Father Kenneth S. Laske, 93, died March 20. He was a retired archdiocesan priest and former associate pastor of St. Leonard, Berwyn.

Born in Chicago, Father Laske attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Ferdinand; St. Gilbert, Grayslake; St. Joan of Arc, Evanston; and Divine Savior, Norridge. He served as associate pastor of St. Cornelius; St. William; St. Maria Goretti, Schiller Park; and St. Leonard. He retired in 2002.

The late Father William T. O’Mara, retired archdiocesan priest and classmate, had remembered Father Laske as a very quiet person and a devoted priest with a great sense of humor.

Father William T. O’Mara, 94, died May 27. He was a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor emeritus of St. Elizabeth Seton, Orland Hills.

Born in Chicago, Father O’Mara attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, and later earned a postgraduate degree from Loyola University Chicago.

He was assistant pastor of Infant Jesus of Prague, Flossmoor, and St. James, Sauk Village.

He was a faculty member at Quigley Preparatory Seminary and served as chaplain at Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, celebrating school Masses, attending Kairos retreats with seniors and going to sports events, concerts and plays.

Father O’Mara served as pastor at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish until 2003, when he was named pastor emeritus.

Archdiocesan priest Father Roger
Caplis remembered his classmate as very outgoing and a good athlete. “He also shared a great sense of ministry, even after retirement,” Caplis said.

Providence Sister Mary Jeanine (Mary Catherine) Schubert, 84, died May 14 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, she went to St. Mel School and Providence High School. She entered the Sisters of Providence in 1961 and professed final vows in 1970.

Of her 64 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in elementary schools in Indiana and Illinois for 16 years. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Agnes (1967-1971), St. Francis Borgia (1971-1978) and Maternity BVM (1978-1982).

In 1983, she took a position at the American Medical Association in Chicago as a survey operations assistant and later as an employee contractor.

Retiring from this position in 2007, she gave much time to sewing and quilting for charities.

Sister Mary Jeanine is survived by a brother, Andrew J. Schubert Jr.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Ann Mueninghoff, 79, died May 16 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters in 1968. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English education from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest; a certificate of theology from St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin; and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago.

Sister Mary Ann’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, religious education and higher education. She taught in Minnesota and was a religious education director in Montana as well as at Epiphany Parish and St. Luke Parish, River Forest.

She then worked for the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation as director of the Apostolic Volunteers program; was director of residence halls and a counselor and rector at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana; and was promoter of mission integration at Dominican University.

She is survived by a sister, Janet Collins, and brothers David, Eric and Robert Mueninghoff.

Father Gerald E. Rogala, 85, died May 7. He was a retired archdiocesan priest and pastor emeritus of the former St. Thecla Parish, now part of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish.

Born in Waukegan, Father Rogala attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1966.

He also earned a master’s degree in New Testament studies from the University of Chicago.

Father Rogala was assistant pastor of St. John Brebeuf, Niles, and St. John Berchmans, now part of Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish. He also taught at Niles College of Loyola University.

He was associate pastor of St. Mary, Buffalo Grove, and pastor of St. Josaphat; Our Lady of the Brook, now part of St. Norbert and Our Lady of the Brook Parish, Northbrook; St. Stephen Protomartyr, now part of Mary, Mother of Martyrs, Des Plaines; and the former St. Thecla. He retired in 2010.

“He enjoyed teaching,” said Father Thomas J. Vitro, a classmate of Father Rogala. “He was a contemporary Catholic priest, very proud of the parishes he served in. He identified with those communities and met all expectations of a priest ordained 60 years ago.”

Vitro added that Father Rogala liked skiing and playing the guitar.

Father Richard J. Kozak, 84, died April 15. He was a retired archdiocesan priest and former pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Homewood, now St. John Neumann Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Kozak attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

He was assistant pastor of St. Felicitas Parish and associate pastor of St. Simeon, Bellwood; St. Maria Goretti, Schiller Park; and Sacred Heart, Melrose Park. He was pastor of the former St. Joseph, Homewood, for nearly 17 years before retiring in 2015.

