Divine Word Father Joseph Bisson, 89, died Aug. 30.

Father Bisson, who returned to the United States in 2017, was the last American Divine Word Missionary to leave Papua New Guinea and was the longest serving Catholic missionary in the Archdiocese of Mount Hagen. Decades earlier, the Society of the Divine Word foresaw the benefits of forming priests and brothers who were born and raised on the island and eventually passed leadership roles to them.

“Joe was a man with a true commitment as a religious, as a priest and as a missionary. He certainly was a man with a clear calling,” said retired Divine Word Father Thomas Krosnicki.

Born in Boston, Father Bisson began his studies with the Society of the Divine Word in 1949 and professed vows in 1955.

Ordained in 1963, Father Bisson lived 70 years in religious vows and devoted 53 years to the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea. He held a master’s degree in education from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and he was proficient in seven languages: English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Pidgin and a Papua New Guinean tribal language.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Colleen (Lillian) Nolan, 79, died Sept. 3 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she professed vows with the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1966.

Her ministry was dedicated to education. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Barnabas and St. Basil. She also taught in Rockford and in Maryland, Oklahoma and Florida.

She served as codirector and director of the Apostolic Volunteers program for the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation; as mission educator for the Missionary Society of St. Columban in Forest Park; and as director of religious education at St. Luke Parish, River Forest.

She is survived by her brother, Thomas Nolan, and sisters Elizabeth Charrat, Mary Cippera, and her twin, Kathleen Shrauger.

Peter P. Paurazas, died Aug. 18 at the age of 96. He was pastor emeritus of the former St. Rene Goupil Parish, now part of Two Holy Martyrs Parish.

Born on in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

Father Paurazas served as assistant pastor of St. Joseph Parish (South Saginaw Street), Immaculate Conception Parish (44th Street) and St. Adrian Parish (Washtenaw Avenue). He became pastor of St. Adrian Parish in 1980 and became pastor of St. Rene Goupil Parish in 1992. He served as pastor of that parish until he retired in 2000.

Father Marcel J. Pasciak, pastor emeritus of St. Patricia Parish, remembered his friend of 30 years as a kind priest, very well loved at the parishes he served and an avid traveler. “His parishes were all on the South Side; he was a big White Sox and Bears fan,” said Pasciak.

Providence Sister Joyce (Robert Ellen) Brophy, 96, died Aug. 27 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana

Born in Joliet, Sister Joyce entered the Sisters of Providence in 1947 and professed final vows in 1955.

She taught and was a principal in schools in Illinois, Indiana and California. Interspersed within her years of teaching, she held a number of administrative positions in the congregation.  She held positions in the formation program for new members (1965-1969), served as provincial of the Motherhouse Province (1984-199) and worked in the St. Mary-of-the-Woods College Development Office (1980-1982)

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Sylvester (1950-1954), Our Lady of Mercy (1955) and St. Agnes (1969) and was principal of St. Genevieve (1969-1971).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Duchesne (Mary) Maxwell, 94, died Aug. 2 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she professed vows in 1953. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in library science from Rosary College, now Dominican University, in River Forest.

Sister Duchesne’s ministry was dedicated to teaching and pastoral care. She taught at St. Thomas More School, and later served as assistant administrator at Queen of Peace High School, Burbank. She also taught, was a librarian and was an administrator at schools in Wisconsin, Iowa and other dioceses in Illinois.

She served on the leadership council of the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation, then was a chaplain at hospitals in Nebraska and director of pastoral care at a senior home in Minnesota.

She is survived by her sister, Loretta Maxwell.

Sister of the Living Word Jeannine Randolph, 85, died Aug. 8.

Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of Christian Charity in 1957 and professed final vows in 1966. In 1975, she transferred to the Sisters of the Living Word, who were forming a new community.

During her first years of ministry, she taught in Riverdale, Morton Grove and Chicago, as well as in Iowa and Minnesota. She later ministered as pastoral minister in Louisiana and Illinois.

She served as director of novices for the Sisters of the Living Word and ministered as a massage therapist for her last 18 years of ministry.

In retirement, she lived at Resurrection Village Life Center, Addolorata Villa, Amazing Grace and finally at Resurrection Life Center.

Deacon Joseph P. Casey, 77, died July 30. He was ordained in 2013 and served at St. Patrick Church, now part of St. Brigid Parish, in Wadsworth.

In addition to his parish ministry, the Lindenhurst resident served as a hospice chaplain for more than 10 years.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Donna, sons Sean and Tim Casey and four grandchildren.

Benedictine Sister Sr. Mary (Mary Gerald) Melady, 79, died April 17 at St. Joseph Court, the infirmary of St. Scholastica Monastery.

Born in Evanston, she St. Ignatius School and St. Scholastica High School before entering the Benedictine community in 1963.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Mundelein College and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago, as well as credentials for teaching English as a Second Language from Northeastern University.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. George, Queen of All Saints, St. Joseph (Orleans Street) and St. Scholastica Academy.

She then studied at and worked at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Hyde Park, eventually becoming its co-director and earning a doctorate in ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

She began directing her community’s initial formation program in 1999 and returned to to teaching ESL, first part-time at Oakton Community College, and then full-time at Taft High School. She maintained that ministry after retiring from teaching. She also volunteered in various capacities at Holy Spirit Life Learning Center.

She was appointed subprioress in 2015 and continued in that role until the summer of 2023.

She is survived by her brother, Patrick.

Adrian Dominican Sister Shirley Ann (Blanche Marie) Cushing, 97, died July 18 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 78th year of her religious life. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College, Adrian; a master’s degree in English from DePaul University; and a master’s degree in religious education degree and a law degree from the University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy).

Sister Shirley ministered in education, as a community leader, in religious education and as an attorney in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio; and Tokyo, Japan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1947-1951) and St. Edmund, Oak Park (1951-1957).

Providence Sister Brigid Ann (Margaret Rose) Bonner, 85, died July 23, in Indiana.

Born in Whiting, Indiana, Sister Brigid Ann entered the the Sisters of Providence in 1958 and professed final vows in 1965.

Of her 67 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education and social work in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mark School.

Divine Word Father Gary Riebe-Estrella, 79, died June 2 in Techny. He was Catholic Theological Union’s first Latino vice president and academic dean.

Born in Los Angeles, he entered Divine Word Seminary in Riverside, California, in 1959. He professed vows in 1968 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1971.

