin, he completed his novitiate and seminary education in Ireland before being ordained in 1974.

Father O’Doherty’s superiors sent him to the Philippines for his first assignment to serve as a teacher and administrator. He worked in education and pastoral ministry in the Philippines for 17 years before returning home to Ireland to serve as procurator of the Ireland Community.

Five years later in 1996, he was needed in California, where he was appointed treasurer for the Western Province, while serving in several parishes.

Father O’Doherty moved to Techny in retirement in 2017.

He is survived by his brothers James, Peter and Brian O’Doherty.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Patricia (Adrianne) Brennan, 98, died July 27 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Iowa, she professed vows in 1951.

Sister Patricia taught elementary school in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Oklahoma, Montana, New Jersey and Wyoming, where she was also a principal. She also served as executive housekeeper at the Dominican Motherhouse in Sinsinawa.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Jarlath and taught and was librarian at Epiphany School where she also served as librarian.

She is survived by a sister, Rita Seidl.

Esther Mikuta (nee Abramowicz), 92, died Aug. 8. She was the sister of the late Bishop Alfred Abramowicz.

She was born, raised and lived in the Brighton Park community of Chicago until 1996, where she was a devoted volunteer to many parish ministries, causes and social activities at St. Pancratius Parish, as well as Five Holy Martyrs, where her brother was pastor from 1968 to 1990. She was active in the Council of Catholic Women and hospitality ministries at her parish, St. Bernard in Homer Glen.

Mrs. Mikuta was proud of her Polish ancestry and worked as a travel agent for decades, allowing her to travel to Japan, Russia, Yugoslavia, New Zealand and to Rome for a private audience with St. John Paul II.

Mrs. Mikuta was predeceased by her husband, Richard. She is survived by her children Kimberly Mikuta, Kevin Mikuta, Keith Mikuta and Kurt Mikuta; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Deacon Eric B. Sorenson, 70, died July 16.

He was ordained in 2006 for the Archdiocese of Detroit and moved to the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2014 and was incardinated in 2017.

He served at St. Andrew and Queen of Apostles parishes.

Deacon Sorensen began his journey in ministry after a successful career in the auto industry, where he grew and managed an industrial controls company.

He is survived by his wife, Rita; his children Steven Sorenson, Karen Helm and Nicole Drury, and four grandchildren.

Providence Sister Mary Catherine (Esther Josephine) Keene, 85, died July 20 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indianapolis, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1957 and professed final vows in 1964. She earned a master’s degree in music from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in theological studies from Catholic Theological Union.

She ministered as a music teacher, director of liturgy, community leader and family caregiver in Illinois and Indiana.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1965-1971).

Father Lawrence F. Springer, 90, died June 28. He was the former associate pastor of St. Zachary Parish, Des Plaines.

Born in Chicago, Father Springer attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1959.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Matthias; St. Mary, Buffalo Grove; and Our Lady of Victory parishes. He was associate pastor of St. Athanasius, Evanston; St. Joseph, Libertyville; St. John Brebeuf, Niles; St. Linus, Oak Lawn; and St. Zachary. He retired in 2003.

Father Ronald Kalas, vicar for senior priests and one of Father Springer’s classmates, recalled how his friend “loved the church from the time he was an altar server, then to the seminary days and then to his 65 years of priesthood.”

Kalas added that his classmate “served in many parishes and enjoyed carefully following the liturgical renewal and even donated vestments to the parishes he served.” 

Deacon Casimir “Casey” Fronczek, 99, died June 28. One of two deaf deacons ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served at the St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center.

He is survived by his sons Daniel and David, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Alice.

Redemptorist Father Gregory Schmitt, 81, died June 30 in Kansas City, Missouri. He was still preaching with the Unbound ministry and involved with the social services programs at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Church at the time of his death.

Born in Wisconsin, he professed first vows as a Redemptorist in 1964 and began his theological studies. He professed his perpetual vows in 1967 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1969.

After earning master’s degrees in divinity and religious education, he ministered in Missouri, Minnesota and North Dakota. In 1978, he joined the mission team stationed at St. Alphonsus Parish (Wellington Avenue) and traveled throughout the country for six years.

He then ministered in parishes in Michigan and Missouri, while taking on leadership responsibilities for his community.

