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.