In Chicago, he studied at DePaul University and Catholic Theological Union. He received his master’s degree in theology from DePaul.

He served in pastoral ministry and leadership roles in the society’s Western Province before earning a doctorate in practical theology from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain, in 1992. The following year, he returned to the Chicago Province to serve as a professor at CTU.

In 1996, he became one of the first Latinos in the United States to hold a major leadership position in a premiere theological school. He served as the vice president and academic dean of CTU for 12 years and is credited with cultivating a racially, ethnically and culturally diverse faculty.

A longtime member of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, he served as president of the organization from 1996 to 1997 and again from 2009 to 2010.

Father Riebe-Estrella’s pastoral work with Hispanic communities and decades of scholarship and leadership in theological education led to opportunities throughout his ministry to work with religious orders, organizations and higher education as a consultant in areas of diversity, formation and theological education.

He founded and served as director of the formation house Casa Guadalupe in East Los Angeles and was appointed by the generalate to positions in the PANAM Zone, which encompasses North and South America.

In 2014, he was transferred back to the Western Province.

Father Riebe-Estrella returned to live in Techny in 2025.

Divine Word Father William Seifert, 85, died June 21 in Techny. He was an anthropologist and missionary in Papua New Guinea for more than 30 years.

Born in Pittsburgh, he entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1957, professed vows in 1962 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1967.

Father Seifert earned a doctorate in anthropology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., before being assigned to the Anthropos Institute, headquartered near Bonn, Germany, and sent to Papua New Guinea as one of the Melanesian Pastoral Institute’s first staff members.

Father Seifert specialized in urbanization and urban pastoral practice. For eight years, he contributed to the institute through his writings, research, courses and workshops. He then founded a parish in Goroko, Papua New Guinea, managed the Goroka Diocese’s finance office and the conference and pastoral center, served as liaison with the Papua New Guinea immigration and labor departments for entry permits and represented the diocese in dealings with the Papua New Guinea Lands Department.

He then served as vicar general, diocesan administrator and episcopal vicar.

He also served as director of the Overseas Training Program (also known as Cross-Cultural Training Program) for seminarians from other countries for 15 years and as a hospital and prison chaplain.

Father Seifert had been living in the Divine Word Residence in Techny since 2006. In semi-retirement, he served as assistant novice director from 2009 to 2018.

He is survived by his brother, Daniel Seifert.

Sister of St. Joseph Grace Sbrissa, 86, died June 23.

In religious life for 68 years, Sister Grace taught math in many schools and was a dominant presence at Nazareth Academy. She also served the congregation as an administrator and treasurer.

She is survived by her sisters Sister of St. Joseph Joellen Sbrissa, Toni Gillette and Sandi Szymborski.

Providence Sister Joan (Joan Patrice) Kirkpatrick, 92, died July 9 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Colorado, Sister Joan entered the Sisters of Providence in 1956 and professed final vows in 1964. In her 69 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 18 years in Indiana, Illinois and California. In 1974, she was asked to come to the Motherhouse to serve as treasurer of the Sacred Heart Province and manage the motherhouse operations.  After eight years in this ministry, she returned to California where she continued serving in a business capacity at several institutions.   

Having earned a master’s degree in counseling, she did a five-year psychotherapist internship in California and then returned to Indiana, where she served as a counselor.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught mathematics at Providence High School.

She is survived by a sister, Lynn Poole, and brother, Rob Kirkpatrick.

Father John Walter Roller, 91, died June 28. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor emeritus of St. Thomas Becket Parish in Mount Prospect.

Born in Chicago, he attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1960.

After ordination, he was assistant pastor of Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein; St. Luke, River Forest; St. Ann, Lansing; and St. Benedict (Irving Park Road). He was associate pastor of St. Athanasius, Evanston, and St. Theresa, Palatine.

Father Roller went on to become pastor and then pastor emeritus of St. Thomas Becket Parish in Mount Prospect. He served as a retired resident at St. Thomas Becket and St. Emily in Mount Prospect. Roller celebrated his 65th anniversary and completed his final Mass on May 3.

Father Michael Grzesik, an archdiocesan priest and friend of Father Roller, said he remembers the love and respect he received from the communities he served, and he remembers Father Roller’s boisterous and authoritative voice.

“When he spoke, people listened,” Grzesik said. “When he gave homilies, he told great stories and he engaged the people and really brought them closer to Christ.”

Viatorian Father Arnold E. Perham, 95, died June 21 at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights.

Born in Chicago,  Father Perham grew up in St. Viator Parish and graduated from St. Mel High School.  He pronounced his first vows in 1948 and was ordained in 1956. 

Father Perham earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Loyola University Chicago; a master’s degree in mathematics from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.; and a master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

After teaching in Springfield, he taught at St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1962-1968). He then taught at Loyola University Chicago (1968-1973) while serving as director of scholastics. He returned to St. Viator High School in 1973 and taught there until 2010. From 2011 to 2019,  he volunteered in the Math Lab at the school, and from 2020 to 2025 he volunteered remotely by sending practice tests and study guides to members of the Math Club at St. Viator High School.

He is survived by his sister, Faustine Perham.

Augustinian Father Richard Allen Young, 61, was born in Oak Lawn.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Quincy College, a master of divinity degree from St. Thomas Theological Seminary in Denver, and a doctorate in ministry from Catholic Theological Union.

Father Young was received into the Franciscan novitiate in 1989, professed simple vows the following year and professed solemn vows in 1993 before being ordained a priest in 1995. He served as a Franciscan in Roswell, New Mexico.

He was separated from the Franciscans in 2002 and began the process for incardination into the Archdiocese of Chicago. As a priest with the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served as associate pastor of St. Ita Parish (2005-2009).

He was admitted to Augustinian initial formation in 2009. He began his Augustinian novitiate in 2010, professing temporary vows in 2011 and solemn vows in 2014.

During his time in the Augustinian pre-novitiate, he taught at St. Rita of Cascia High School and continued teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the religious studies department of DePaul University (2001-2009).

He was assigned to St. Rita of Cascia High School Monastery from 2011 to 2013, teaching, serving St. Rita’s campus ministry and serving as director of Augustinian mission at the school.

In 2013, Father Young moved to Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, where he was a member of the faculty and campus ministry. He served as administrator of St. Rita Parish in Racine, Wisconsin (2015-2016), and then returned to Providence Catholic, eventually becoming theology department chair.

