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.