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.