He also assisted at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Orland Park (2016-2025), served as the Midwest Augustinian province liturgical director from January 2013 through June 2022 and served as province director of Augustinian mission and ministry from July 2018 through June 2024.

He is survived by his father, Richard Young, and his brother, Steven Young.

Archbishop John Vlazny, 88, died May 23 in Beaverton, Oregon.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Gall School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1961. He also studied at the North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a baccalaureate in sacred theology in 1960 and a licentiate of sacred theology in 1962.

He served as associate pastor of St. Paul of the Cross, Park Ridge; St. Clement; and St. Aloysius, where he was also pastor.

He was also on the faculty and dean of students at Quigley North, and earned master’s degrees in classics from the University of Michigan and school administration from Loyola University Chicago. In 1981, he was appointed rector of Niles College Seminary.

In 1983, Archbishop Vlazny was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago and served as episcopal vicar of Vicariate I. Four years later, he was named bishop of Winona, Minnesota.

In 1997, he was named archbishop of Portland, Oregon, where he succeeded Cardinal Francis George. He served as archbishop of Portland until his retirement in 2013.

Father Harold B. Murphy, 88, died May 13. He was pastor emeritus of the former St. Timothy Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Murphy attended St. George High School in Evanston, Loyola University Chicago and Pope John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, and he earned a master’s degree in English at Northwestern University.

He was ordained in 1968, and he served as assistant pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, Oak Park; St. James, Arlington Heights; and St. Monica. He became pastor of St. Timothy in 1986 and served there for 20 years. He also taught part-time at Loyola University and other institutions.

Deacon Dennis Renk, 83, died May 4 in Florida. He was ordained in 1976.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Augustine School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He entered a Franciscan community before leaving to marry and have a family.

He worked as a hospital chef and food distributor on the South Side of Chicago before he retired.

He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen. He is survived by his daughter, Patricia Beach, 10 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

Deacon Michael McNulty, 93, died May 6. He was ordained in 1979 and ministered at Divine Mercy Parish, formerly Sacred Heart Parish, Winnetka.

A lifelong parishioner at Divine Mercy, Deacon McNulty knew every pastor of Sacred Heart and then Divine Mercy Parish. After being ordained a deacon, he sold the family business, McNulty Paper Company, to devote himself to ministry.

He celebrated baptisms and funeral services and witnessed weddings, managed parish finances, spearheaded outreach efforts, instructed future deacons and was a field advocate for the Archdiocese of Chicago Marriage Tribunal.

He was predeceased by his wife of 34 years, Mimi. He is survived by his children Maureen Valvassori, Michael McNulty and Patrick McNulty; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Providence Sister Theresa Clare Carr, 93, died on May 5 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indianapolis, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1950 and professed final vows in 1957. She earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree from Indiana University.

Of her 75 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as teacher for 50 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and California, then served as a catechist, substitute teacher and volunteer.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Mercy (1957-1962).

Sister Theresa Clare is survived by her brothers, Edward Carr, Cornelius (Bud) Carr and Michael Carr; and her sister, Catherine Warren.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Therese (Loran) O’Malley, 98, died May 7 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she made her profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1951. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; a master’s degree from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.; and a doctorate from Columbia University, New York, all in mathematics.

Her ministry was dedicated to teaching. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, where she also was director of institutional research and a volunteer at the McGreal Center. She also taught elsewhere in Illinois, and in Connecticut, Wisconsin and Rhode Island.

Father Robert L. Tuzik, 77, died April 19. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former associate pastor of St. Colette Parish in Rolling Meadows, now part of St. Clare of Assisi Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Tuzik attended St. Tarcissus School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1973. In addition to his master of divinity, he earned a licentiate in sacred theology from Mundelein Seminary and a doctorate in liturgy from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Father Tuzik served as assistant pastor of St. Mary Parish, Lake Forest, and as associate pastor of St. Linus, Oak Lawn; St. Zachary, Des Plaines; St. Joseph, Libertyville; and St. Colette. Father Tuzik was also pastor of St. Emily, Mount Prospect.

He served as adjunct faculty at Mundelein Seminary, teaching liturgy to seminarians and deacon candidates, and as a consultant to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Office for Divine Worship. He served also as a special consultant to the late Cardinal Francis George.

Deacon Richard Warfield, 83, died April 17. He was ordained in 1979 and served in a variety of ministries.

Deacon Warfield was a U.S. Army veteran and retired Chicago police officer. He served as a deacon with the Chicago Police chaplaincy unit, at the Ford City Catholic Center and in pastoral care at Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Lou; his son, Richard; three grandchildren; and his brother, Charles.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Antonetta (Philomena) Martinka, 86, died April 13 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters in 1960.

Sister Antonetta’s ministry was dedicated to teaching in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Luke School, River Forest, and taught and served as business officer at Trinity High School, River Forest. She also taught at St. Zachary School, Des Plaines, and St. Giles School, Oak Park, and she served as business officer at Divine Providence Convent, Des Plaines.

She is survived by her sister, Marie Gibbs; and her brother, Rudy Martinka.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Catherine (Alberto) St. Martin, 92, died April 19 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Minneapolis, Sister Mary Catherine made her religious profession in 1953. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, and a master’s degree in curriculum and administration from Saint Xavier University.

She taught and was principal at St. Giles, Oak Park, and taught at St. Louis de Montfort, Oak Lawn; St. Thomas the Apostle; Epiphany; and St. Martin de Porres High School, Waukegan. She also was principal of St. Thomas More School.

Sister Mary Catherine also ministered as an administrator, assistant prioress and pastoral caregiver.

She is survived by a sister, Clare Foley.

Father John P. Lucas, 82, died April 5. A retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was the former judicial vicar with the Court of Appeals of the Province of Chicago.

Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Immaculata High School in Kansas, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Father Lucas was ordained to the priesthood in 1968, at St. Peter Basilica in Rome. He served as assistant pastor of St. Cyprian, River Grove; associate pastor of St. Edmund, Oak Park; and as judge at the Metropolitan Tribunal and at the Court of Appeals of the Province of Chicago.

Father Michael Bradley knew Father Lucas since 1993.

“I began working at the tribunal and got to work with him,” Bradley said. “He studied in Rome for his degree in canon law. He was fair-minded in applying the law and had a real gift in combining his canon law knowledge and expertise in pastoral ministry.

“When he had to decide on a possible marriage annulment, he did it with great deal of concern for all parties. They were not just cases for him, they were people.”

