Providence Sister Mary Cecile (Mary Bernadette) Grojean, 87, died on Feb. 13 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, Sister Mary Cecile entered the Sisters of Providence in 1950 and professed final vows in 1957. She ministered as a music teacher for 39 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and California. In 2002, she returned to the motherhouse where she gave service to her sisters as switchboard operator and driver.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Leo (1957-1963); St. Andrew (1970-1980); and St. Agnes (1980-1987); and taught (1987-1990) and was secretary (1992-1993) at Jesus our Brother School.

Felician Sister Mary Eulodia (Rose) Gramczak, 90, died on Feb. 14 at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Joseph Elementary School and St. Joseph High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1947 and professed her final vows in 1955. She ministered in Chicago on the elementary school, high school and college levels. She served at Good Counsel High School and St. Joseph High School in Chicago as a counselor for 15 years and worked at Felician College/Montay College for 20 years.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. John of God (1949-1951), St. Helen (1951-1956), Good Counsel High School (1956-1957), (1962-1971), St. Joseph High School (1957-1962), and Felician College/Montay College (1975-1995).

Benedictine Sister Agnes (Lois Mae) Kelly, 94, died Feb. 17 at St. Francis Hospital, Evanston.

Born in Evanston, she attended St. Scholastica High School and entered the community as a postulant in 1942 and professed her final vows in 1947. She taught at the elementary and high school level in math, social studies and music. Sister Agnes also directed freshman chorus, the Glee Club and taught private voice lessons. She served in Colorado and in Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Agnes taught at Queen of All Saints (1944-1950), (1952-1956); St. Scholastica High School (1963-2012).

She also taught in Colorado.

Mercy Sister Mary Jonella Bohmann, 86, died Feb. 18.

Born in Wisconsin, she graduated from Mercy High School in Milwaukee in 1950 and entered the Sisters of Mercy in Des Plaines the following year.

Sister Jonella taught at Catholic high schools and elementary schools across the Archdiocese of Chicago for 20 years before moving to the collegiate level and teaching English at Saint Xavier College (now University) from 1973 until 1980.

She later ministered in the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, and became involved in the National Catholic Educational Association. She returned to Wisconsin, where she directed a transitional housing program for young women and was a college instructor before retiring.

She moved to Mercy Circle in 2014.

Viatorian Brother Dale Barth, 75, died Feb. 21 at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Brother Barth pronounced first vows in 1963 in Arlington Heights and was ordained a permanent deacon in 2003 by Bishop Joseph Imesch in Joliet, Illinois.

For 23 years he was assigned to St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, where he served as director of maintenance (1967-1990). For the next six years, he worked in the provincial treasurer’s office at the Viatorian Province Center, Arlington Heights. He served as pastoral associate at St. Viator Parish in Chicago (2005-2008), before retiring to the Viatorian Province Center retirement residence in 2008.

Deacon James “Jimmie” Flewellen, 92, died Jan. 31. He was a member of the first class of permanent deacons ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1972, and he ministered at St. Thaddeus Parish.

He was born in Columbus, Georgia, and met his late wife, Isabelle, in high school. They married before he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945.

After leaving the Army, he moved his family first to Saginaw, Michigan, and then to Chicago, where he helped build St. Thaddeus church and school, helped start the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the African-American community, and was active in other community efforts.

In 1960, he and his wife were baptized into the Catholic Church, and in 1970, he began formation as a deacon. He later worked as a federal prison chaplain, serving in Springfield, Missouri from 1985 to 1993, when he returned home to serve at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.

He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago, taught in the archdiocese’s diaconate formation program, was a chaplain to the Knights of St. Peter Claver and received the Augustus Tolton Award from the Office of Black Catholics.

He is survived by his son, Jimmie Flewellen Jr.

Deacon Jose Uroza-Suarez, 86, died Feb. 3. He was ordained in 1977 and served at St. Angela Parish.

Deacon Uroza-Suarez was a Korean War Army veteran.

