Divine Word Brother Patrick Hegarty, 97, who helped to make Ireland’s The Word one of the country’s most successful magazines, died on May 28.

Born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1921, he was the eldest of six brothers. After finishing school, he worked as an apprentice at a general store in Kilsallagh, Galway, before joining the Society of the Divine Word at St. Patrick’s College, Donamon Castle, Roscommon, in 1944. 

Brother Patrick worked in Great Britain during the 1950s, at Divine Word College in Rome in the early 1960s and in the United States thereafter. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, he sold greeting cards and The Word magazine; in the U.S., he sold altar wine produced at a Divine Word winery.

In 2006 at age 85, Brother Patrick moved to Bordentown, New Jersey, to retire. Fluent in German, Italian and Spanish, he volunteered at the Trenton Diocesan Office for Migrants and Refugees in Perth Ambry, New Jersey. While there, he helped hundreds of immigrants from South and Central America navigate the immigration system. 

He moved to Techny in 2009.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Leopold Kaufmann, 95, died May 29 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, she made her first religious profession in 1942 and her final profession in 1945. She taught elementary students for 40 years and served as finance officer for 13 years, secretary to the prioress of the congregation for six years, and sacristan for five years. Sister Leopold served in Illinois, New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Leopold taught at St. Sabina (1942-1943); Immaculate Conception, Waukegan (1944-1957, 1968-1970); and St. Vincent Ferrer, River Forest (1965-1968).

She is survived by a brother, Denis Kaufmann.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary (Mary Colum) O’Donnell, 88, died June 6.

Born in Massachusetts, Sister Mary made her first religious profession in 1956 and her final profession in 1959. She taught math and physics for 56 years, serving in a high school and colleges. Sister Mary ministered in Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan and Mississippi.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Mary taught at Rosary College/Dominican University, River Forest (1961-1970, 1971-1980 and 1984-2000). She served as lab instructor at University of Illinois at Chicago (2001-2005) and tutor at Malcolm X College (2001-2015).

She is survived by two sisters, Elizabeth Berry and Annie Burch; and a brother, John O’Donnell.

BVM Sister Jeanne (Suzette) Granville, 90, died June 10 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in St. Louis, she entered the BVM congregation in 1947.

From 1950 to 1982, Sister Jeanne taught elementary school in the Archdiocese of Chicago at St. Callistus; St. Ferdinand; St. Joseph; and St. Dorothy, where she was principal; St. Eulalia in Maywood; St. Joseph in Round Lake; and she was principal at Seven Holy Founders, Calumet Park. 

Father John W. Tapper, 82, died May 20. He was pastor emeritus of St. Ansgar Parish in Hanover Park.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Genevieve School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1961.

He served as assistant or associate pastor at Our Lady of the Wayside, Arlington Heights; Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein; St. Francis de Sales, Lake Zurich; St. Alphonsus Liguori, Prospect Heights; St. Ansgar, Hanover Park; and St. Cecilia; Mount Prospect. In 2006, he was given the title of pastor emeritus.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Carol Sutter, 80, died May 17 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, Sister Carol made her first religious profession in 1957 and her final profession in 1960. 

She was a teacher and religious educator who ministered in Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Carol taught at St. Basil (1958-1961) and St. Thomas More (1976-1978). 

She is survived by two sisters, Jean Sutter and Betty Endres, and a brother, Richard Sutter.

Holy Cross Sister Bernice Marie (M. Josephina) Hollenhorst, 88, died May 16.

A native of Minnesota, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1949 and professed first vows in 1952.

She ministered for 23 years as a teacher, mostly in Illinois and Indiana, and earned a master’s degree at Rosary College, now Dominican University. She then ministered for 27 years as library director at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. During that time, she sought funding for a new library and oversaw its design and construction. Following her retirement in 2002, she spent 10 years serving as an archivist for her congregation.

Deacon Leonard F. Delisi, 75, of Dyer, Indiana, died May 4. He was ordained a deacon in 1980 and served at St. Victor, Calumet City.

Deacon Delisi was a successful small-business owner, establishing Calumet City Travel, then Excursions/Leonard’s Tours and Viva Las Vegas, before acquiring Royal American Travel.

In addition to serving as a deacon for many years, he participated as a member of the Glory Choir at St. Victor. Deacon Delisi also appeared on a variety of community theatre stages throughout the area.  

Mercy Sister Eleanora Holdgrafer, 93, died April 24.

Born in Iowa, she graduated from high school and worked for five years as a registered nurse before entering the Sisters of Mercy in 1949 in Des Plaines.

She went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and a master’s degree in health administration.

She served as a nurse at Mercy Hospital (1952-1955) and other hospitals in Illinois and Iowa before becoming a hospital administrator. In 1974, she became a family nurse practitioner and provided health care in eight counties in central Iowa through the Iowa State Department of Health.

She moved to Chicago in 2001 and to Mercy Circle in 2014.

Mercy Sister Dorothy Burns, 84, died April 27.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Tarcissus School and St. Patrick Academy, Des Plaines, graduating in 1951. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1954 in Des Plaines. 

While working toward her bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Xavier University, she taught at Queen of Martyrs, Evergreen Park, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

After earning a master’s degree in business in 1966, she quickly worked her way up in the health care world, filling a variety of roles in Mercy institutions in Aurora, Illinois, before serving for four years as vice president at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago. 

She returned to Mercy Medical Center in Aurora as chief operating officer in 1988 and eventually became president and chief executive officer.