After retirement, Father Lucas continued to serve on appeal cases as the adjutant judicial vicar in charge of the Court of Second Instance of the Metropolitan Tribunal until his death.

Father George J. Kane, 99, died April 7. At the time of his death, he was the longest tenured priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor emeritus of Church of the Holy Spirit in Schaumburg, now part of St. Gregory of Nyssa Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Kane attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1951.

He served as assistant pastor of Holy Rosary (113th Street), Holy Cross (65th Street), St. George (Wentworth Avenue) and St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates. He taught at St. Mary of the Lake University/Mundelein Seminary (1966-1972) and he was the founding pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit.

Between his assignments at Holy Cross and St. George parishes, Father Kane served as a U.S. Air Force chaplain from 1959 to 1963. He served in South Korea, ministering to fighter pilots preparing to go to Vietnam.

Father John Hoffman knew Father Kane since his seminary internship at Father Kane’s parish, more than 50 years ago.

“He was a great homilist, wicked smart and had a great sense of humor,” Hoffman said.

He added that Father Kane  was a supporter of women’s participation in the church and the Second Vatican Council.

“He believed in it, he believed it made such a difference for the laity, parishes and the church,” Hoffman noted. “He believed in Christ’s way of life for us and that it is Jesus Christ we seek, as Pope John Paul II said.”

During a January 2024 interview with Chicago Catholic, Father Kane looked back on his ministry in the archdiocese and impact of the Second Vatican Council. “I was hoping we would get away from this ultra-authoritarian mode the church had, and get into the way of Vatican II,” he said. “That struck me as a life-giving kind of a vision, and it correlated with the best I had in my seminary training.”

Father Patrick J. Lee, 74, died April 14. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on Belmont Avenue.

Born in Evergreen Park, Father Lee attended Marist High School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1976.

He served as associate pastor of St. Christopher, Midlothian; St. Matthias; St. Giles, Oak Park; and Immaculate Conception Parish on North Park Avenue.

Father Lee served as pastor of both Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph parishes on North Orleans Street from 1987 to 2013, laying the groundwork for the combination of the two parishes, which merged in 2016. Before retiring, he served as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for nine years.

He was a faculty member at Quigley Preparatory Seminary from 1979 to 1986.

Father John Hoffman, who met Father Lee in the seminary, remembered his friend as a deeply spiritual priest who had a clear focus on ministering to the people in the parish.

“Especially when folks were ill, he would make visits to the hospitals. He was very loyal to the Church, and was not reluctant to challenges. He prayed often for the LGBTQ community.”

Father Lee was an advocate for the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, or AGLO Chicago. During a Mass in 2023 that celebrated the 35th anniversary of the ministry, AGLO recognized Lee for his support since the group’s inception.

Adrian Dominican Sister Marilyn (Therese Noel) Francoeur, 88, died Feb. 22 in Adrian, Michigan.

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

Sister Marilyn spent 30 years ministering in education in Michigan, Illinois and the Dominican Republic. She also was an administrator and ministered in her congregation’s information office and archives.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was assistant treasurer (1977-1978) and treasurer (1978-1984) at Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette, and was administrator of the Parable Conference in River Forest.

She is survived by a sister, Herline Harm, and two brothers, Douglas and John Francoeur.

Viatorian Father Daniel T. Nolan, 76, died April 4 in Wheeling.

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he attended Bishop Gorman High School in Nevada, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He pronounced his first vows in 1973 and was ordained in 1983.

Father Nolan graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He earned a bachelor’s in secondary education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Catholic Theological Union, Chicago.

He moved to Illinois for the Viatorian novitiate and taught at St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1972-1973), and attended classes at Loyola University Chicago (1973-1974). He then taught and was a school administrator in Rock Island, Illinois.

After ordination, he ministered in schools and parishes in Nevada. From 2002 to 2007, he was director of vocations (2002-2007), director of mission appeals (2002-2007) and director formation (2004-2007) for the Chicago Province in Arlington Heights.

After his service to the province, he worked in campus ministry and hospital pastoral care, including as a chaplain at Presence St. Joseph Hospital (2014-2017).

He moved to the Province Center in Arlington Heights in 2022, and to Addolorata Villa in Wheeling earlier this year.

He is survived by his brother, William Nolan.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Eleanor “Ellie” (Francesco) Hoffmann, 91, died April 7, in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Lincoln, Illinois, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1954.

Sister Ellie’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, pastoral care and preaching in Wisconsin and Illinois. She served the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation as vicaress provincial of the eastern province and in vocation ministry and ministered as spiritual director and retreat leader at the Dominican Motherhouse, Sinsinawa Mound. She was a mentor for many Dominican Associates of Sinsinawa.

She is survived by a brother, Father Robert Hoffmann.

Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Alice (Francis Alice) Naour, 91, died Jan. 9 in Adrian, Michigan.

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

Sister Mary Alice ministered in elementary and secondary music education in Michigan, Illinois and Henderson, Nevada. She also served at the Dominican Motherhouse, where she was activities assistant, pastoral minister and an assistant in the liturgical ministries department.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita (1953-1954), St. Carthage (1954-1957), St. Columbanus (1957-1959) and St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1968), and was a residence moderator at Bishop Quarter (1967-1968).

Adrian Dominican Sister Kathleen (Charles Miriam) Walli, 87, died Jan. 25 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 64th year of her religious life.

Sister Kathleen ministered 19 years in elementary and secondary education in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Florida. She also served nine years as a college professor in Illinois and Michigan, two years as secretary of the congregation in Adrian and 15 years as a pastoral associate/religious education director in Wisconsin. Sister Kathleen became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2017.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mary, Star of the Sea.

She is survived by her sisters Suzanne Condon, Joy Brock, Maribeth Czerwonka and Sheila Glodowski; and her brothers Douglas, Michael, Lance and Henry Walli.

School Sister of St. Francis Jesse Marie Mortimer, 91, died in Milwaukee on March 16.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Jesse Marie was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1954, made her first professions of vows in 1956 and perpetual vows in 1962.

Beginning in 1957, Sister Jesse Marie ministered in the archdioceses of Chicago, Omaha and Milwaukee. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Benedict High School from 1983 to 1989.

Sister Jesse Marie is survived by her brothers, John and Eugene Mortimer.

