Adrian Dominican Sister Grace (Susan Angela) Gianella, 80, died Jan. 13 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 61st year of her religious life.

Sister Grace ministered in elementary education, as a pastoral associate and in administration in Illinois, California and Colorado.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita (1962-1967) and Saint Maria Del Popolo, Mundelein (1967-1971).

She is survived by her brother, Michael Gianella.

Adrian Dominican Sister Anna Mae (Neal Joseph) Kelly, 88, died Jan. 13 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from St. Thomas the Apostle High School. She was in the 69th year of her religious life.

She ministered in elementary education and as a chaplain in Michigan and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mary Star of the Sea (1970-1972), St. Mary of Mount Carmel (1972-1975) and St. Clare of Montefalco (1975-1976); was a tutor at Alexander Smith (1977); directed the learning center at Blessed Agnes (1977-1984); taught at St. David (1984-1985), Bridgeport Catholic Academy (1985-1986), St. Gall (1986-1987), Providence of God (1987-1988), St. Casmir (1988-1989), Epiphany (1995-1997), and St. Benedict, Blue Island (1997-1998); and was a preschool teacher at St. Ailbe (1998-2002).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Maria (Maria Goretti) Oppriecht, 91, died Feb. 26 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin. Born in Wisconsin, Sister Maria made her first religious profession in 1951 and her perpetual profession in 1954.

She was a teacher, school guidance counselor, pastoral minister and Reiki practitioner in South Dakota, Oklahoma, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Maria taught at Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity, Winnetka (1956-1961), and St. Thomas of Villanova, Palatine (1967-1969).

School Sister of Notre Dame Dorothy Kunze, 90, died March 2 at Maple Glen Memory Care Center in Glen Ellyn.

Born in Chicago, she was a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 70 years.

She served as an elementary school teacher and administrator in Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois and was on the province staff as secretary, office manager, finance bookkeeper and transportation coordinator.

Father Thomas J. Mescall, 74, died Feb. 1. He was the former pastor of St. Adrian Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Mescall attended St. Leo School and Leo High School. He went on to the University of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and graduated in 1973 from the John Marshall Law School, now known as University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

Prior to entering the seminary, Father Mescall practiced law in Albuquerque until 2000, serving as a judge for 17 years in municipal, district and probate courts. He married and had two children, and after his divorce, his marriage was nullified.

Father Mescall always felt a pull toward priesthood and in 2000, he entered the Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2004.

Father Mescall served the Archdiocese of Chicago as associate pastor of St. Terrence Parish, Alsip, and St. Denis Parish. He was also chaplain of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago and served as pastor at St. Adrian Parish until he retired in 2018.

He is survived by his son, Thomas J. Mescall II; his daughter, Regina Ann Mescall; four grandchildren; his brother, James Mescall; and his dear and faithful friend, Mary Molina Mescall.

Deacon James Patrick Nimietz, 90, died Jan. 28. He served at St. Benedict (Irving Park Road) and St. John of the Cross, Streamwood.

He is survived by his children Kathleen Colwell, Thomas Nimietz, Michael Nimietz and Gregory Nimietz; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his brother Robert Nimietz.

His wife, Mary Ann, predeceased him.

Viatorian Father John Milton, 92, died Jan. 24 at Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights. He was a Viatorian priest for 65 years and founding faculty member of St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights.

Born in Chicago, he graduated high school from Fournier Institute of Technology in Lemont. He was among the first group of brothers to profess vows at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights after it opened in 1952, and he was ordained a priest in 1957.

He taught in Springfield, Peoria and Kankakee, as well as at St. Viator High School (1963-1965, 1968-1986).

He served as director of novices from 1986 to 1991, and taught part-time at DePaul University in 1987. He became a full-time professor at DePaul in 1991 and taught until 2010, when he was awarded the Via Sapientiae Award, the university’s highest faculty-staff honor.

Father Milton retired to the Viatorian Province Center residence in Arlington Heights, and was a weekend celebrant at St. Zachary Parish, Des Plaines, and served as a consultant to the physics program at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, Waukegan, where he helped establish the Advanced Placement science programs.

He is survived by his brother, George Milton.

