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.