Providence Sister Joan Mary (Mary Ann) Schaefer, 95, died March 20 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Cicero, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1948 and professed final vows in 1956. In her 76 years as a Sister of Providence, she taught for 46 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Massachusetts, including 21 years as a principal. Retiring from full-time teaching in 1998, she continued to substitute in the Chicago area.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows (1968-1969), was principal of Immaculate Conception (1975-1989), taught at St. Francis Borgia (1990-1992) and at Providence-St. Mel (1992-1998).

In 2017, she moved to the motherhouse, where she served in a variety of ways, the foremost being Providence Hall receptionist.

Felician Sister Mary Theophilia (Theresa) Tworzydlo, 92, died March 24, in Swedish/North Shore Hospital.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. John of God School and Lourdes High School.  She entered the Felician Sisters Postulancy in 1951 and professed her final vows in 1959.  She ministered as an elementary teacher in  Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin for a total of 20 years. Later, she

served in a variety of positions at St. Andrew Life Center in Niles.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Mary Magdalene (1953-1957), Good Shepherd (1957-1959, 1977-1978), St. Bruno (1960-1965), Holy Innocents (1967-1971), St. Stanislaus, Posen (1973-1977) and St. Andrew Life Center, Niles (1978-2014).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Diane (Mary Alana) Kennedy, 91, died March 30 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Oak Park, she entered the Sininsawa Dominican congregation in 1957, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosary College. She later earned master’s degrees in English and theology and a doctorate in ministry.

Sister Diane’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, preaching and administration. She served her congregation as director of initial formation and as vicaress of the congregation. She was executive director of the Parable Conference for Dominican Life and Mission; director of ministry at St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota; academic dean at Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis.; and associate provost and vice president for mission and ministry at Dominican University. Sister Diane concluded her public ministry as promoter for the cause of Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP.    

She is survived by a sister, Jane Gelinas.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Virginia (John Martha) Helmann, 89, died April 1 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. 

Born in Wisconsin, she professed vows with the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1955.

She taught at Visitation and schools in Chicago as well as in other cities in Illinois and in Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin. She also ministered in spiritual direction in New York and as a holistic health therapist at the Dominican Motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Father Matthias E. Lorenz, 81, died March 5. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former chaplain of St. Anthony Hospital and university professor.

Born in Chicago, Father Lorenz attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1969. He also earned a master’s degree in music at the Chicago Conservatory College, a master’s degree in public administration at Roosevelt University and a doctorate in theology and human sciences with concentration on issues in medical ethics and bioethics at the University of Chicago.

Father Lorenz was assistant pastor of St. Gregory the Great and St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish. He later served at De La Salle Institute and was director of pastoral care and chaplain at St. Anthony Hospital. He also served as: a teacher and dorm counselor at Benedictine University in Lisle; adjunct professor at DePaul University; and visiting professor and Newman Center associate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He retired in 2014.

Father Leon Rezula, former pastor of St. Julian Eymard Parish in Elk Grove Village, remembered the child-like simplicity and profound faith of his classmate.

“He had a variety of experience in his priesthood,” Rezula said. “He was very outgoing, loved people and loved to meet new people.”

Deacon Leonard Richardson, 88, died Feb. 26. He was ordained in 1988 and served at St. Sabina Parish.

He was born in Louisiana and moved to Chicago with his family when he was 4 years old. He attended Holy Trinity and St. James schools and De La Salle Institute, becoming one of that school’s first African American students. He went to DePaul University to study accounting.

He married his childhood sweetheart, the late Beverly Ann Goodman, in 1957, and the couple had eight children. Deacon Richardson worked for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, with extra jobs to support his family at Sears and at H&R Block.

After viewing the body of Emmett Till in 1955, Deacon Richardson became active in the Civil Rights Movement, and in 1966 marched with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Marquette Park.

He and his family were among the first African American families to join St. Sabina Parish in 1965. Deacon Richardson sang in the choir and was a fourth degree Knight of St. Peter Claver before entering diaconate formation.

He is survived by daughters Yolanda, Linda, Latanya, Donna, Deidra, Angela and Coretta and son Leonard Malcolm; his sister Katherine Richardson; 33 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

School Sister of St. Francis Sister Irene Daniels, 95, died Feb. 4 at Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Irene was received into the community in 1946, made her first vows in 1949 and made her final vows in 1954.

Beginning in 1948, Sister Irene ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Matthias School from 1948 to 1955.

In retirement, Sister Irene volunteered and ministered through her prayer and presence at St. Joseph Convent in Milwaukee (2003-2015) and at Our Lady of the Angels from 2015 until her death.

School Sister of St. Francis Maureen Durkin, 79, died Feb. 15 in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Maureen was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1965; made her first profession of vows in 1967; and made her final vows in 1976.

Beginning in 1968, Sister Maureen ministered in Chicago and Milwaukee. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered in Chicago in home care for another sister’s parent in 1994, then served as a registered nurse at St. Joseph Home (1995-2006), St. Joseph Village (2006-2007), Hospice of Illinois (2007-2009) and Maxim Health Care Services (2009-2011).

Most recently, Sister Maureen ministered as a health advocate for her community’s U.S. province from 2011 until the time of her death.

Sister Maureen is survived by her sister, Mary Eileen Wudtke, and her brother, Edward Durkin.

Divine Word  Father Gerald Theis, 92, who served in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, died March 10 in Techny.

Born in Aurora, Father Theis entered the Divine Word Seminary in East Troy, Wisconsin, in 1946 and professed vows in 1952. In addition to his theology degrees, he earned a master’s degree in education from the Catholic University of America.

Father Theis was ordained to the priesthood in 1960 and left for the Archdiocese of Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea in 1961. For the first eight years of his priesthood, he worked in a remote mountain area with people who had never seen a European or a trader. To visit the 53 mission stations and 20,000 people in his care, he walked thousands of miles.

In 1969, Father Theis was appointed education secretary and archdiocesan supervisor of schools. He also served as chairman of the Governing Council of Holy Trinity Teachers College in Mount Hagen, and later became vicar general of the archdiocese.

He moved to Techny in 2013, and assisted at weekend Masses at St. Nicholas Parish, Evanston, and other area parishes.

“He was a model missionary and model priest — hardworking, dedicated to people, prayerful and faithful in all that he did,” said Divine Word Father Joseph Bisson, a seminary classmate and fellow missionary in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Father Richard J. Lo Bianco, 70, died Feb. 23. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Deerfield.

Born in Chicago, Father Lo Bianco attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College Seminary of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1979.