Sister Loretta (Mary Nathan) Zemaitis, 99, died Jan. 26 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, Sister Loretta made her first religious profession in 1945 and her perpetual profession in 1948. She was a teacher and tutor, served in adult faith formation and was a director of religious education and pastoral minister in Wisconsin, Illinois, the District of Columbia, Montana, Texas, Wyoming, South Carolina and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Loretta taught at Visitation (1958-1962), provided food and clothing for those in need at St. Basil Parish (1983-1984), and taught adult religious education and worked with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program at Parish Cooperative of South Chicago (St. Mary Magdalene Parish and Immaculate Conception Parish) (1984-1990).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister LaDonna (Albertino) Jeno, 90, died Jan. 28 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Minnesota, Sister LaDonna made her first religious profession in 1952 and her perpetual profession in 1955. She taught, was a cook and served as support staff and an educational aide in Illinois, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, Minnesota and Alabama.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister LaDonna taught at Epiphany (1952-1954) and Immaculate Conception, Waukegan (1960-1962). She served as cook at Trinity Convent, River Forest (1958-1959).

Edmund Rice Christian Brother Robert Liguori May, 87, died Jan. 30.

Brother Robert attended St. Sabina School and Leo High School before joining the Christian Brothers in 1952.

He taught in New York before returning to the Chicago area. He taught at Brother Rice High School and St. Laurence High School, Burbank, Illinois, where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Brother Robert founded the remedial reading programs at both Brother Rice and St. Laurence, and was active in parents’ clubs and served as band moderator and on school advisory boards. He also served as novice master for his community for seven years.

After retiring in 2005, Brother Robert moved into Marian Village retirement home in Homer Glen, and served on the Resident Council Board, was a sacristan and eucharistic minister, helped in the deli and called bingo and ran other games.

Providence Sister Mary Ann (Robert Ann) Lechner, 92, died Feb. 1 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1947 and professed final voes in 1954. 

She ministered as teacher in Indiana and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mel (1949-1954).

Sister Mary Ann is survived by two sisters, Elizabeth Bormann and Eileen Lauka.

Benedictine Sister Barbara (Mary Justin) McCarry, 82, died Feb. 2 in St. Joseph Court Infirmary.

Born in Chicago, Sister Barbara attended St. Anthony de Padua Parish and Maria High School. She professed triennial vows in 1964 and made her final profession of vows in 1968.

Sister Barbara taught English for a Chicago public high school (1961-1962), then taught at St. Scholastica Academy (1964-1965, 1968-1974), Queen of All Saints (1966-1967, 1977-1978) and St. Hilary (1967-1968) and then served as curriculum director at St. Scholastica (1974-1977). She returned to Queen of All Saints as principal from 1978 to 1993.

Sister Barbara then trained and served as a probation officer in Chicago at the Juvenile Court Building, with outreach to detention centers in St. Charles and Warrenville. She later returned as a curriculum consultant for the Chicago Board of Education. In 2008, Sister Barbara served as a consultant for UNO Charter Schools.

From 2012 to 2022, Sister Barbara lived a life of prayer.

Sister Theresa (M. Edmundine) Lesnak, 93, died Jan. 13 in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she made her first profession of vows in 1948 and her final profession in 1954.

Beginning in 1950, Sister Theresa ministered in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Nebraska for more than seven decades.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Theresa taught at St. Mary School, Buffalo Grove (1974-1975); was an administrative secretary for Smoler Brothers (1975-1980); taught at Madonna High School (1980-1994); was a secretary for the FD Services Data Base (1994-1995); taught at St. Benedict High School (1995-1998); was an instructor at Wright College (1998-2005); and was bookkeeper for St. Priscilla Convent (2005-2007).

In retirement, Sister Theresa was a volunteer at St. Joseph Convent in Campbellsport, Wisconsin (2007-2014), and served in the ministry of prayer and presence at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee (2014-2015), and at Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Greenfield from 2015 until the time of her death. 

Basilian Father John Fiore, 92, died Jan. 15 at the Albertine Home in Hammond, Indiana.

He was born in Toronto and was ordained at St. Basil Church there in 1957. He came to Chicago to earn a doctorate in musicology from the University of Chicago.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, he assisted at Little Flower, St. David, and for more than 30 years at St. Catherine of Alexandria, Oak Lawn.

