Father Michael P. Ahlstrom, 82, died May 3. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and former pastor of St. Colette Parish in Rolling Meadows.

Born in Indianapolis, Father Ahlstrom 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 liturgical studies at the University of Notre Dame.

He was a faculty member at Niles College of Loyola University and assistant pastor of St. Bernadette, Evergreen Park. He then served as associate pastor of St. Gertrude, Franklin Park; Mary, Seat of Wisdom, Park Ridge; and Immaculate Heart of Mary. He was appointed pastor of St. Colette Parish, a position he held from 1989 until 2003.

Father Ahlstrom served as vicar for deacons from 2004 to 2013, and served as vicar emeritus after his retirement.

During his career in ministry, Father Ahlstrom also served as associate director of the Office for Divine Worship; instructor and chairman of the board of the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein; instructor in medical ethics at Little Company of Mary School of Nursing; priest presenter for Engaged Encounter and Marriage Encounter; pastor in residence and liturgy instructor at Mundelein Seminary; board member of Chicago Studies; member of the Annual Catholic Appeal board; and member of Catholic Charities’ Parish Outreach Committee.

Deacon James Norman, current vicar for deacons, worked with Father Ahlstrom for the past two years. “It was clear that he valued and loved the diaconate community: deacons, their wives and families. He was always there when needed to celebrate a Mass, lead a prayer, coach and mentor. He left us a legacy of love and support.”

Deacon David Brencic, assistant director of the Office of the Diaconate, also was a friend and colleague of Father Ahlstrom. “He was really loved by the deacons and wives, and it was mutual,” Brencic said. “I remember him saying at several gatherings of deacons and wives, ‘My main job is to love you.’ He was a true shepherd and generous servant.”

Felician Sister Mary Alvina (La Verne) Gill, 93, died April 18 at Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended Sts. Peter and Paul School and St. Joseph High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1949 and professed her final vows in 1951.

She ministered for a brief time as an elementary school teacher in Illinois. She also served in the ministry of nursing at St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee and at St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia, and served as the assistant administrator at St. Andrew Life Center in Niles.

In her later years, she ministered in a variety of roles in the provincial house.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Wenceslaus (1951-1953), Sacred Heart (1953-1956), St. Joseph (1956-1957) and St. Andrew Life Center (1986-2014).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Elaine Ann Taylor, 84, died April 23 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Ohio, Sister Elaine made her first religious profession in 1961 and her perpetual profession of vows in 1967.

Her ministry was dedicated to teaching the arts. She ministered in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Elaine taught art at St. Thomas the Apostle School, art and religion at St. Benedict High School, and art at Trinity High School, River Forest.

She is survived by two sisters, Jane Kantowicz and Mary Taylor.

Little Sister of the Poor Genevieve of St. Margaret Mary (baptized Catherine Anne Roche), 82, died April 24 at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Palatine, where she lived since 2006. 

Born the sixth of 13 children in California, she was inspired by an older sister who entered the Little Sisters of the Poor. She made her first vows in 1963 and her final vows in 1967.

For most of her religious life, she was a “begging sister,” visiting produce markets, businesses, parishes and benefactors, where she spread her great devotion to St. Joseph knowing with confidence that God would provide for the needs of the home, the residents and Little Sisters.

She is survived by her sisters, Little Sister of the Poor Elisabeth Anne de Notre Dame, Alice Roche, Dorothy Kennedy and Barbara Hopkins.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Teresita (Helen Louise) Weind, 81, died April 28 in Cincinnati.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, to a Baptist family, Sister Teresita entered full community with the Catholic Church at the age of 12. She attended Catholic schools and met Catholic sisters, inspiring her to enter the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation in 1960. She made first vows in 1963 and final vows in 1968. She transferred her vows to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1973 and made her final commitment to the congregation in 1976.

She served two terms in the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur’s general leadership, and was the 19th superior general of the congregation.

Sister Teresita was also a founding member of the National Black Sisters Conference, where she served on the board and on many committees. She represented the NBSSC also on the board of the National Office of Black Catholics. She was also a leader in Women of Color, formed by SNDdeN General Government Group in the late 1980s, to promote anti-racism and cross-cultural efforts within the congregation.

She had also served in provincial leadership.

Sister Teresita earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing in North Dakota, and in 1972, a master’s degree in religious studies from Mundelein College. She ministered in Illinois, Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio.

She ministered in the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1970 to 1991. During those years, she moved from nursing to pastoral ministry and changed religious communities.

From 1973 to 1979, Sister Teresita was the director of liturgical formation for Black Parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago. She then joined the pastoral team at the recently merged St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Parish in Oak Park, while giving retreats and workshops across the country. She was also one of the founders of Mary’s Pence, a funding source for women who wish to create social change, start community initiatives and foster collaboration.