Father Greg served as a pastor, local superior and retreat center director in Washington, California and Louisiana before joining the mission team at St. Michael Parish (Cleveland Avenue) in 2011.

He returned to Kansas City as a missionary in residence in 2018.

Sister of St. Joseph Barbara Lord, 92, died July 5.

Sister Barbara had been a member of the congregation for 73 years.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Eulalia Parish, Maywood. She was an educator at St. Joseph Academy; St. Hugh, Lyons; St. Elizabeth; Our Lady of Pompeii; and St. Viator. In her later years, she offered community support services and was a seamstress for her congregation.

She is survived by her sister, Carol Lord.

Felician Sister Mary Virginia Sztorc (Mary Annuntiata), 92, died June 2 in Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Wenceslaus School and Cardinal Stritch High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1952 and professed final vows in 1960. She ministered as an elementary school teacher and librarian in Illinois and Minnesota. She also served for 10 years in the Felician Generalate in Rome in various capacities. Later, she collected and delivered food, clothing and other items for the poor, especially for the Franciscan outreach at Port Ministries and Well of Mercy in Chicago.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Helen (1955-1957, 1960-1962), St. Joseph (1956-1957, 1978-1981, 1985-1988), St. Turibius (1963-1969), St. John of God (1969-1972) and Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1974-1978).

Deacon Lawrence R. Kancler, 80, died June 20. He was ordained in 1983 and served at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Streamwood, and in the Diocese of Rockford.

Deacon Kancler grew up in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago and attended Nativity of Our Lord Elementary, De La Salle High School, DePaul University and DeVry Institute of Technology. He married his high school sweetheart, Elaine, in 1964.

In 1968, the couple moved to Streamwood where they raised three daughters and became very involved at St. John the Evangelist. Deacon Kancler worked as an engineer for AT&T and later became a chaplain and coordinator of pastoral care at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates.

He is survived by his wife, Elaine; his daughters Bridget, Amy and Tracy; and three grandchildren.

Father Jan F. Kaplan, 80, died May 22. He was pastor emeritus of St. Ladislaus Parish.

Born in Janów Podlaski, Poland, he attended high school there before entering the diocesan seminary in Siedlce, Poland.

Father Kaplan was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Siedlce in 1967.

From 1967 to 1977, Kaplan served as an associate pastor at several different parishes in the Diocese of Siedlce. He then served as a missionary in the Diocese of Anatuya, Argentina, from 1977 to 1985. He moved to Canada to serve in the Diocese of Prince Albert from 1985 to 1998.

Following his time in Canada, Father Kaplan moved to Illinois and served as associate pastor of Sts. Cyril & Methodius, Lemont; Transfiguration, Wauconda; St. Joseph, Round Lake and St. Blase, Argo (now Blessed Martyrs of Chimbote). He was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2005 and served as pastor of St. Ladislaus.

Following his retirement in 2014, Father Kaplan resided at his family home in Poland.

Father Wojciech Kwiecień first met Father Kaplan when they were both at St. Ladislaus and remembered his friend as an incredible person who was dedicated to connecting with people. “He was very happy to be a priest and had a great passion for traveling and spreading his ministry.”

Father Edward J. Cronin, 69, died June 2. He was a former pastor and associate pastor.

Born in Chicago, Father Cronin attended St. Francis de Sales High School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1980. He completed post-graduate studies at the University of San Francisco.

He served as associate pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole, Matteson; St. Cletus, La Grange; and St. Thomas the Apostle. In 1987, Cronin also became a part-time on-call chaplain at La Grange Memorial Hospital.

Father Cronin joined the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein as an adjunct faculty member from 1990 until 1997 and was an instructor of “Rural Ministry, the Catholic Church in Rural America.”

Following his time at USML, Father Cronin served as pastor of St. Alexander, Palos Heights; St. Jane de Chantal; and St. Helen. He served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Unity Parish and director of St. Stephen of Hungary Mission in Chicago until his retirement in 2022.

Father Cronin was profiled in a 2019 Chicago Catholic article that reported  on his care for animals, especially his dogs Bella and Kazu. “Man is fulfilled when he is more in sync with the rest of God’s creation, and that includes the animal kingdom,” he said.

Deacon William P. Malloy, 87, died May 22. He served at Queen of All Saints Basilica.