Sister Joan (James Irene) Redden, BVM, 92, died Jan. 15 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Chicago, she entered the BVM congregation in 1947 from St. Francis of Rome Parish, Cicero. She professed first vows in 1950 and final vows in 1955.

Sister Joan ministered in Iowa, Illinois and Washington. In Illinois, she taught elementary school in Cicero and high school in Waukegan and Lake Forest. She also was a teacher assistant in North Chicago and an assistant apartment manager in Waukegan.

Redemptorist Father Richard Thibodeau, 72, the first provincial superior of the Redemptorist Denver Province, died Jan. 16 of COVID-19-related pneumonia in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. An exceptional administrator blessed with a sensitivity to navigate difficult issues, Father Richard served in leadership positions throughout his 44 years as a Redemptorist missionary.

Born in Milwaukee, Father Richard felt called to the priesthood in elementary school. He professed temporary vows in 1970 and perpetual vows in 1973. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1976.

Father Richard ministered in Redemptorist formation programs, as marketing director and president of Liguori Publications; as a local community rector and provincial consultor; and as vicar of the Villa Redeemer community in Glenview.

When two provinces merged to form the Denver Province in 1996, he was elected superior and served three terms, until 2005.

He then was pastor of St. Michael Parish (Cleveland Avenue) 2005 until 2011, before serving as a pastor in New Orleans before being appointed director of the Redemptorist Retreat Center in Oconomowoc in 2019.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Barbara (Walthier) Bell, 90, died Jan. 17 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Barbara made her first religious profession in 1951 and her perpetual profession in 1954. She was a teacher, director of religious education, bookkeeper and pastoral administrator in Minnesota, Indiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Illinois and Montana.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Barbara served as director of religious education at St. Thomas of Villanova, Palatine (1973-1975), and Visitation Parish (1975-1976), where she also taught in the school.

Father John J. Nicola, 92, died Jan. 3. He was the former assistant pastor of St. Cecilia Parish (Wells Street) and St. James Parish, Arlington Heights.

Born in Evanston, Father Nicola attended St. Thomas of Canterbury School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1955.

He also earned a doctorate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.

Father Nicola was assistant pastor of St. James Parish and St. Cecilia and taught at Quigley Preparatory Seminary for 10 years before moving to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., to serve as the assistant director of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. After that assignment, he taught at Georgetown Prep in Maryland and other Catholic high schools.

Deacon Timothy Donovan, 82, died Dec. 16, 2021, in Arizona. He was ordained in 1993 and served at Old St. Mary and Holy Rosary parishes.

Born in Chicago, he worked as an auditor for the federal government, according to his wife of 52 years, Noreen Donovan. Deacon Donovan loved to read and take walks near the couple’s retirement home in Arizona.

He entered diaconate formation when their children were in high school, and as a deacon, he especially liked doing marriage preparation for couples in which one of the partners was not Catholic.

“A couple of years later they’d be back for baptism preparation, and they would ask for him,” Noreen Donovan said.

Deacon Donovan is survived by his wife, his children Tim and Sharyn, and four grandchildren.

Deacon José Mendoza, 81, died Jan. 5 in Kentucky. He was ordained in 1995 and ministered at St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish for five years.

He moved first to the Diocese of Joliet before living in McAllen, Texas, and then Elizabeth, Kentucky.

He is survived by his wife, Grace Jasso Mendoza; his children Mark A. Mendoza, Jaime A. Mendoza and Georgiana T. Mendoza Bulanda; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; his sisters Carmen Mendoza, Martina Morales and Teresa Mendoza; and his brothers Amado Mendoza, Antonio Mendoza and Martin Mendoza.

Adrian Dominican Sister Lucy Ann (Florence Maurice) Quinn, 89, died Dec. 17, 2021.

Born in Detroit, she was in her 70th year of religious profession.

Sister Lucy Ann ministered in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Clare of Montefalco.

Felician Sister Mary Claude (Helen) Szyperski, 89, died Dec. 22, 2021, in Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended Good Shepherd Grade School and Good Counsel High School. After high school, she worked for a number years at the Prudential Insurance Company. She entered the Felician Sisters’ postulancy in 1960 and professed her final vows in 1967. 

She was primarily engaged in ministry to the aged, serving at St. Mary Home for the Aged in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, mainly as an administrator, for nearly 40 years.

