Redemptorist Father Henry Novak, 92, died Feb. 11 in Liguori, Missouri.

Stationed in the Archdiocese of Chicago for more than 50 years, he served at Old St. Michael (Old Town) from 1957 to 1967 and was pastor of St. Alphonsus (Wellington Avenue) from 1967 to 1972. He then directed the Villa Redeemer Retreat House in Glenview for several years before serving as province treasurer until 1996. He remained there until 2011, frequently saying Mass at neighboring parishes, convents and nursing homes.

Father George Francis Cerny, 81, died Jan. 24. He was pastor emeritus of St. Bartholomew Parish and was a resident at the Franciscan Village/ Mother Theresa Home in Lemont.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. John Nepomucene and St. Rita schools and Quigley Preparatory Seminary before graduating from DePaul University with an accounting degree.

He then served in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant (1956- 1957) before entering the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained in 1964.

Father Cerny served as assistant pastor of Our Lady of the Mount, Cicero 1964- 1973); St. Peter Canisius Parish (1973- 1978); Holy Ghost, South Holland (1978- 1979); and St. Bartholomew (1986-1991). He was pastor of St. Teresa of Avila (1980- 1986) and St. Bartholomew (1991-2004). He was named pastor emeritus after his retirement.

Father Cerny is survived by his sister, Irene Kucharski.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Margaret (Aimee Julie) Michael, 100, died in Cincinnati Jan. 11. Born in Ohio, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1934 and made final vows in 1943.

Sister Margaret taught every grade from first through eighth. In the Archdiocese of Chicago she spent nine years in three schools. Her special passion was serving in inner-city schools where she understood the importance of teaching all children the skills they needed to succeed.

Sister Margaret officially retired in 1994, but remained very active in gardening and other volunteer work.

She is survived by one niece, Kevin Ann Ford.

Sister of St. Joseph-Third Order of St. Francis Regina Wachowski, 84, died Dec. 6 in Manaus, Brazil.

A member of her religious community for 68 years, she taught at St. Roman and St. Mary of Perpetual Help before embarking on a 44-year ministry in Brazil. She was a medical missionary in the Esperanca Project, traveling down the Amazon River on a hospital ship. She spent many years in the medical field before serving as a pastoral care worker in Manaus.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Virginia (Michael of the Trinity) Lacy, 85, died Dec. 1, 2016, in Ohio.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, she was a sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 67 years. She entered the community in 1949 and made her final vows in 1957.

She taught and served as principal of elementary schools in Chicago and Ohio, and later was a pastoral minister. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Peter Canisius (1953-1960, 1965-1973).

Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Sister Joanne Whalen died April 30 in Bridgeton, Missouri.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Josephinum High School in 1949 and earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Rosary College, River Forest, in 1953.

Sister Joanne worked several years before entering the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in 1962. She taught regular and special education in New Orleans, Missouri and Texas.

She is survived by her brother, Robert Whalen, and her sister, Mary Whalen.

Springfield Dominican Sister Mary Ventura died on April 26 at Sacred Heart Convent in Springfield, Illinois.

She was born in Bradley, Illinois, in 1928. She made her profession of vows in 1947 at Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield.

She taught primary school in Chicago, Mt. Sterling, Odell and Springfield, Illinois. In Aurora and Morrisonville, Illinois, she was a principal and junior high teacher.

She also taught in East Alton and Rantoul, spent 14 summers in Mendota administering a federally funded program for migrant children, and served part-time on the staff at Alfred Fortin Villa, Bourbonnais.

After teaching Vietnamese refugees in Peoria from 1985-1986, Sister Mary moved to St. Bernadette Parish in Evergreen Park, where she served for 30 years. She taught fourth grade, and in 1996 started Essential Learning Solutions, a computerized learning program for children and adults with learning difficulties.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Catherine Rita (Thomasina) Palmisano, 86, died April 17 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Champaign, Illinois, Sister Catherine made her first religious profession in 1949 and her final profession in 1952. Sister Catherine lived her entire religious life ministering in Illinois and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Catherine taught at Visitation (1949-1958) and St. Giles, Oak Park (1966-1968). She taught (1977-1999), was administrative assistant (1999-2005) and volunteered (2005-2010) at St. Thomas More.

She is survived by a sister, Mary Spradley.

=Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Marcella (Baptista) Connolly, 88, died April 13 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Sister Marcella founded the Apostolic Volunteer program in 1973, which is now Dominican Volunteers USA, and served in the leadership of the congregation.

Born in Iowa, she made her first religious profession in 1949, and her final profession in 1952.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Marcella taught at St. Brendan (1949-1951) and Holy Trinity High School (1994-2003), where she also served as campus minister (1987-1994). She served as principal at Epiphany (1976-1987); campus minister at Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest (1994- 1996); and pastoral minister at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital (2003-2006), and she was coordinator for the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation’s Preaching for the Foreign Mission Fund (2006-2007).

She is survived by a sister, Mary Alice Hansen and a brother, William Connolly.

Sister of Christian Charity De- Lourdes (Evelyn) Bragg, 104, died Dec. 4 at Sacred Heart Convent, Wilmette.

Born in Michigan, she was received into the novitiate in 1930, made first vows in 1932 and perpetual vows in 1937.

She taught in schools in Missouri, Louisiana and Iowa as well as at Mallinckrodt High School, Wilmette, where she taught ninthgrade religion, English and Latin (1942-1943).

