Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Josette Pahl, 98, died Oct. 18 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Minneapolis, she made her first religious profession in 1938 and her final profession in 1941. She ministered in Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Giles, Oak Park (1938-1949), and St. Jarlath (1958-1961). 

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Mary Ellen Dow, 58, died Oct. 4 in Cincinnati.

Born and raised in Chicago, Sister Mary Ellen attended St. Peter Canisius School and Notre Dame High School.  She entered the community in 1966 and made her final vows in 1972.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Robert Bellarmine and Notre Dame High School. From 1997–2014, she served as director of campus ministry at two colleges in Massachusetts and at Trinity Washington University.    

Sister Mary Ellen is survived by her sister, Cathy A. Dow-Royer.

Divine Word Father Vincent Burke, 83, died Sept. 21 in Techny.

Born in Massachusetts, Father Burke started studying at the Divine Seminary in 1947. He professed first vows in 1953 and was ordained a priest in Techny in 1961.
He ministered for more than 50 years in Ghana.

“During his many years in Ghana, since he worked mostly in educational institutions, he produced excellent professionals: teachers, priests, ministers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, pharmacists, journalists and many others who work in different parts of the world,” said Divine Word Father Edward Tetteh, who knew Father Burke when Tetteh was growing up in Ghana.

He returned to the United States for the last time in 2011 at age 77. Five years later, in recognition of his service to the Ghanaian people, President John Dramani Mahama bestowed the honor of Office of the Order of Volta upon him.

He is survived by two brothers, Walter and Kevin Burke.

Holy Family of Nazareth Sister Marcella (Eleonore) Falat, 93, died Sept. 15.

Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1946, at 22 years old, and professed final vows in 1954. 

She spent 50 years serving as a teacher or principal in Chicago area schools including Holy Trinity, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Patricia, St. Ladislaus, St. Emily, St. John the Baptist and St. Mary of Nazareth. She also spent three years at St. Andrew the Apostle School in Texas. Additionally, she served as a provincial councilor and director of ministry.

Deacon James F. Gaughan, 62, died Oct. 11 at JourneyCare Hospice in Barrington. He was ordained in 2001 at served at St. Edna Parish.

Born in Evanston, Deacon Gaughan was a lifelong Cubs fan.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon; his children Bobby and Scott Gaughan and Tracy Ellegood; his mother, Virginia; and his siblings Kathy Krakowski, Eileen Mattison and Tommy Gaughan.

Father Arthur J. Olsen, 53, died unexpectedly on Oct. 16 at Presence St. Benedict Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Niles, where he was recovering from surgery. He was most recently the associate pastor of St. Emily Parish, Mount Prospect. 

Born in New Jersey, Father Olsen moved to the Chicago area as a child and attended Divine Infant Jesus School in Westchester and Proviso West High School in Hillside. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 1986. He later attended the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and was ordained in 1999.

He served as associate pastor of St. John Brebeuf, Niles (1999-2004); St. Mary, Lake Forest (2004-2007); St. Hilary (2007-2014); and St. Emily, Mount Prospect (2014-2017).

Father Olsen is survived by his father, Arthur Sr., and siblings Lori Baker and Erik, John and Chris Olsen.

Father Joseph Chen-Sheng Lee (Ly), 89, died at Presence St. Benedict Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Niles on Aug. 20.

Father Lee had been associate pastor at St. Ferdinand Parish until 1992 and a resident at St. James Parish (Fullerton Avenue) until he retired in 1998.

Father Lee was born in the Anguo District of China and attended school there before attending seminary in Hong Kong and Montreal. He was ordained in Montreal in 1955 for the Diocese of Anguo.

However, he was unable to return to China. He earned a canon law degree at the Ottawa University in Canada and did post-graduate studies at Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University. He resided at St. Dionysius Parish, Cicero (1957-1958), St. Edward Parish (1958-1974) and St. Rosalie Parish, Harwood Heights (1974-1979). He was associate pastor at St. Ferdinand 1979-1992) and was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1985.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Loretto Wolff, 94, died Oct. 3 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Nebraska, Sister Loretto made her first religious profession in 1945 and her final profession in 1948. 

She was a teacher, principal, pastoral minister, parish administrator, librarian and volunteer. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Loretto taught at St. Barnabas (1947-1953) and St. Luke, River Forest (1963-1967). 

She is survived by a sister, Dominican Sister Mary Wolff; and three brothers, John Wolff, Benedictine Abbot Theodore Wolff and F. Patrick Wolff.

Brother George Gregory Lindeman, a member of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, died Sept. 30. He was 89.

Brother George Gregory was a longtime educator and administrator at Leo, St. Laurence and Brother Rice High Schools and many others throughout the U.S. and Canada.

He is survived by 14 nieces and nephews.

Providence Sister Agnes Clare (Phyllis Marie) Buckley, 80, died on Sept. 23 in Boston. 

Born in Massachusetts, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1956 and professed final vows in 1963. 

She ministered in education for 42 years in schools in Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts.  

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows (1960-1961) and St. Agnes (1961-1963).

Sister Agnes Clare was an early recipient of a transplanted heart and the first woman undergoing this procedure in 1989. After her recovery, she continued to give herself energetically to ministry, teaching fifth grade for another 12 years and serving as a parish and school volunteer for seven years. She was the longest living heart transplant recipient at 28 years. 

Sister Agnes Clare is survived by her brother, James, and her sister, Catherine.

Mercy Sister Sharon (Margaret) Hamm, 87, died Sept. 19.

Born in Milwaukee, she entered Sisters of Mercy in Des Plaines in 1948.