He served as associate pastor of St. Denis, St. Walter Parish and St. Germaine Parish, Oak Lawn. He then served as pastor of St. Gerald, before becoming associate pastor of St. Alexander, Palos Heights, and Our Lady Mother of the Church, Willow Springs.

Father Lo Bianco became pastor of Divine Savior, Norridge, in 2009, and then pastor of Holy Cross in 2021. He retired in 2024.

Father Gregory Sakowicz, one of Lo Bianco’s classmates, recalled his friend’s zest for life, how he “had a love for life and was very passionate about what he did and what he believed.”

Deacon Edward Patrick DeLorenzo, 84, died Feb. 21. He was ordained in 1975 and ministered at St. Edmund Parish, Oak Park, and Divine Providence Parish, Westchester.

He taught for 10 years at St. Patrick High School, and as a deacon, presided at many family and friends’ baptisms, weddings and funeral services.

School Sister of St. Francis Gloria Fews, 94, died Jan. 9 at Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Aurora, she was received into the community in 1951, made her first vows in 1953 and made her final vows in 1955.

Beginning in 1953, Sister Gloria ministered in Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Holy Angels School from 1953 to 1970.

In retirement, Sister Gloria ministered through prayer and presence at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee from 2016 to 2018, and at Our Lady of Angels from 2018 until her death. 

Sister Gloria is survived by her sisters, Diana Burbridge and Charlotte Pointer.

Redemptorist Father Thomas Franciscus, 85, died Feb. 13 in Arizona.

Born in Nebraska, he entered the Redemptorists’ St. Joseph College in Kirkwood, Missouri, in 1957. He professed temporary vows in 1960. In 1963, at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, he professed permanent vows and in 1965 he was ordained a priest.

After ordination, he served for one year in St. Louis before being assigned to St. Michael Parish in Old Town. He earned a master’s degree in theology from Loyola University Chicago while in full-time ministry. In addition to providing Spanish-language catechesis, he worked with members of youth gangs and engaged in government redevelopment programs.

He later ministered in Missouri and Colorado, before moving to California’s Central Valley, always working in Hispanic ministry. During that time, he earned a licentiate in canon law and began working in the tribunal in the Diocese of Stockton before serving as judicial vicar in the Dioceses of Reno, Nevada, and Monterey, California, while also in parish ministry.

He joined the Redemptorist Renewal Center community in Tucson, Arizona, in 2023.

Adrian Dominican Sister Shirley Mary (James Barbara) Heymes, 94, died Nov. 22, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan.

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

Sister Shirley ministered 46 years in education in Chicago as well as in Florida, Michigan and Ohio, and she was a volunteer for 11 years at the Dominican Literacy Center in Detroit.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita of Cascia School.

She is survived by two brothers, Paul Heymes and James Heymes, and a sister, Barbara DeCrick.

Adrian Dominican Sister Miriam Joseph (Josephine Bernadette) Lekan, 101, died Nov. 23, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Cleveland, she was in the 81st year of her religious life.

She ministered in education and nursing in Illinois, Michigan, Florida and Ohio.

Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Katherine (Sean Marie) Dolan, 85, died Dec. 4, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan. She was in the 66th year of her life.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Academy of Our Lady in Chicago and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history and a master of divinity degree in pastoral ministry from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California.

Sister Mary Katherine ministered in education, community organization, administration and as a pastoral associate in California, Arizona, Missouri and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was a pastoral associate at St. Martin de Porres Parish (1992-1993) and administrator of Grace House women’s residence (1994-2011).

She is survived by two brothers, Thomas Dolan and Lawrence Dolan.

Adrian Dominican Sister Shirley (Elaine Therese) Boettcher, 94, died Dec. 12, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 77th year of her religious life.

Sister Shirley ministered in education and nursing in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, New York, Iowa and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita of Cascia (1953-1954); St. Carthage (1954-1957), St. Columbanus (1957-1959); Bishop Quarter, Oak Park (1967-1968); and St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1968).

Sister Shirley is survived by a sister, Elaine Marcotte.

Adrian Dominican Sister Margaret Mary (Richard Mary) Heinz, 97, died Dec. 14, 2024, in Adrian, Michigan. She was in the 78th year of her religious life.

Born in Chicago, Sister Marg graduated from Aquinas High School. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and was licensed in clinical pastoral education.

She ministered in education and pastoral care in Illinois and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1961-1966) and Aquinas High School (1966-1969) and was director of pastoral care at Ravenswood Hospital (1976-1997).

She is survived by a sister, Rita Heinz.

Little Sister of the Poor Josephine Brannan, 79, died Feb. 7 in Palatine after a long illness.

Born in St. Louis, she entered the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1965.

After professing her vows in 1968, and for the next 57 years, she devoted herself to a life of service for the needy elderly in a variety of roles and locations.

She is survived by two brothers and three sisters.

Deacon Thomas Corcoran, 81, died Jan. 23.

He was ordained in 1994 and served at St. Raymond de Penafort Parish, Mount Prospect (1994-2003), and Our Lady of the Wayside Parish, Arlington Heights.

At Our Lady of the Wayside, Deacon Corcoran oversaw the care and outreach ministries, including Respect Life, PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter), Our Lady of Unity (formerly St. Mark) sharing parish activities, ministry of care, bereavement ministries, shawl ministry, special needs ministry and domestic abuse ministry.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Irene.

Providence Sister André (Genevieve Louise) Panepinto, 82, died Jan. 11 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Born in Joliet, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1960 and professed final vows in 1968. During her 64 years in religious life, she ministered in elementary education in Illinois for 22 years, nine of which were as principal. After four years as director of the Learning Resource Center at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana, she taught another 20 years in Massachusetts, retiring in 2012.

In 2015, she moved back to Illinois, giving service as needed to her sisters. In 2018, she moved to the motherhouse where she ministered as a driver. Beginning in 2022, her physical condition required that she dedicate herself totally to the ministry of prayer.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at Maternity BVM (1965-1968) and Mother Guerin Convent, River Grove (2015-2018).

She is survived by a sister, Mary Kay Scholtes, and a brother, Ignatius Panepinto.

School Sister of Notre Dame Donita Mathis, 95, died Jan. 14 at Resurrection Life Center.

Born in Chicago, she was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 72 years. She served as an elementary school teacher in Chicago and Blue Island and as a registered nurse in Chicago, Oak Park and Des Plaines. She was a minister of prayer and presence at Frances Manor in Des Plaines, Resurrection Life Center in Chicago and Marian Village in Homer Glen.

