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Fr. James W. Kinn
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.
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Deacon Charles Woods, Sr.
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.
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Sr. Mary Remias
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.
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Fr. Edwin Pacocha
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.”
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Sr. Dorothy Gartland
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.
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