Born in Chicago, he grew up in the city and in Jackson, Tennessee, and he earned a football scholarship to the University of Tennessee. When his football career was ended by injury, he returned to Chicago and to Loyola University, where he studied history.

He was a teacher and an arbitrator.

As a deacon, he assisted at Mass, gave homilies and made weekly Communion visits to local senior citizens.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; his brother Bernard Mathis Malloy; his daughters Jennifer Quinlan and Catherine Malloy; and four grandchildren.

Adrian Dominican Sister Cora Marie (Genevieve Anne) Campbell, 88, died May 9 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 71st year of her religious profession.

Sister Cora Marie served over 50 years ministering in religious, elementary and secondary education in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Queen of Angels (1953-1954), St. Clare of Montefalco (1954-1955), Our Lady of the Westside (1988-1989) and Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (theology teacher, 2006-2015; senior study monitor, 2015-2016).

She is survived by six brothers: Alex, Mark, Charles, Thomas, William and John; and two sisters: Mary Walton and Cara Meyer.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Margaret “Penny” (Marie Albert) Smith, 86, died May 22, in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, Sister Penny made her first profession in 1961 and her perpetual profession in 1966. She graduated from Rosary College (now Dominican University) in River Forest with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and received her master’s in religious studies from Providence College in Rhode Island.

She taught high school in Milwaukee and in Freeport, Illinois, and was director of religious education at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, Palatine. She also ministered in Alabama.

Father Jerome Joseph Maksvytis, 76, died May 27 at his home in Portage, Wisconsin, succumbing to cancer.

Born in Chicago, Father Maksvytis attended Annunciation and St. Michael schools, Quigley Preparatory Seminary North and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary; Holy Name Seminary, Madison; and St. Francis de Sales Seminary, Milwaukee, before being ordained for the Diocese of Madison in 1974.

Father Maksvytis served as associate pastor and pastor of several parishes in Wisconsin. He was named pastor emeritus of All Saints Parish in Berlin, Wisconsin, on his retirement in 2014.

He is survived by his sister, Lucille Tylutki.

Divine Word Father Joseph Bugner, 89, died May 8 in Techny. He was a missionary in Papua New Guinea for 35 years.

Born on the family farm in Prairie View, Father Bugner descended from immigrants who settled Rogers Park in 1844. One of his forefathers donated the land on which St. Henry Church is built.

A priest for 61 years and in religious vows for 69, he did pastoral ministry for a year in Washington, D.C., before beginning his first overseas assignment in Papua New Guinea.

In 1964, he was assigned to Mount Hagen, where he provided pastoral care for the area’s residents and supervised catechists in Kuli in northeast New Guinea. Father Bugner’s parish served roughly 6,000 Catholics in a 120-square-mile territory in the Wahgi River Valley.

Under Father Bugner’s leadership, schools and community facilities increased. He managed catechists who taught about 300 children in 12 outlying areas. The parish school added two grades, and the government established an additional two schools. Father Bugner also built a medical clinic for Kuli.

Father Bugner had lived in the Divine Word Residence at Techny since 1999.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Rita Clare (Patricia Ann) Kristoff, 84, died May 11 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Sister Rita Clare made her first religious profession with the School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King in Lemont in 1958. She transferred her vows to the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1995.

Her ministry was dedicated to elementary education. As a Franciscan sister, she taught for 30 years, working extensively with children with learning disabilities in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Indiana and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Stephen School and Sacred Heart School.

 As a Dominican sister, Sister Rita Clare ministered in Illinois and taught at St. Thomas More School and St. Basil School and served as resource person and helped children with special needs at St. Thomas the Apostle School. She also served as catechist at Divine Infant Parish, Westchester.

Father Michael P. Ahlstrom, 82, died May 3. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of St. Colette Parish in Rolling Meadows.

Born in Indianapolis, Father Ahlstrom attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1969. He also earned a master’s degree in liturgical studies at the University of Notre Dame.

He was a faculty member at Niles College of Loyola University and assistant pastor of St. Bernadette, Evergreen Park. He then served as associate pastor of St. Gertrude, Franklin Park; Mary, Seat of Wisdom, Park Ridge; and Immaculate Heart of Mary. He was appointed pastor of St. Colette Parish, a position he held from 1989 until 2003.