In a 2012 interview with the archdiocesan newspaper, Kozak mentioned that he lost sight in one eye a month before being ordained. He said, “I’m convinced it deepened my spiritual vision of the Lord even though I lost physical vision. It happened on St. Joseph’s Day, March 19, 1967. I look back on my life and say, ‘Well Lord, I guess you had a plan for me.’”

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Joan (Ternan) McCann, 85, died April 9 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1961. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, a master’s in the teaching of mathematics and a master’s in education management and supervision.

Sister Joan’s ministry was dedicated to education, administration and consultancy. She taught at schools in Washington, D.C.; Freeport, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin; and Baltimore Maryland; as well as at St. Mary School, Evanston, and Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity School, Winnetka.

She was an assistant superintendent in the Office of Education of the Archdiocese of Atlanta before joining with Adrian Dominican Sister Mary-beth Beres to found Leadership Systems, a nonprofit consulting ministry serving religious congregations, social service organizations and schools.

Following that ministry, Sr. Joan served the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation as vicaress provincial of the Southern Province before becoming vicar for consecrated life for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Sister Joan retired in 2010 and volunteered in the Oak Lawn area until 2024, when she moved to Stair Crest, a senior living community in Muskego, Wisconsin.

She is survived by three sisters: Marjorie Kayser, Alice McCann, and Nancy Tegtmeyer.  

School Sister of Notre Dame Catherine (David Maureen) Sarther, 83, died April 10 at Ascension Resurrection Life Center.

A member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 63 years, she taught high school at Academy of Our Lady and taught in elementary schools in Chicago and Milwaukee. She also assisted international students at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park, was a researcher for Chicago Public Schools, and served her community as a provincial councilor in Chicago and a general councilor in Rome.

She is survived by her siblings: David Sarther, James Sarther, Margaret Fox and William Sarther.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Jeanne Drea, 82, died April 28 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Wisconsin, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1972.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in upper elementary education, a certificate in theology and, later, a master’s in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago.

She taught at schools in Illinois and Wisconsin, and ministered in parishes in Wisconsin and Florida. She also worked for Catholic Charities and in various outreach programs in Florida.

She is survived by her brother, Harry Drea.

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth Catherine Marie (Barbara Ann) Kawa, 82, died Oct. 27, 2025, in Park Ridge.

She attended Holy Innocents Parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Holy Family Parish before entering religious life as a postulant in 1964.

She ministered in Texas as well as at St. Camillus School and at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

Sister of the Holy Family Nazareth Phyllis (Emnilda) Siedlecka, 93, died Jan. 23.

She attended St. Adalbert Parish and St. Ann High School before entering religious life in 1952.

She taught primary school in Illinois, Indiana and Texas and served as a local superior. She also ministered at the provincialate and at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth Bernadine (M. Norbertine) Wachowiak, 91, died Feb. 22.

She attended St. Hedwig parish and school and Holy Family Academy before entering  religious life in 1951.

She ministered as a teacher, principal and director of religious education with assignments at St. Hyacinth; St. Blase, Argo; St. Michael; St. Emily, Mount Prospect; Immaculate Heart of Mary; St. Josaphat; St. Hedwig; St. Andrew; St. Ladislaus and the community’s provincialate at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

She is survived by a brother, Kenneth, and a sister, Rita.

School Sister of St. Francis Rita Mae Rabitoy, 92, died at Sacred Heart Convent in Milwaukee on March 26.

Born in Michigan, Sister Rita Mae was received into the community in 1950, made her first profession of vows in 1952 and made her final vows in 1958.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Rita Mae ministered at St. Benedict High School (1954-1956); Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview (1956-1957); St. Mary, Buffalo Grove (1963-1967); St. William (1967-1971, 1972-1985); Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1985-2005); and St. Cyprian, River Grove (1971-1972 and 2005-2006), where she also volunteered in retirement from 2006-2018.

