Father Francis L. Schouten, 96, died Nov. 7. He was a former member of the Society of the Divine Word and the former associate pastor of St. Eugene Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Schouten attended St. Willibrord School; Divine Word Seminary in East Troy, Wisconsin; and Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, before continuing his studies in philosophy and theology in Techny, the  North American headquarters of the Divine Word Missionaries, where he was ordained in 1955.

For the first half of his priestly life, Schouten was a member of the Society of the Divine Word who ministered for years as a missionary in Ghana after being assigned there in 1956. He served as a parish priest, built schools and churches and taught at a secondary school outside Accra, the capital.

When his health declined, he returned to Chicago and assisted at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Evergreen Park for several years.

“Father Schouten was well regarded by the people of Most Holy Redeemer,” said Father Michael G. Foley, vicar for priests. “He was a gentle soul.”

Schouten decided to become a diocesan priest and was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Chicago with the blessing of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in 1990. He served as associate pastor at St. Eugene Parish until he retired in 1999.

After retirement, Schouten continued to assist at Most Holy Redeemer until 2020.