Father James McCarthy, 92, died Aug, 5. He founded and was a long-time director of Special Religious Development (SPRED), an agency of the Archdiocese of Chicago that provides ministry to adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Born in Chicago, Father McCarthy attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and Loyola University Chicago. He was ordained in 1955.

He was assistant pastor of Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein; St. Gregory the Great Parish; St. Cecilia Parish (Wells Street); and Our Lady of Mercy Parish; and as pastor of St. John Nepomucene. He retired in 2007, but continued working with SPRED. 

In 1960, Father McCarthy became associate director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) in Chicago and discovered that parents had been inquiring about providing ministry to children with disabilities. They wanted their children to receive the sacraments, but no faith formation program existed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Father McCarthy began working with parents, special educators and catechists in several parishes to make Catholic liturgies and catechesis more accessible to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Society of Helpers Sister Mary Therese Harrington soon began assisting in this work, and they were later joined by Providence Sister Susanne Gallagher.

In 1966, SPRED was established as an agency of the archdiocese. Today, 114 parishes with SPRED groups provide ministry to about 800 people with disabilities. The SPRED network has expanded beyond Chicago, administering faith formation and sacramental preparation programs for people with special needs in 28 Catholic dioceses and 200 parishes nationwide, and in numerous parishes in England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, South Africa, Malta, Chile and Mexico.

He was still serving as the SPRED’s chaplain and director emeritus up until the day he died, SPRED director Joseph Quane said.

“His younger brother had intellectual disabilities, so he knew about the need and took the mission very personally,” Quane said. “He made it his mission to bring the Gospel message to some of the most poor and marginalized members of our society. He wanted people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to feel a sense of belonging in their local parish communities and wanted them to actively participate in the liturgical life of their parish. One of the greatest gifts he leaves to the SPRED community is the adult catechist formation component of SPRED. Father Jim was a strong proponent of life-long catechesis and insisted that a strong community of adult catechists, who participated in ongoing spiritual formation, was required if we are to effectively minister to our friends with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

In 2013, Father McCarthy, Harrington and Gallagher received the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame for their outstanding service to the Roman Catholic Church — the highest honor bestowed by the university.

“He was a very humble person, and he didn’t like all the honors they received,” Quane added. “He faced a lot of challenges when he started SPRED in the 1960s, because back then a lot of people didn’t think people with intellectual and developmental disabilities needed faith formation or spiritual nourishment.”

Adrian Dominican Sister Margaret (Julia Marie) Lane, 92, died July 27 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 74th year of her religious life.

Sister Margaret spent ministered education, formation, nursing and pastoral work in Michigan; Illinois; Florida; Washington, D.C.; Nicaragua; the Dominican Republic; Mexico; and Puerto Rico. She also volunteered for the New Orleans Project.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1949-1951) and St. James, Maywood (1951-1952).

She is survived by a sister, Peggy McLeod.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Susan Hahn, 98, died Aug. 4 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she made her first religious profession in 1944 and her perpetual profession in 1947. She taught first grade for 51 years and continued to tutor reading students for 13 more years. She served in New York, Illinois, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Susan taught at Immaculate Conception, Waukegan (1945-1952); Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity, Winnetka (1954-1957); and St. Vincent Ferrer, River Forest (1968-1995), where she also was a reading tutor (1995-2008).

According to her congregation, people at St. Vincent Ferrer would boast that Sister Susan had educated three straight generations of their family.

She is survived by her brother, Donald Hahn.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Eldena (Marie Evan) Scholl, 97, died Aug. 5 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Iowa, Sister Eldena entered the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation in 1942, left the congregation in 1968, and returned in 1982, making her first profession as a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa in 1982, and her perpetual profession in 1985.

She was a teacher, support staff member and sacristan who served in Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Eldena taught at Visitation (1944-1952), Epiphany (1963-1964)  and St. Giles, Oak Park (1986-1987).

Father William E. Malloy, 74, died July 19, He was the former pastor of St. Barnabas Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Malloy attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1973.

He was assistant pastor of St. Bernadette, Evergreen Park, and associate pastor of St. Norbert, Northbrook, and Incarnation, Palos Heights. He was pastor of St. Maurice; St. Germaine, Oak Lawn; and St. Barnabas, where he served 10 years before retiring in 2017. He continued to live at the parish after retiring.

Father Malloy was also a faculty member at Quigley Preparatory Seminary from September 1977 to August 1978.

Father James J. Donovan, pastor of St. Barnabas, remembered “Fr. Bill” as a well-prepared preacher, known for his kindness and gentle spirit.

“He always had time for his parishioners from all his parishes,” Donovan said. “His quiet and sincere manner endeared him to many over nearly 50 years. Please keep his 101-year-old father, his sisters and their families and the St. Barnabas community in your prayers.”

Deacon Dean Hermann, 78, of Plainwell, Michigan, died July 19. He was ordained in 1978 and served in five dioceses. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served as director of the English-language diaconate formation program for several years in the 1990s and early 2000s.

He was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school. He served for more than 30 years and retired with the rank of commander.

He is survived by his wife, Vicki; his sons Tony and Matt; four grandchildren; and his siblings Bill, Ursula, Greg, Chris and Jim.

Adrian Dominican Sister Rina (Jeanne Dominic) Cappellazzo, 91, died July 14 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 71st year of her religious life.

Sister Rina ministered in education, as a campus minister, as a director of staff development, director of pastoral formation and religious vicar in Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Arizona and California; and in Leuven, Belgium.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Kevin (1951-1952) and St. Philip Neri (1953-1955).

Msgr. R. George Sarauskas, 77, died June 25. He was the former pastor of St. Mary, Riverside.

Msgr. Sarauskas was born in Germany and moved to the Chicago area with his family. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein before being ordained in 1973. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

He was assistant pastor of St. Athanasius, Evanston, and associate pastor of Sacred Heart, Winnetka; St. Francis Xavier, La Grange; and Holy Ghost, South Holland. In the late 1980s, Msgr. Sarauskas was appointed director of research and planning, and from 1984 to 1990 he was also director of the Lithuanian apostolate. In 2004, he became pastor of St. Mary, Riverside, serving the community for seven years.

In addition, he served as executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office to Aid the Catholic Church in Eastern, Central Europe and Soviet Union for 14 years in Washington, D.C.

Msgr. Patrick Pollard, retired archdiocesan priest, remembered his friend as a great churchman who believed in the mission of the church. “He wanted it to be alive and present to people all over the world,” Pollard said. “He helped the bishops of dioceses in Eastern Europe start up their dioceses after the fall of communism.” 

Adrian Dominican Sister Anita (Jean Vincent) Chiappetta, 79, died May 28 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Aquinas High School. She was in the 61st year of her religious life.

Sister Anita was an educator, social work assistant, administrative assistant, executive secretary and business office manager in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was an administrative assistant in the Dominican Midwest Chapter Office in La Grange Park (2009-2015) and Chicago (2015-2021).

Adrian Dominican Sister Laura (Mary Norman) Pesick, 93, died June 9 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in the 75th year of her religious life.

Sister Laura ministered in elementary, secondary and adult education in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and California.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Clare of Montefalco (1948-1952) and St. Carthage (1952-1958).

She is survived by her brother, Joseph Pesick.