For over 50 years, Sister Sharon, whom some may remember as Sister Mary Misael, served in elementary schools in the dioceses of Davenport, Iowa; Rockford, Illinois; and Madison, Wisconsin; as well as the Archdiocese of Chicago. In the archdiocese, she taught in Des Plaines, Chicago, Libertyville, McHenry and Park Ridge, including 10 years at St. Stephen in Des Plaines and 21 years at St. Paul of the Cross, Park Ridge.

After retiring from teaching, Sister Sharon went back to St. Stephen, where she served as a librarian and then as a tutor. 

Franciscan Sister of Chicago M. Alacoque (Sophie) Czartoryski, 94, died Sept. 18.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she was drawn to religious life by the sisters at St. Casimir School there. She entered the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago convent in 1931 at 15.

Two years later, after graduating high school, she entered the novitiate. She made her final vows in 1946.

She ministered for five years in the motherhouse and at St. Joseph Home for the Aged, which was attached to the convent, working as director of the residents; dining room and in the kitchen, garden, laundry and chapel. 

She taught at Five Holy Martyrs (1946-1949) and St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr (1949-1952). 

After getting a degree in home economics, she taught sewing and home nursing for 17 years at Madonna High School. Then, after completing a program for dietitians, she ministered as a hospital dietitian in South Dakota and Ohio. She returned to Madonna High School in 1984 and served as maintenance supervisor for a year.

After assignments in Ohio and Poland, she returned to Our Lady of Victory Convent in Lemont for a sabbatical year and ended up staying and working in several ministries. She held the position of minister of hospitality until 2014.

In 2011, she was the first recipient of the Franciscan Weaver Award, which honors a Franciscan Sister of Chicago who embodies the Franciscan charism and shows Franciscan joy in her daily life. 

Sister of St. Joseph Bonaventure Hill, 103, died Sept. 17.

Sister Bonaventure entered religious life in 1935 and was a teacher or principal for 41 years, serving at St. Barbara, Brookfield; St. Attracta, Cicero; St. Anthony; St. Margaret Mary; St. Hugh, Lyons; St. Leonard, Berwyn; and St. Cletus and St. Francis Xavier, LaGrange. 

She was also hostess at the Christian Life Center and archivist for her congregation.

Deacon Peter Morrissey, 81, died Sept. 23. He was ordained in 2001 and served at St. Leonard Parish, Berwyn.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughter, Bernie; and his brother, Eugene.

Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Rita (Michael Sean) McSweeney, 78, died Sept. 7 in in Adrian, Michigan. 

Born in Detroit, she was in the 59th year of her religious life.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Queen of Apostles, Riverdale (1959-1962); taught (1967-1972) and was principal (1974-1981) at Infant Jesus of Prague, Flossmoor; taught at St. Albert the Great, Burbank (1972-1974); was principal at St. Clare of Montefalco (1981-1983); and taught at St. Cajetan (1983-1990). She then ministered as a program director for the elderly at Marillac House Social Center (1991-2017).

Providence Sister Richard (Dorothy Ann) Bussing, 95, died Sept. 5 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1940 and professed final vows in 1948. During her 77 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education and as a caregiver and pastoral associate in Illinois, North Carolina, California, Texas, Indiana and Montana.  

She was skilled in many crafts and made many Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls through the years. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Andrew (1944-1948), St. Sylvester (1951-1955) and St. Mel (1965-1966). 

Sister Richard is survived by two brothers, Sylvester and Jerome Bussing.

Mercy Sister Kathleen (Sheila Marie) Moriarty, 81, died died of pneumonia Aug. 20 at Mercy Circle.

Born in Chicago, she was the oldest of 10 children. She was taught by Sisters of Mercy at St. Joachim School and Mercy High School in Chicago. She entered the convent in 1954, at 18.

She began her ministry teaching first grade at schools in Chicago and Libertyville, as well as in other Illinois and Wisconsin communities.

She eventually served as principal at St. Joan of Arc, Skokie, and St. Joachim. She ministered the longest at Mother McAuley High School, where she taught math from 1978 to 1983. After being plagued with arthritis, she underwent a knuckle-replacement surgery. Because it became too hard to hold the chalk and teach, she earned a counseling degree. She ministered at Mother McAuley as a counselor for an additional 22 years, until 2006. 

Deacon Morris Bohannon, 92, died on Sept. 3. He was ordained in 1985 and had served at St. Clotilde Parish.

He served for 29 years in the U.S. Army and worked for 26 years for the U.S. Postal Service in Chicago, overseeing the administration of postal systems in 13 states.

He was retired from ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago and had been living in St. Louis.

He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Ida; his daughter, Victoria; four grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and a sister.

Deacon Terry Dineen, 79, died Aug. 26. He was ordained in 1978 and had served 18 years at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, Palatine.

He also ministered at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.

Dineen was born in Milwaukee and worked for International Paper and Hudson Pulp & Paper.

His wife, Judith, predeceased him; he is survived by his children, Amy Close and Julie, Paul and Pete Dineen; and 11 grandchildren.

Adrian Dominican Sister Susanne (Elizabeth) Hofweber, 97, died Aug. 27 in Adrian, Michigan. 

Born in Detroit, she was in her 80th year of religious life. She ministered in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. She also was executive director of the National Conference Diocesan DRE-CCD for six years, and for two years was the national program director for St. Vincent Center of Apostolic Development, both located in Washington, D.C. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Kilian (1938-1939), St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1939-1940) and St. Carthage (1940-1941).

Sister Susanne is survived by her sister, Marian Zeleznik, and her brother, August J. (Jack) Hofweber.