He is survived by his wife, Ofelina; his children Jose Uroza Jr. and Sandra Feliciano; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and his siblings, Clement, Juanita and Monse.

Holy Family of Nazareth Sister M. Hilary (Stephanie) Dyrcz, 99, died Jan. 19 in Des Plaines.

Born in Harvey, she entered religious life in 1934. With multiple degrees in French, education and psychology, she taught at St. Hyacinth, St. Ladislaus, Holy Trinity and Holy Family Academy in Chicago and at De Lourdes College in Des Plaines. 

Beginning in 1983, she served nine years in Rome as assistant general superior for the congregation. Upon completion of her term, she ministered at Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines as the director of volunteers and as the receptionist at the front desk. In 2003, she retired from active ministry.

She was also a participant in Rush University’s Religious Orders Study. In her last act of service, when she died her brain was taken to Rush Medical Center to further advance research into Alzheimer’s disease.

Felician Sister Mary Virginette (Lillian) Reczek, 96, died Jan. 19 in Our Lady of the Angels Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended Holy Trinity School and Good Counsel High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1941 and professed her final vows in 1949. She ministered as a teacher in various elementary schools in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

After attending a program of studies at the Deaf Institute, she worked for 13 years with hearing-impaired people in a number of schools in the archdiocese. She served as a clinician and later as  the director of the Felician College Psychoeducation Center.

She was in provincial leadership for six years followed by work in behavioral medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia, Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. John of God (1941-1942), Holy Innocents (1943-1944), St. James (1944-1946, 1964-1965), St. Bronislava (1946-1948), St. Helen (1951-1954), St. Hedwig Orphanage (1954-1960), St. Joseph School (1960-1962), and St. Frances DePaul School for the Deaf (1962-1973) and Felician College (1973-1987).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Alyce (Stellan) Kelly, 88, died Jan. 24 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she made her first religious profession in 1953 and her perpetual profession in 1956. She taught, served as director of religious education and was a pastoral associate and parish administrator for 18 years. Sister Alyce served in Wisconsin, Illinois and Hawaii.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Alyce taught at Immaculate Conception (1969-1970), where she also coordinated the religious curriculum.

She is survived by her sister, Providence Sister Kathleen Kelly.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Patricia (Jarett) Henschel, 88, died Jan. 24 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Milwaukee, she made her first religious profession in 1951 and her perpetual profession in 1954. She taught at the elementary, middle and collegiate levels for 28 years and served in educational administration for 20 years.

She served in Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and California.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Pat taught at St. Sabina (1958-1966) and Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest (1977-1987, 1988-1989). She was principal at St. Edmund, Oak Park (1972-1975).

Comboni Father Robert Kleiner, 74, died Feb. 2.

Born in Cincinnati, he attended the Comboni high school seminary. After completing his novitiate and college studies, he was ordained a priest in 1971, two months before he was sent to Peru.

He remained there for three years, returned to the United States because of health problems and then was sent to minister at a high school seminary in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico from 1976 to 1982.

After a stint in California, he came to the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1991 to minister at St. Donatus, Blue Island, and Seven Holy Founders, Calumet Park. He remained in the archdiocese until 2002.

Sister of the Holy Child Jesus Loretta Tiernan, 80, died Feb. 5.

Born and raised in Waukegan, she attended Holy Child High School, where she first met the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus. She entered the society in 1956 and became well-known by the religious name Mother Mary Clarice. She made her final vows in 1964.

Sister Loretta returned to the Archdiocese of Chicago to teach at St. Veronica (1959-1963); St. Ignatius (1963-1965); and St. Anastasia, Waukegan (1965-1967).

In 1979, Sister Loretta returned to Waukegan, where she became a minster at Victory Hospital, then served as a pastoral associate and minister of care at St. Joseph and St. Bartholomew Parish. The scope of her ministry grew as the parishes consolidated.

Sister Loretta is survived by her sister, Mary Ann Grazier.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Marise Barry, 87, died Feb. 6, in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, Sister Marise made her first religious profession in 1951 and her perpetual profession in 1954.