Servant of the Holy Heart of Mary Sister Agnes (Mary) Cunningham, 101, died Jan. 22 in Clifton, Illinois.

Born in England, she was raised in Chicago and was a parishioner of Visitation and St. Gall parishes in her youth. She entered the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary in 1940 and professed vows in 1943.

Sister Agnes ministered in education, teaching elementary school through post-graduate students. She was a professor of church history and patristics at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary from 1967 to 1991, where she helped to educate and form a generation of lay men, priests and bishops. In addition, she served as a freelance writer, theological consultant and translator for her religious community. She was the first female president of the Catholic Theological Society of America.

On her 80th jubilee, she mused, “I wish that everybody knew that as we are passing through times of darkness, challenge and doubt … God still gives us strength and love to support others.”

Father Thomas E. Lamping, 70, died Dec. 31, 2024. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former associate pastor of St. Bartholomew.

Born in Joliet, he attended Bertha-Hewitt High in Bertha, Minnesota, Crosier Seminary in Onamia, Minnesota; Indiana University in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1984.

Father Lamping served as associate pastor of St. Joseph, Summit; St. Philomena (now San José Luis Sánchez Del Río), St. Jerome; Queen of Angels (now part of Queen of Apostles); and St. Bartholomew.

Father Michael Gabriel, one of Father Lamping’s classmates, remembered Father Lamping as a great person who “loved life and was incredibly dedicated to the priesthood.”

Gabriel also recalled Father Lamping’s close relationship with his family, how “he was very dedicated to his parents and really loved those around him.”

Father James E. Flynn, 82, died Jan. 5. He was pastor emeritus of Holy Name of Mary Parish.

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1967.

Father Flynn was assistant pastor of St. Priscilla, Resurrection (now part of St. Martin de Porres) and Our Lady of the Mount Parish (now part of Our Lady, the Mystical Rose Parish) in Cicero. He served as associate pastor of St. Angela (now part of St. Simon Cyrene) and Holy Name of Mary (now part of Our Lady of Kibeho Parish), where he was named pastor emeritus after he retired in 2012.

He served in retirement at Ascension-St. Susanna in Harvey and St. Gerard Majella in Markham.

Father Thadeo Mgimba, archdiocesan priest and one of Father Flynn’s close friends, remembers Father Flynn as a remarkable person who “was very simple, humble and had a golden heart.”

“He was my spiritual father, my mentor and my friend,” Mgimba added.

Father Stephen F. Kanonik, 68, died Jan. 7. He was pastor of St. Benedict Parish on Irving Park Road.

Born in Chicago, Father Kanonik attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1982.

He served as associate pastor of St. Bruno and St. Louise de Marillac, La Grange Park. He then served as pastor of St. Ladislaus, St. Juliana and St. Benedict Parish. He also served as moderator of the curia and recently had been a member of the Priest Placement Board.

Father Thomas Refermat, associate pastor of St. Benedict, remembered Father Kanonik as “a man who loved the people, cared for the people and wanted to speak up for his parishioners.” “He loved them, and his parishioners loved him, especially the children,” Refermat said. “Working side by side with him, I always saw him as an older brother.”

Father James Kastigar, one of Father Kanonik’s classmates, remembers Father Kanonik as a “very kind, gentle man who really loved other people and he took time to listen to them. He’d always stop what he was doing to talk to people.”

Deacon Robert Boharic, 79, died Jan. 12. He was ordained in 1999 and served at St. Paul VI Parish, formerly at St. Mary, Riverside.

Born at Misericordia Maternity Home in Chicago and then adopted, he attended St. Sabina Parish and Leo High School.

A former U.S. Marine, Deacon Boharic was a prosecutor and a judge in Cook County. He told Chicago Catholic in 2012 that his journey to the diaconate began after his son, Bobby, died of a childhood cancer in 1982.

At that time, he and his wife, Kathleen, began to dig deeper into their faith and became more active in their parish.

Deacon Boharic is survived by his wife, his children Father Thomas Boharic, Marie Schwarzenberger, Margaret Boharic and John Boharic; and seven grandchildren.

Felician Sister Paul Marie (Mary Pulveria, Stella) Pietroczynski, 101, died Dec. 19 in Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended Holy Trinity School and Good Counsel High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1942 and professed her final vows in 1950. She ministered in various elementary schools as a teacher and principal in Illinois, Wisconsin, Alabama and Minnesota. She also served in the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Phone Ministry from 2004 to 2017.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Bruno (1942-1943); St. Turibius (1944-1946); St. Bronislava (1946-1947); St. Mary Magdalene (1947-1948); St. Hedwig, Niles (1948-1851); Our Lady of the Gardens (1955-1970); St. Joseph (1985-1986, 1993-1997); Sacred Heart (1988-1990); St.  Wenceslaus (1990-1992); and Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1997-2004).

Father Joseph C. Taylor, 97, died Dec. 8, 2024. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein before being ordained in 1953.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Maurice, St. Cajetan, St. Gabriel and St. Joseph the Worker, Wheeling, before serving as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish (Nelson Avenue).

Later, Father Taylor served as associate pastor of St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy, Oak Park, and St. Edward Parish. He retired in 1997.

Father Dominic Clemente, pastor of St. Edward Parish, remembered Father Taylor as a kind-hearted, humble and faithful priest. “He would attend Holy Mass daily, even when he couldn’t celebrate the Mass,” Clemente said. “He loved hearing confessions, anointing people and offering pastoral counseling. Being with people and celebrating the sacraments are what gave him life.”

Deacon William John Krueger, 90, died Dec. 17, 2024, in his home in Tucson, Arizona.

He served at St. Mary Parish, Buffalo Grove, and retired in 2018.

Born in Chicago, Deacon Krueger grew up in the Wauconda area, and married his wife, Patricia, in 1951.

Deacon Krueger found his greatest happiness in staying connected to his family, always knowing what everyone was up to and ensuring those he loved felt supported and cherished.

He is survived by Patricia and his children Bill, Claudia, Darcy, Kelly, Dan and Ryan; 14 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Deacon Walter Minor, 90, of Park Ridge, died Dec. 21, 2024. He was ordained in 1978 and served at Our Lady of Ransom Parish, Niles.

Born in Bath, Illinois, Deacon Minor attended Knox College in Galesburg, where he served in the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps. Stationed in Chicago after graduation, he met his wife of 67 years, Eleanor.

