Divine Word Brother Joachim (Marion) Brignac, 88, died March 29. He was one of the Society of the Divine Word’s first missionaries of Cajun descent.

Born in New Orleans, Brother Joachim was inspired to a life of service by his mother, a public health nurse. After high school, he worked as an adagio dancer, but that career was cut short by a motorcycle accident. He entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1953 and professed vows six years later.

He served as a maintenance engineer in Louisiana for 14 years before being assigned to the Chicago Province in 1979, where he maintained the buildings and property at the Divine World Theologate in Chicago and the Divine Word residence in Bordentown, New Jersey.

One of his lasting accomplishments is the stage in the gym at Elizabeth School in Bronzeville. The project took him four weeks to build and gave countless numbers of students and teachers satisfaction.

In 2003, he was reassigned to the Southern Province and moved to Bay St. Louis, but in 2005, Hurricane Katrina damaged the Divine Word properties in Bay St. Louis and retired residents, including Brother Joachim, were sent to Techny.

Providence Sister Marceline (Elizabeth) Mattingly, 106, died April 24 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Born in Kentucky, Sister Marceline entered the Sisters of Providence in 1933 and professed final vows in 1941. She was a teacher, pastoral associate and activity director at the motherhouse, and she served Indiana, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Francis Xavier, Wilmette (1935-1938); St. Genevieve (1946-1948); St. Andrew (1948-1949), St. Leo (1949-1953); Providence High School (1955-1956). 

Sister Marceline is survived by a brother, Jerry Mattingly.

Providence Sister Joan (Ignatius) Matthews, 93, died April 25 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Ohio, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1947 and professed final vows on in 1955. She taught music in elementary and high schools in Illinois; Indiana; Maryland; Washington, D.C.; California; and Massachusetts, and she taught music to children with special needs. In 2003, Sister Joan returned to the motherhouse and offered music opportunities to the sisters, with a specialty of sing-alongs. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mel (1950-1952); St. Francis Xavier, Wilmette (1955); and Immaculate Conception (Talcott Avenue, 1955-1959).

Redemptorist Brother Thomas Wright, 76, died April 25 in California. He served as treasurer of both Liguori Publications and the Redemptorists’ Denver Province. He was known for his financial expertise and strict adherence to proper protocols. He served his confreres with efficiency and generosity for 51 years.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Michael School (Cleveland Avenue). As a young man, he worked as an assistant to Brother Columban at the parish and was inspired to enter the Redemptorist Brothers School at Pine City. He was assigned to assist in the kitchen. He became an accomplished cook, much to the delight of his confreres.

He professed initial vows in 1966 and perpetual vows in 1971, when he began his lengthy ministry in the financial arena.

He ministered in Chicago, Wisconsin, New York and Missouri, where he was treasurer of Liguori Publications at Liguori Mission House from 1984 until 1995. He was appointed assistant treasurer of the former St. Louis Province in Glenview in 1995. When the Denver Province was formed in 1996, he remained in the Office of Financial Services and relocated to Denver, where he was named administrator of the local community. He was appointed treasurer of the Denver Province in 2002, a position he retained until 2007.

Adrian Dominican Sister Cyrilla (Mary Eileen) Zarek, 93, died April 27 in Adrian, Michigan. 

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Sts. Peter and Paul High School. She was in the 75th year of her religious profession: over 22 years in the Nashville Dominican Congregation and in her 51st year with the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Cyrilla ministered in education, as a nursing assistant, pastoral associate, director of pastoral education, pastoral minister/theology reflector, hospital chaplain and director of pastoral care in Tennessee, Illinois, Virginia and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Infant Jesus of Prague, Flossmoor (1970-1972); was a nurse aide at Applewood Nursing Home, Matteson (1971-1972); was a pastoral associate (1973-1976) and director of pastoral education (1976-1978) at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center; was a pastoral associate at Nativity of Our Lord (1981-1983) and was a chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital (1997-1999) and Loyola Medical Center, Maywood (1999-2006, 2007-2011).