Father Ahlstrom served as vicar for deacons from 2004 to 2013, and served as vicar emeritus after his retirement.

During his career in ministry, Father Ahlstrom also served as associate director of the Office for Divine Worship; instructor and chairman of the board of the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein; instructor in medical ethics at Little Company of Mary School of Nursing; priest presenter for Engaged Encounter and Marriage Encounter; pastor in residence and liturgy instructor at Mundelein Seminary; board member of Chicago Studies; member of the Annual Catholic Appeal board; and member of Catholic Charities’ Parish Outreach Committee.

Deacon James Norman, current vicar for deacons, worked with Father Ahlstrom for the past two years. “It was clear that he valued and loved the diaconate community: deacons, their wives and families. He was always there when needed to celebrate a Mass, lead a prayer, coach and mentor. He left us a legacy of love and support.”

Deacon David Brencic, assistant director of the Office of the Diaconate, also was a friend and colleague of Father Ahlstrom. “He was really loved by the deacons and wives, and it was mutual,” Brencic said. “I remember him saying at several gatherings of deacons and wives, ‘My main job is to love you.’ He was a true shepherd and generous servant.”

Felician Sister Mary Alvina (La Verne) Gill, 93, died April 18 at Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended Sts. Peter and Paul School and St. Joseph High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1949 and professed her final vows in 1951.

She ministered for a brief time as an elementary school teacher in Illinois. She also served in the ministry of nursing at St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee and at St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia, and served as the assistant administrator at St. Andrew Life Center in Niles.

In her later years, she ministered in a variety of roles in the provincial house.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Wenceslaus (1951-1953), Sacred Heart (1953-1956), St. Joseph (1956-1957) and St. Andrew Life Center (1986-2014).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Elaine Ann Taylor, 84, died April 23 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Ohio, Sister Elaine made her first religious profession in 1961 and her perpetual profession of vows in 1967.

Her ministry was dedicated to teaching the arts. She ministered in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Elaine taught art at St. Thomas the Apostle School, art and religion at St. Benedict High School, and art at Trinity High School, River Forest.

She is survived by two sisters, Jane Kantowicz and Mary Taylor.

Little Sister of the Poor Genevieve of St. Margaret Mary (baptized Catherine Anne Roche), 82, died April 24 at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Palatine, where she lived since 2006. 

Born the sixth of 13 children in California, she was inspired by an older sister who entered the Little Sisters of the Poor. She made her first vows in 1963 and her final vows in 1967.

For most of her religious life, she was a “begging sister,” visiting produce markets, businesses, parishes and benefactors, where she spread her great devotion to St. Joseph knowing with confidence that God would provide for the needs of the home, the residents and Little Sisters.

She is survived by her sisters, Little Sister of the Poor Elisabeth Anne de Notre Dame, Alice Roche, Dorothy Kennedy and Barbara Hopkins.

 

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Teresita (Helen Louise) Weind, 81, died April 28 in Cincinnati.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, to a Baptist family, Sister Teresita entered full community with the Catholic Church at the age of 12. She attended Catholic schools and met Catholic sisters, inspiring her to enter the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation in 1960. She made first vows in 1963 and final vows in 1968. She transferred her vows to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1973 and made her final commitment to the congregation in 1976.

She served two terms in the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur’s general leadership, and was the 19th superior general of the congregation.

Sister Teresita was also a founding member of the National Black Sisters Conference, where she served on the board and on many committees. She represented the NBSSC also on the board of the National Office of Black Catholics. She was also a leader in Women of Color, formed by SNDdeN General Government Group in the late 1980s, to promote anti-racism and cross-cultural efforts within the congregation.

She had also served in provincial leadership.

Sister Teresita earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing in North Dakota, and in 1972, a master’s degree in religious studies from Mundelein College. She ministered in Illinois, Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio.

She ministered in the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1970 to 1991. During those years, she moved from nursing to pastoral ministry and changed religious communities.

From 1973 to 1979, Sister Teresita was the director of liturgical formation for Black Parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago. She then joined the pastoral team at the recently merged St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Parish in Oak Park, while giving retreats and workshops across the country. She was also one of the founders of Mary’s Pence, a funding source for women who wish to create social change, start community initiatives and foster collaboration.