He worked in sales and coached his children’s teams in Park Ridge Park District.

He is survived by Eleanor; his children Chris Minor-Hubbell, Laurie Citta and Tracy Sernel; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren; as well his siblings Butch Minor and Sharon McNeil.

Felician Sister Mary Ramona (Elizabeth) Dombrowski, 83, died Nov. 14, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, she joined the Felician Sisters aspirancy in Chicago, where she attended Good Counsel High School. She entered the Felician Sisters postulancy in 1959 and professed her final vows in 1967. 

She ministered in elementary schools as a teacher and principal in Illinois. She also served in leadership positions within the Felician community. Later she ministered in the field of health administration in Milwaukee. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Turibius (1962), St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates (1965-1966), St. Bruno (1966-1967) and Good Counsel High School (1967-1980).

School Sister of St. Francis Antoinette Schreiber, 102, died Nov. 22, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in Pierron, Illinois, she was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1940, made her first profession of vows in 1942 and made her final vows in 1948.

Beginning in 1944, Sister Antoinette ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught (1944-1965) and was principal (1962-1965) at St. Maurice School.

Sister Antoinette retired in 2011 and served in the ministry of prayer and presence in Wisconsin.

Felician Sister Mary Josetta (Phyllis Prondzinski), 87, died Nov. 25, 2024, in Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, she joined the Felician Sisters Postulancy in Chicago in 1955 and professed her final vows in 1967. She ministered in elementary and high schools as a teacher, art instructor and librarian in Illinois, Alabama, Wisconsin and Minnesota. She also served in United Stand Counseling Center as an art therapist and later became an art instructor at the Portage Park  Senior Center in Chicago.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Joseph (1958-1960), Good Shepherd (1960-1961), St. Wenceslaus (1961-1963), St. Linus, Oak Lawn (1963-1968), St. Joseph High School (1979-1991), Good Counsel High School (1996-2004) and St. Ferdinand (2004-2007).

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Mary Bridget (Rosemary Patricia) Murphy, 84, died Dec. 7, 2024.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Peter Canisius School and Notre Dame High School for Girls before entering the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1957.

She taught at St. Victor, Calumet City (1962-1966), before being assigned to schools in Ohio, where she completed a master’s degree in education.

In 1972, Sister Mary Bridget began serving as a clinical reading instructor at St. Peter Canisius and St. Robert Bellarmine schools in Chicago, supervising the teachers in the area of reading and teaching them skills to help them help their students. In 1975, she became principal of St. Robert Bellarmine, a post she held for six years.

She returned to Ohio to serve in provincial leadership and secondary education. In 1987, she became principal of Notre Dame High School in Chicago at a time of decreasing enrollment and higher costs, due to fewer sisters on the faculty. She spent the remainder of her professional life ministering to the school and its alumnae.

In 1993, she was appointed president of the school, and in 2003, she became president emeritus.

School Sister of St. Francis Mary Alma Mayer, 97, died Dec. 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in Michigan, she was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1945, made her first profession of vows in 1947 and made her final vows in 1953.

Beginning in 1947, Sister Mary Alma ministered in Illinois and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Martin (1947-1952) and St. Matthias (1956-1979), where she also served as religious education coordinator (1975-1979).

Sister Mary Alma served as the sacristan at St. Joseph Chapel in her community’s Milwaukee motherhouse from 1979 until her retirement in 2015.

Sister Mary Alma is survived by her brother, Rolland Mayer, and her sisters, Janet Wieber and Katherine Coffman.

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth Elaine Marie (Deodata) Klugiewicz, 94, died Dec. 10, 2024, in Des Plaines.

Born in Chicago, Sister Elaine Marie joined the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1947 and professed her perpetual vows in 1956. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1964 and taught at St. Ann, Assumption BVM and St. Michael, as well as at schools in Texas.

After earning her master’s degree in library science from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, in 1972, Sister Elaine Marie served as a high school librarian, first at St. Ann and then at Holy Family Academy until 1984.

Sister Elaine Marie was one of the founding core members of the Nazareth House of Prayer in Schiller Park. She also served as director of religious education at St. Patricia, Hickory Hills; and for six years, Sister Elaine Marie was a local superior at Nazarethville Nursing Home. She was part of the formation Community in Grand Prairie, Texas, and later in Chicago. Before retiring to Nazarethville, Sister Elaine Marie ministered as the spiritual guide to the Associates of the Holy Family.

Divine Word Father Frank Drzaic, 90, a missionary in Paraguay and Croatia, died Dec. 17, 2024, in Techny.

Born in Omaha in 1934, he entered the high school seminary in 1949 and professed vows in 1954. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Techny in 1962.

For his first assignment, he was sent to Paraguay. During his time in South America, he was based in Hernandarias in Central Paraguay and in the city of Che’íro Kue (Cheiro-Cue), now known as Juan Emiliano O’Leary. He provided pastoral care, built schools and chapels, and started a medical clinic.

After 12 years as a missionary in Paraguay, Father Drzaic faced health issues and returned to the United States. He served in Texas and Mississippi for a decade.

Knowing that Father Drzaic was the son of Croatian parents and knew the language, his superiors then assigned him to the Austrian Province, where he worked in Croatia for three years. Following that appointment, he became a member of the Western Province and served St. Malachy Parish in Los Angeles.

In 1996, he was transferred back to the Chicago Province, where he served as an associate pastor for three parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago: Holy Trinity Croatian Catholic Church, St. Bronislava and Our Lady of Charity. Coinciding with his pastoral assignments, he was a part-time chaplain at St. Margaret Mercy Health Care Center in Hammond, Indiana; at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, Indiana; and Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park.

Father Drzaic moved to Techny in 2013. Even in retirement, his curious nature led him to learn the Hebrew alphabet, delve deeper into Scripture and practice sacred music on the keyboard.

In addition to his seminary training, Father Drzaic held a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

School Sister of St. Francis Dorothy Sinibaldi, 91, died Dec. 23, 2024, in Milwaukee.

Born in New York State, Sister Dorothy was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1953, made her first profession of vows in 1955 and made her final vows in 1961.

Beginning in 1955, Sister Dorothy ministered in Illinois, New York, and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Joseph School, Waukegan (1964-1967 and 1970-1974); and at St. Peter School, Skokie (1967-1970).

In retirement, Sister Dorothy ministered as a volunteer and through her prayer and presence in New York and in Wisconsin.