Benedictine Sister Mary (Mary Dennis) Collins, 88, died May 2 at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Atchison, Kansas.

Born in Chicago, Sister Mary entered the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas, in 1957 after graduating from Mount St. Scholastica College. She taught high school for several years before beginning her doctoral studies at the Catholic University of America. After earning a doctorate in liturgical theology, she taught religious studies at Benedictine College and the University of Kansas.

In 1967, she became associate professor of religious studies at the Catholic University of America and in 1983 became chair of the religion department. After a short period in North Carolina, she returned in 1987 to the Catholic University of America, where she taught until she was elected prioress of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in 1999. A significant figure in the broader world of Benedictine women, she was first councilor for the Federation of St. Scholastica for twelve years and a consultant or author for many of their documents.

Sister Mary was a member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and belonged to several professional theological organizations. She wrote, collaborated on, or edited a large number of articles and books on religion and liturgy for which she was widely known.

She is survived by her brother, John Collins.

Redemptorist Father Gan Minh Nguyen, 59, died April 14 at the rectory of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Church in Kansas City, Missouri.

Father Gan was born in Vietnam, one of 14 children. He was 11 years old when his family fled Vietnam and immigrated to the United States. They settled in Biloxi, Mississippi, where Father Gan became involved in the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement in grade school.

He completed high school and earned a degree in electronic engineering technology, but decided to pursue his call to priesthood.

He professed first his vows as a Redemptorist in 1993 and perpetual vows in 1997. During his years in formation, he served in parish and youth ministry at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Chicago, and in Baton Rouge.

He was ordained a priest in 1998 in Baton Rouge, served there, and later served at a parish in Houston.

Father Gan joined the Redemptorist Mission Team at Old St. Michael’s in 2008. He enjoyed traveling across the country to preach parish missions, always allowing time to visit family members and friends living throughout the United States. Two years later, he moved to the Liguori Mission House in Missouri. Although he remained attached to the community, he served five of the next six years as a military chaplain at White Sands Missile Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Father Gan then served again in Houston and in Liguori, moving to Kansas City last year.

Sister of the Living Word Vianney Moore, 89, died April 22 in Chicago.

Born in California, she moved to Chicago with her family when she was 14 years old and she attended St. Gregory High School before joining the Sisters of Christian Charity.

She taught elementary school in Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Arkansas. She later joined the Sisters of the Living Word, and ministered as a director of religious education in Louisiana and Mississippi.

She spent her last years living at the Resurrection Life Center.

Deacon Joseph Tony “Butch” Valdez, 68, died April 7. He was ordained in 2014 and served at St. Martha Parish, Morton Grove.

Deacon Valdez was an accountant.

He is survived by his siblings: Father Mario, a priest; Reuben; Daphne; and Grant.

Providence Sister Rosemary (Mary Luke) Eyler, 93, died March 30 at Providence Health Care in Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1949 and professed final vows in 1956. She earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and two master’s degrees from Indiana State University in education and administration.

She ministered in education for 57 years in Indiana, Illinois, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, before retiring in 2008.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Angela (1951-1956).

Sister Rosemary is survived by a brother, Thomas Eyler, and a sister, Margaret McCafferty.

Sister of Sts. Cyril and Methodius M. Jacqueline Ziobro, 93, died in Danville, Pennsylvania, on March 30.

She entered the Sisters of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in 1948 and professed vows in 1951.

Sister Jacqueline earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She taught kindergarten through eighth grade, was a math and reading tutor and was a librarian. Her ministry teaching took her to Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

After she retired, Sister Jacqueline loved to tell stories of years in ministry, especially about serving in Chicago and South Carolina.

Sister Jacqueline is survived by her sister, Gloria.

Sister of St. Joseph-Third Order of St. Francis Cecilia Zielen, 91, of Bartlett, died April 3.

From St. Fidelis Parish in Chicago, she was a member of the congregation for 73 years.

She taught biology, earth science and religious education in elementary and high schools in Illinois, helping her students participate in statewide science fairs before retiring to Clare Oaks, Bartlett.

School Sister of Notre Dame Claire Marie (Barbara Mary) Czerwiec, 85, died Dec. 23, 2023, at Christ Hospital, Oak Lawn.

Born in Chicago, she was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 65 years.

She served in Wisconsin and Illinois as an elementary school teacher, formation directress, pastoral associate, pastoral minister and counselor, in provincial leadership, and as a psychotherapist and spiritual director for more than 65 years.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Margaret of Scotland School, was a pastoral psychotherapist at the Institute for Living in Winnetka and was a pastoral counselor and spiritual director at St. Alexander Parish, Palos Heights

She is survived by her sisters Nancy Czerwiec and Carole Kuberski.