She returned to the motherhouse in Wilmette in 1985 and began teaching art at Mallinckrodt College. When she came to Sacred Heart Convent in 1999 a group of former students followed her; they would continue to meet until 2012 in the basement of Sacred Heart Convent to paint, talk and enjoy refreshments twice a week.

Servite Father (Leroy) Philip Scherer, 95, died April 12 at St. Joseph’s Village.

Born in Chicago, he attended Our Lady of Grace School and St. Philip High School. He entered the Order of Friar Servants of Mary in 1948 and professed solemn vows in 1952. He was ordained in 1955.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was assistant principal at St. Philip High School; parochial vicar at Seven Holy Founders, Calumet Park; Assumption (Illinois Street); St. Donatus, Blue Island; and Annunciata; and chaplain for the Servite Sisters Mother of Sorrows Convent, Blue Island. He retired in 2004.

Father Scherer is survived by his brother, Robert.

Felician Sister Mary Georgia (Theresa) Maleski, 91, died April 8 at Our Lady of the Angels.

Born in Belmont, Wisconsin, she attended Good Counsel High School and entered the Felician Sisters postulancy in 1944. She professed her final vows in 1953.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Bruno (1947- 1951, 1973-1975); SS. Peter & Paul (1951- 1954); St. James (1960- 1961); Holy Innocents (1961-1965); St. Joseph (1982-1983;, St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates (1983-1984); and Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1984-1988).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Sabina Ryan, 89, died April 8 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Nebraska, she made her first religious profession in 1953 and her final profession in 1956. She ministered mostly in education in Alabama, Illinois, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, New York, Florida and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Sabina taught at St. Patrick, Lemont (1960-1963); Visitation (1966-1967); St. Thomas More (1973-1974); and St. Brendan (1981-1982).

She is survived by four sisters, Dominican Sister Nora Ryan, Imelda McMillin, Mary Rehan and Virginia Garner; and three brothers, John Ryan, Jesuit Father James Ryan and George Ryan.

Deacon Kenneth E. Jenney Jr., 70, died April 8 following a long illness. He was 70.

Deacon Jenney ministered at St. Monica and Immaculate Heart of Mary parishes.

In 2009, he received the St. Philip Award for outstanding ministry in evangelization.

He was an Active 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

He is survived by his children Jean Balatsos; Susan Thomas; and Douglas, Kenneth and Timothy; six grandchildren, and his brothers, Stephen, Howard and Ralph Jenney.

Deacon John James Leonas, 91, died April 7 in Bloomingdale, Illinois, following a long illness.

Deacon Leonas grew up in Chicago and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in World War II.

He spent most of his life in East Hazel Crest and Manteno, Illinois. He was ordained a deacon in 1979 and served at St. Anne, Hazel Crest, and St. Joseph Parish, Manteno. He was active in the Knights of Columbus, chaplain of the East Hazel Crest American Legion and a lifetime member of the V.F.W.

He retired from Northrup Grumman as a contract administrator heavily involved in the stealth bomber program. As a sergeant in the Army, John learned to play the drums and with his brothers-in-law formed the band Joe Fazio and his Men of Notes playing throughout the South suburbs of Chicago.

In addition, John was an Arthur Murray Dance instructor and at many events he and his wife, Mary, glided across many a dance floor.

He is survived by Mary, his wife of 68 years, daughters Carol Nicolai, Linda Amrein, Kathy Brandau and Debra Dean and son Jeffry Leonas, as well as nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Frances (Marie Anne) Lennartz, 93, died April 5 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she made her first religious profession in 1944 and her final profession in 1947.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Mary Frances served as audio-visual librarian at Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest (1971-1977); librarian and audio-visual coordinator at Elizabeth Seton, South Holland (1984-1986); and head librarian at St. Rita (1986-1994).

Sister Mary Frances is survived by a sister, Sister Constance Lennartz, and a stepsister, Bernice Santilli.

Religious of the Sacred Heart Catherine Seiker, 94, died April 2 in Atherton, California.

Born in Nebraska, Sister Seiker served in many capacities in the Society of the Sacred Heart, as teacher, province treasurer and business manager. She was responsible for a number of improvements and building projects in the Sacred Heart schools.

Sister Seiker is survived by her brother Vincent Seiker.

Deacon Carl Olson, 91, recently of Wheeling, died March 30. He was ordained in 1978 and served at St. Cornelius Parish for 34 years.

Born in Idaho, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Marguerite, daughters Mary Olson, Patricia Desire and Christine Krzystofczyk and sons John and Paul Olson, as well as eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Deacon Ignacio Ortega, 86, died March 28. He was ordained in 1991 and served at St. Mark Parish.

Deacon Ortega immigrated from Mexico in 1964, and he and his late wife, Estella, helped many others come to Chicago from Mexico, including putting people up in their home.

As a deacon, he served at Casa Central and St. Mark’s food pantry, and helped start eucharistic adoration at the parish more than 12 years ago.

Ortega, who was one of six children, had two sins, nine grandchildren, 15 greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Deacon Gilberto Mercado, 74, died March 27.

Ordained in 1985, Deacon Mercado ministered at St. Anthony, Cicero. He was involved in pre-baptism classes, assisted at Mass, performed wakes and house blessings.

He is survived by his wife Martha; his children Martha Mercado-Rios, Salomon Mercado, Angel Mercado, Beatrice Martinez and Yemina Hernandez; and 10 grandchildren.