She taught, served as a principal, was in congregation leadership worked in the social service field.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Marise taught at Immaculate Conception (1968-1970) and served as provincial for the Eastern Province of the Sinsinawa Dominicans while living in River Forest (1992-1998).

Jesuit Father Philip J. Grib, 80, died on Feb. 8 at Resurrection Hospital.

Born in Chicago, he graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep and earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin, Greek and philosophy from Xavier University in Cincinnati, followed by a law degree from the University of Chicago before entering the Society of Jesus in 1964.

During his Jesuit formation, he taught U.S. history and English at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, and worked in campus ministry Loyola University Chicago following his ordination in 1972. He went on to teach law and moral theology at Loyola University for 11 years and served as chaplain in the school of law.

After a sabbatical, Father Grib moved completely into pastoral ministry. He was an associate pastor at St. Constance Parish (1996-1999). In 1999, he moved to St. Eugene Parish in Chicago, where he served until his death.

Father Grib was a musician and clarinet player. For a while, Father Grib served as the chaplain for the International Polka Society.

Divine Word Brother Wayne Till, 85, died at Techny on Feb. 8.

Born in Iowa, Brother Wayne entered formation with the Society of the Divine Word after graduating from high school in 1951.

While in formation at Techny, he worked as an assistant in the Techny Mission Gardens.

In 1960, Brother Wayne professed vows and was assigned to the congregation’s dairy farm in Kellyville, Australia.

After 10 years in Australia, Brother Wayne was assigned as a mechanic in Wewak, Papua New Guinea, where he also served as bursar for Holy Spirit Seminary in Port Moresby.

Having fulfilled 28 years of missionary service in Papua New Guinea, Brother Wayne returned to the United States in 1998. He moved to Techny in late 2018.

BVM Sister Patricia O’Rourke, 90, died Feb. 11 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Chicago, she entered the BVM congregation in 1950, from St. Eulalia Parish, Maywood.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Patricia taught at St. Tarcissus, St. Eugene and Holy Name and was an adult learning skills teacher for the City Colleges of Chicago. She was also a principal and teacher in Cedar Rapids and Clinton, Iowa.

Jesuit Father Daniel L. Flaherty, 89, died Feb. 13 in Michigan.

Born in Chicago, Father Flaherty, known as “Flax,” graduated from St. Ignatius High School before entering the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus in 1947. He was ordained a priest in 1960 and took final vows in 1965.

After moving back to Chicago in 1971, he was executive editor of Loyola University Press and the first editor/publisher of the National Jesuit News (1971-1973) and provincial of the Chicago Province (1973-1979).  During his provincialate, he was a delegate at General Congregation 32 (1974-1975). 

In 1979, he returned to Loyola University Press, where he was associate director (1979-1981) and director (1981-1989). He then spent 20 years as treasurer of the Chicago Province (1989-2009). 

In addition to working in the province office, he was the acting superior of the Jesuit community at Canisius House (2003-2011). He moved to Colombiere Center in Michigan in 2011.

Deacon John Dulen, 92, died Jan. 20. He was a member of the first class of permanent deacons ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1972. He ministered at St. John Brebeuf in Niles.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; children Michael Dulen, Maureen Dulen, Mary Beth Benson, Eileen Jennings, Kathleen Dulen, Jacqueline Dulen, Patrick Dulen and Annmarie Dulen; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Janet (Ann Raymond) Hughes, 88, died Jan. 17.

Raised in Villa Park, Illinois, Sister Janet worked in Chicago as a stenographer for five years after high school before discerning a vocation to religious life. She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1955.

For nearly 20 years, Sister Janet served students and their families as a teacher at schools in Ohio and Illinois. After the Second Vatican Council, she chose to serve God in another way and began work as a secretary in Chicago for the next 30 years. In parishes where she worshipped, she served on liturgy and worship commissions, in the choir and as an extraordinary minister of Communion. For many years Janet was also part of a small faith community, where she was involved in preparing meals for the homeless.