Dominican Sister Mary Willard (Elizabeth) Reagan, 95, died Dec. 1, 2020, in Adrian, Michigan.

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

Sister Mary Willard ministered in education in Illinois and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Edmund, Oak Park (1944-1950).

She is survived by a sister, Eugenie Reagan Beall.

Resurrection Sister Maria Schultz, 90, died Dec. 23 at Resurrection Life Center. She was a member of the Sisters of the Resurrection for 70 years.

Sister Maria was born in Minnesota, the youngest of eleven children. After completing high school, she traveled to Chicago where she joined her sister, Sister Mary Paul Schultz, as a Sister of the Resurrection. Sister Maria made her first vows in 1952 and her final vows in 1957.

Sister Maria taught just about every grade in various schools that included St. Casimir; Queen of the Rosary, Elk Grove Village; and St. Thecla, where she spent 17 years.

Sister Maria served as provincial treasurer and in administrative roles at the provincial home for many years.

In 2018, Sister Maria moved to Resurrection Life Center.

Dominican Sister Mary Elizabeth (Therese Johanna) Scheibel, 95, died Jan. 9 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, she went to Aquinas High School. She was in the 77th year of her religious life.

Sister Mary Elizabeth ministered in elementary education and secretarial services in Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico and Illinois. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2003.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Infant Jesus of Prague, Flossmoor (1964-1967); Our Lady of Loretto, Hometown (1967-1968); and St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1968-1972).

Dominican Sister Esther (Consolata Marie) Ortega, 86, died Jan. 14 in Toledo, Ohio.

Born in Arizona, she was in her 65th year of religious life.

Sister Esther served in education and pastoral ministry and adult education in Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan, in 2012.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Albert the Great, Oak Lawn (1957-1962), and St. Edmund, Oak Park (1962-1964).

She is survived by a brother, Raul Ortega, and a sister, Connie Gomez.

Dominican Sister Dorothea (Raymund Ann) Gramlich, 81, died Jan. 21 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 63rd year of her religious life.

Sister Dorothea served in education and other ministries in Illinois, Michigan and Iowa.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Celestine, Elmwood Park (1959-1962), and St. Mary, Star of the Sea (1969-1970).

She is survived by three brothers: John, Mark and Greg Burgeson; and one sister, Ann Cane.

Dominican Sister Ann Rena (Marilyn) Shinkey, 87, died Jan. 22 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Streator, she was in her 60th year of religious life. She ministered in education in Michigan and Illinois. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2011.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Edmund, Oak Park (1962); Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1962-1964); Aquinas High School (1964-1967); and Mother McAuley High School (1984-1992).

Dominican Sister Kathleen (Stella Joseph) Sutherland, 88, died Jan. 22 in Adrian, Michigan.

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

Sister Kathleen ministered as an educator, catechist and receptionist in Illinois, Ohio and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita Elementary School (1951-1954), St. Laurence Elementary School (teacher, 1955-1960; teacher and religious education coordinator 1960-1961); and Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1961-1964).

She is survived by three brothers: Father Thomas Sutherland, Daniel Sutherland and Patrick Sutherland; and four sisters: Mary Hosfeld, Marion Faris, Judy Sutherland and Margaret Missig.

Dominican Sister Margaret Ann (Louis Arthur) Swallow, 97, died Jan. 23 in Adrian, Michigan.

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

Sister Margaret Ann ministered in education, parish work and nursing care in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and New York. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2009.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Good Counsel Elementary School (1949-1954).         

Providence Sister Jacquelyn (Theodata) Hoffman, 85, died Jan. 25 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, Sister Jackie entered the Sisters of Providence in 1950 and professed final vows in 1957.

She ministered as music teacher for 50 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, including at St. Francis Xavier, Wilmette (1966-1974), and Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1974-1982).

Sister Jackie is survived by a sister, Patricia Tummey.

Dominican Sister Helen (Thomas Albert) Laier, 88, died Jan. 26 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 69th year of her religious life.

She ministered in education, nursing and care for family members in Michigan and Illinois. Sister Helen became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2015.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Kilian (1958-1960).

Sister Helen is survived by her sister, Teresa Trumbull.

Providence Sister Charles (Marjorie Mae) Van Hoy, 91, died on Jan. 27 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1949 and professed final vows in 1956. She ministered as teacher, school librarian and pastoral associate in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., and was the director of activities at the motherhouse for 12 years.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mel (1953-1956).

Mercy Sister Mary Ludmilla Benda, 94, died Jan. 27 in Chicago.

Sister Ludmilla grew up in Ohio and earned a nursing degree before entering the Sisters of Mercy in 1947. She ministered as a nurse and nursing supervisor in Iowa and Chicago, serving as Mercy Hospital Davenport’s administrator in Iowa for six years and then as administrator of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago for six more years.

She also served as a pastoral associate, worked in home health care, was director of a diocesan volunteer program and held several professional leadership roles.

In Davenport, she began Fr. Conroy’s Vineyard of Hope in honor of her late friend, Father James Conroy. The ministry fed and provided showers, laundry and clothing to 80 to 150 mostly homeless people every Sunday for 13 years.

She moved to Mercy Circle in Chicago in 2018 because of poor health.

Divine Word Father Charles Heskamp, 94, died Jan. 28 in Techny.

He formed a generation of Divine Word missionaries. Among his students, he counted future professors, provincials and a Vatican ambassador.

Born in Cincinnati, Father Heskamp worked in a hardware store after high school. When he was not drafted to serve in World War II, he took this as a sign that he was being called by God to live a life of service.

He entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1946, professed religious vows in 1950 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1958.