Providence Sister Mary Lois (Ollie Marie) Hennel, 98, died April 3 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1946 and professed final vows in 1954.

In her 79 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as a teacher in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In 1970, she left teaching for administrative work, serving the St. Gabriel Province in Indianapolis and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. She also served in the business office at the motherhouse.

After retiring in 2002, she continued to serve as a volunteer in the business office and in the Providence Food Pantry.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at Our Lady of Sorrows (1949-1953) and as secretary at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1990-1994).

Sister Mary Lois is survived by a brother, Joseph Hennel, and a sister, Maggie Hennel.

Dominican Sister Marie Anna (Rose de Lima) Stelmach, 80, died April 8 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Born in Baltimore, she made profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1965.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in math and theology from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest. She also earned a master’s degree in divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary in New Jersey; a master’s degree in theology from Seton Hall University in New Jersey; and certification as a registered nurse from Bon Secours Memorial School of Nursing in Virginia.

Her ministry focused on teaching, pastoral care, missionary work and health care. She taught in California, Wisconsin and New York as well as at Visitation School in Chicago. She served as a missionary in the Diocese of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad; and as a director of religious education in Rockford, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; and Louisiana.

She worked in hospital chaplaincy and prison ministry before serving as a registered nurse in Virginia and for the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation.

She is survived by two sisters, Helen Wyczalek and Jean Huether.

Father Robert G. Mair, 86, died March 29. He was pastor emeritus of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Glenview.

Born in Chicago, Father Mair attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1965.

After ordination, Mair served as assistant pastor of St. Nicholas, Evanston, and St. Joseph, Wilmette. He was associate pastor of St. Peter, Skokie, and St. Mary of the Lake.

He became pastor of St. Catherine Labouré in 2000 and retired in 2009.

Father William E. Vanecko, one of Father Mair’s classmates, remembered him as a good pastor and athlete.

“He was a big fan of golf,” Vanecko said, as he recalled the days when they played basketball and softball together.

Deacon Hippolito Crespo, 83, died March 23 in Puerto Rico, where he had lived for several years. He was ordained in 1999 and ministered at St. Sylvester Parish. He moved to Puerto Rico in 2010.

Deacon James Revord, 91, died March 24. He was ordained in 1993 and ministered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he moved with his family to Minnesota and Ohio before settling in Chicago. He attended Loyola Academy and the University of Notre Dame, where he studied mechanical engineering.

He married his wife, Patricia, in 1957, before beginning a three-year stint as a damage control officer in the U.S. Navy. After returning to Chicago, he worked as a mechanical engineer in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry.

As a deacon, he led faith-sharing groups and baptismal preparation and did hospital visits and bereavement ministry with his wife. He also delivered countless homilies, baptized hundreds of babies, witnessed many marriages and offered many beautiful eulogies.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children Mary Eileen, Janie, John, Tom, Julie and Patrick; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Deacon William Engler, 84, died March 26. He was ordained in 1986.

He ministered at St. Mary, Riverside; St. John of the Cross, Western Springs; and St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, Tinley Park, accompanying people in need, in doubt and in joy. He loved officiating baptisms and marriages and held deep affection for his deacon family.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kate; his sons Vincent and Matthew; three grandchildren, and his sister, Marianne Lillie.

Deacon John Lorbach, 75, died March 26. He was ordained in 1996 and served at St. Raymond de Penafort Parish in Mount Prospect.

Deacon Lorbach served as the parish’s director of worship, coordinated the baptism program and was the parish representative to St. Mark Lutheran Church, the parish’s covenant partner.

He is survived by his wife, Ingrid; his children Brian, Timothy and Mary Kate; three grandchildren; and siblings Diane Wilson, David Lorbach and Karen Schappert.