Later, she served in senior ministry in the Mother of Good Counsel Convent.

Adrian Dominican Sister Ann Patrice (Lucille Judith) Remkus, 93, died Dec. 24, 2021, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Rockford, she was in the 74th year of her religious profession.

Sister Ann Patrice ministered in education, pastoral and office ministry in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, California and Arizona.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Laurence (1953-1955); Aquinas High School (1963-1967); and Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1968-1971). She worked at St. Mary, Star of the Sea (1979-1981); was a development assistant at Regina Dominican (1981-1986); was a pastoral associate at Our Lady of Charity, Cicero (1987-1993); and was secretary to the director of religious education at St. Victor, Calumet City (1995-1998).

Adrian Dominican Sister Anne (Joseph Anthony) Beauvais, 88, died Dec. 25, 2021, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Libertyville, she was in the 69th year of her religious profession.

Sister Anne ministered in Michigan, Illinois and Nevada.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Joseph, Homewood (1953-1956), and St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1960-1962). She was principal of Ascension, Harvey (1966-1975); taught junior high at St. Clare of Montefalco (1975-1976); and was administrative secretary at St. Cyprian School, River Grove (1988-1991). She was a receptionist in pastoral care (1992-2002) and a chaplain at Mercy Hospital (2002-2013) before retiring.

She is survived by her sister, Cecile Harris, and her brother, Father David E. Beauvais.

Adrian Dominican Sister Loretta (Ann Elizabeth) May, 88, died Jan. 3 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Michigan, she was in the 71st year of her religious profession.

Sister Loretta ministered in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita (1954-1955) and St. Philip Neri (1955-1957).

Sister of the Living Word Jean C. Krieter, 88, died Nov. 28, 2021.

Born in Evanston, Sister Jean attended St. Gregory and entered the Sisters of Christian Charity after high school. She received her bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and later went on to complete two master’s degrees.

Sister Jean taught elementary school in Iowa and Illinois, becoming a teacher in the Chicago archdiocesan deaf school program and an instructor of deaf education at Loyola and DePaul universities. She was dean of students and a teacher at Josephinum High School.

In the 1960s she was instrumental in the renewal of her province according to the Second Vatican Council direction. She later was a founding member of the Sisters of the Living Word and served as coordinator of community development. In her later years of ministry, she was head teacher for the Infant Welfare Society’s teen baby nursery in Evanston and ministered at the House of the Good Shepherd in Chicago.

Sister Jean is survived by her sister, Marion Radzik.

Sister Winifred Mary Sullivan, 94, died Dec. 3, 2021, in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, Sister Winifred entered the Sisters of Providence in 1945 and professed final vows in 1953. In her 76 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered for 45 years as a teacher in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and Missouri, serving as principal for seven of those years.  Retiring in 1993, she continued there as a tutor and volunteer. In 2008, she moved to the motherhouse.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Andrew (1948-1950) and Immaculate Conception (1953-1958).

She is survived by a sister, Rita Paitson.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Regina Callahan, 93, died Dec. 5, 2021, in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she made her first religious profession in 1955 and her perpetual profession in 1958. She was a teacher, principal and support staff member in Wisconsin, New York, Illinois and Iowa.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Regina taught at St. Sabina (1965-1969); was principal at St. Louis de Montfort, Oak Lawn (1970-1977) and St. Barnabas (1982-1988); and served as administrative assistant at St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School, Lemont (1988-1996). She served the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation as Southwest Province secretary while living in Oak Lawn (1970-1977).

She is survived by two sisters, Helen Buck and Dorothy Muscia.

Sister Ann Stephen (Judy Marie) Stouffer, 82, died Dec. 9, 2021, in Clinton, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1960 and professed final vows in 1967.  Of her 62 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 44 years in Indiana, Illinois, and California. In 2008, she returned to the Motherhouse to serve as administrator of Providence Hall. In 2019, she committed herself totally to the ministry of prayer.    

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Angela (1964-1966).

She is survived two brothers, Stephen and John Stouffer.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Marie Malachy Griffin, 82, died Dec. 10, 2021, in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Oak Park, she made her first religious profession in 1961 and her perpetual profession in 1966. She taught for 15 years and was principal for six years before she served as campus minister for 26 years, ministering in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Texas.