Even though he requested to be assigned overseas after his priestly ordination, he cheerfully accepted his assignment to remain in the United States. During his academic career, Father Heskamp served as principal of Divine Word seminaries in Ohio, Wisconsin and New Jersey.

In addition to teaching and administrative work, he served as a pastor in Louisiana and West Virginia.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Elizabeth “Liz” (Valerian) Barribeau, 96, died Feb. 3 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Liz made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1944 and spent 18 years with the congregation before transferring her religious vows to the Mount St. Mary’s Abbey of Trappist nuns in Wrentham, Massachusetts, who in 1964 established a new foundation — Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey — near Dubuque, Iowa.

Sister Liz became a foundress of that congregation, then returned to the Sinsinawa congregation in 1985. She made her perpetual profession with the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1988.

Sister Liz ministered in education and pastoral ministry in Illinois, Minnesota, Alabama, Iowa, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New York and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Liz taught at St. Sabina (1944-1947) and St. Mary, Evanston (1947-1949).

She is survived by two brothers, James and William Barribeau.

Divine Word Father Donald Skerry, 85, died Feb. 3 in Techny.

For more than 50 years, Father Skerry helped to lead the Society of the Divine Word in North America through changing times, including serving as provincial administrator during a time of transition.

Born in Massachusetts, he entered the society in 1948 and professed vows in 1954.

Divine Word leadership sent Father Skerry to the Collegio del Verbo Divino in Rome after his ordination in 1962. He received a doctorate in sacred theology in 1966 and returned to the United States, where he undertook assignments in education, formation and administration.

From 1966 to 1969, he served as director of studies at St. Mary’s Seminary at Techny. When the Society of the Divine Word joined the academic collaborative of Catholic Theological Union, he and the Divine Word seminarians moved to Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, where he served as rector at Divine Word Theologate for five years before being assigned to the faculty of Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa.

In 1979, he was appointed vice provincial of what was then the Northern Province, and then the provincial administrator of the newly formed Chicago Province.

He is survived by his brother, George Skerry.

Father Thomas I. Healy, 94, died Jan. 15. He was pastor emeritus of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish (Belmont Avenue).

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1952.

Father Healy served as assistant pastor of St. Gertrude and St. Ferdinand. He also was a professor at St. Mary of the Lake Junior College in Niles and Niles College of Loyola University in Chicago, and chaplain of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. In 1977, Father Healy became pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, a position he held until 2001. He retired in 2002.

Retired Auxiliary Bishop John Gorman was one of Father Healy’s classmates. Bishop Gorman remembered Father Healy as very bright and studious.

“Father Healy shepherded his parish well and was loved by his parishioners,” Bishop Gorman said. “He had a constant love for the history of the church and was a very fine theologian. He served with patience and was a wonderful priest.”

Deacon Daniel Patiño, 81, died at home Jan. 17. He was ordained in 2001 and served at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

He is survived by his children, Daniel Patiño, Monica Peace, Cristina Swiatnicki and Rocio (José) Palacios; six grandchildren; and his brother, Gustavo Patiño. His wife, Maria (“Cuco”), died in 2019.

Deacon José Vázquez, 76, died Jan. 17. He was ordained in 1986 and served at Maternity B.V.M. Parish, which is now part of San José Luis Sánchez Del Río Parish.

He served as president of the National Hispanic Diaconate Council for many years and as president of Neighborhood Housing Services in the 1980s.

After retiring from Coca Cola in the early 2000s, Deacon Vázquez spent much of his retirement organizing tours abroad and traveling around the world.

He and his wife, Ivette, were married for 52 years.

He is survived by his children, José Jr., Lynette, José J. and Lisandra, and five grandchildren.

School Sister of Notre Dame Mary John (Geraldine) Zielinski, 90, died Nov. 29, 2020.

Born in Chicago, she was baptized at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. She entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame at the Milwaukee motherhouse in 1949, professed first vows in 1952 and professed final vows in 1958.

She came to the community with a “feel” for tools, having worked in a Chicago hardware store, and “when she decided to accept a religious life, she set only one condition—that she be permitted to bring her carpentry tools with her when she took the veil,” her community said. 

She ministered in the printing room and as a cook and refectorian and as a licensed building engineer, heading a crew of four men at the community’s campus in Mequon, Wisconsin.

In 1984, Sister Mary John moved to the Academy of Our Lady in Chicago, where she served as maintenance supervisor and consultant for the physical plant there. When the school was sold to the International Charter School—Longwood Campus in 1999, she continued on staff until she retired in 2003. In 2005, she moved to Marian Village in Homer Glen, Illinois, and in 2008 to Resurrection Life Center, in Chicago, where she resided until her death.

Redemptorist Father Kenneth Sedlak, 74, died Dec. 19 in Liguori, Missouri, after suffering from several health issues.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he entered the Redemptorist seminary system, made his first profession of vows in 1967 and his perpetual vows in 1970. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1972.

After earning a degree in spiritual direction, Father Sedlak joined the faculty of Holy Redeemer College in Waterford, Wisconsin, and built a spiritual director program for students. He served in the youth apostolate at Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Rolling Meadows during the 1980s.

He was assigned as associate pastor of St. Michael Parish (Cleveland Avenue) in 1990, and dedicated the next 30 years to that parish community. In addition to offering spiritual direction, Fr. Sedlak hosted numerous parish prayer services and was involved in many parish programs, notably RCIA. He also co-founded Pathways, which sponsors programs for young professionals seeking to integrate body, mind, and spirit, and served on the core team of Stillpoint, a contemplative outreach center.