Little Sister of the Poor Clotilde de la Passion (Irene Mary Jardim), 83, died March 8 at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Palatine.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, she moved to Oakland, California, with her family. She became familiar with the Little Sisters of the Poor during her high school years by volunteering in their Marian Aides program.

She entered the Little Sisters of the Poor as a postulant shortly after graduating from high school, and made her first profession of vows in 1961. She made her final profession in 1965.

During her life as a Little Sister of the Poor, she completed studies in nursing and served as a nurse in several of their homes for the elderly, often as the director of nursing.

Sr. Clotilde is survived by her brother, George Jardim, and her sister, Judy Jardim.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Ellen (Marie Alphonse) Gevelinger, 80, died March 13 at her home in Madison, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, she made her first religious profession in 1963 and her perpetual profession in 1968. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest; a master’s degree in religious studies from Mundelein College; a master’s degree in educational administration from St. Xavier College (now Saint Xavier University); and a doctorate in education leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Sister Mary Ellen taught at Queen of Peace High School, Burbank; and Trinity High School, River Forest; was dean of students at St. Thomas the Apostle High School and Unity Catholic High School; and was executive assistant to the president at Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest. She also ministered in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and was vicaress (2000-2006) and then prioress (2011-2016) of the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Lois (Thomaselle) Carey, 93, died March 19 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Mary Lois made her first religious profession in 1951 and her perpetual profession of vows in 1954. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest; a master’s degree in education and elementary administration from Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa; and a master’s degree in applied theology from the School of Applied Theology, Berkley, California.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Sabina. She taught and was a principal at other schools in Illinois and in New York, Iowa and California.

She also ministered in Michigan and Washington.

She is survived by a brother, Mark Carey.

Father Terrence A. McCarthy, 85, died Feb. 24. He was pastor emeritus of Immaculate Conception Parish in Highland Park, now Christ Our Hope Parish.

Born in Calumet City, Father McCarthy attended Mendel Catholic High School and Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the army’s security agency from 1965 to 1967, before entering the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

He was ordained in 1974.

Father McCarthy served as associate pastor of St. James, Highwood; and St. Marcelline, Schaumburg. He served as pastor of St. Anastasia Parish, Waukegan; and Immaculate Conception before being named pastor emeritus in 2008.

Father John Hurley, a classmate, said Father McCarthy was the oldest of his class. “He was well loved in all the parishes he served and was respected by all priests,” Hurley said. “He was known as a man of prayer and a powerful example, a man of inspiration.”

Father. Daniel R. Fallon, 74, died March 9. He was the former pastor of St. Cornelius Parish, now St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish.

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1976. He also earned a master of divinity degree at DePaul University.

Father Fallon was assistant pastor of St. Isaac Jogues, Niles, and associate pastor of St. Pascal, St. William and Our Lady, Mother of the Church, where he also served as pastor from 1996 to 2008. He was then pastor of St. Cornelius, where he served until his retirement in 2020.

Father Kenneth Fleck, former pastor of St. George, Tinley Park, remembered his classmate as a beacon of devotion to his parishioners. “With a quiet but serious demeanor, he served those entrusted to his care,” Fleck said. “His sermons were heartfelt reflections on our faith and their relevance to everyday life. He saw his priesthood as a vocation, not a job. In so doing, he touched countless lives leaving behind a legacy of compassion, kindness and faith.”

Deacon Patrick Pierce Sheehan, 82, died Feb. 26. He was ordained in 2000 and ministered at St. James Parish, Arlington Heights, where he was an active member for more than 50 years.

Deacon Sheehan was born in Chicago and was a Chicago Public School teacher for more than 20 years, and he also worked for the Mount Prospect Park District for more than 25 years.

He enjoyed golf and was a member of the St. James Men’s Twilight League, as well as being a member of the Knights of Columbus Holy Rosary Council.

Deacon Sheehan is survived by his wife Margaret Sheehan; his daughters Rose Ann, Nancy and Margi Sheehan; and his grandchildren.

Divine Word Father Dennis Flynn, 90, died Feb. 25 in Techny. He was a missionary to the Philippines, where he was born, for 40 years.

His father died during the 1942 Bataan Death March, in which Japanese soldiers forced Filipino and American prisoners to walk 65 miles in torturous conditions. Before his death, his American father wrote to his Filipino mother, telling her that if something happened to him that he wanted their four children to be raised in the United States.

His mother was able to move the family to Portland, Oregon, in 1948, and then to New Jersey to be closer to their father’s family.

Father Flynn professed vows in 1954 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1961.

Tagalog was his first language, so his assignment to the Philippines was a natural choice. For the first 20 years of his priesthood, Father Flynn provided pastoral care for the indigenous Mangyan people in Mindoro in the Central Philippines.

In the early 1980s, Father Flynn worked with the indigenous population of Australia before being transferred back to the United States. He returned to the Philippines for the last 20 years of his missionary ministry before retiring to Techny in 2020.