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.