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.

Adrian Dominican Sister Grace (Mary Elizabeth) Dougherty, 84, died June 10 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Aquinas High School, and she was the 65th year of her religious life.

Sister Grace ministered over 14 years in Michigan, Alabama and Florida; was a counselor/pastoral minister in Florida; and served a six-year term in congregational leadership as co-provincial of St. Rose of Lima Province, based in West Palm Beach, Florida. She also served the congregation for six years as director of pastoral care.

Sister Grace ministered for more than 18 years (1990-2008) at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, where she served as hospital chaplain and director of spiritual care. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2017.

She is survived by her brothers Patrick Dougherty and Robert Dougherty.

Redemptorist Brother Marvin Hamann, 92, died June 24 in Liguori, Missouri.

Born in Detroit, Brother Marvin enlisted in the Army after high school and served as an infantryman in the Korean War. After being honorably discharged, he began a career in banking.

A decade later, he felt called to religious life and made his first profession of vows as a Redemptorist brother in 1963. After serving in Wisconsin and as a clerk in the Liguori Publications post office in Missouri, he professed final vows in 1967 and was appointed postmaster.

In 1970, he joined the provincial administration staff in Chicago, and a year later joined the staff at Villa Redeemer in Glenview.

He worked on the financial staffs of Redemptorist institutions in Wisconsin, Colorado and Missouri until his retirement in 2007.

Divine Word Father James Henry, 90, died July 3 in Techny. He was a teacher in Los Angeles and missionary in Papua New Guinea.

Born in New York, Father Henry entered the Divine Word Seminary in Girard, Pennsylvania, in 1945, professed vows in 1951 and was ordained a priest in 1959.

He taught high school students in Southern California — first at Divine Word Seminary in Riverside and then as a member of the inaugural staff of Verbum Dei High School in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles — before being assigned to Papua New Guinea in 1972. Twelve years later, he returned to California, where he served as a Navy chaplain and taught high school English.

He retired in 2013 and moved to Techny in 2015.

He is survived by his brothers Martin and Michael Henry and 25 nieces and nephews.

Sister of St. Joseph-Third Order of St. Francis Stephanie Ostrowski, 85, of Bartlett, died July 4.

Born in Chicago, she was a member of her religious community for 67 years. Sister Stephanie was an elementary school teacher, and she was principal at Queen of the Universe. She also served as provincial director of the Sisters of St. Joseph-Third Order of St. Francis and assistant manager and program director at Senate Apartments for senior living.

She is survived by her siblings, Leonard Ostrowski, Theresa Cernak, Richard Ostrowski, Rita Roberts, Mary Frances Cleveland and Norbert Ostrowski.

Father Richard E. Bulwith, 80, died June 14. He was the former associate pastor of St. Hilary Parish and associate director of Catholic Charities.

Born in Melrose Park, Father Bulwith attended St. Lawrence Seminary, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1967.

He also earned master’s degrees in health science at Governor’s State University and in spirituality at Loyola University Chicago.

He served as associate pastor of St. Emeric, Country Club Hills; St. Michael, Orland Park;  Immaculate Conception (North Park Avenue); St. Nicholas, Evanston; and St. Hilary. He was pastor of St. George (Lituanica Avenue). From 1987 to 2017, Father Bulwith served as associate director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Father James Heneghan, a friend of Bulwith and associate pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary, was grateful for the work that Bulwith did with Catholic Charities. “He was touched to see the healing and growth in the community he served at Catholic Charities,” Heneghan said. “And this energized and empowered his priesthood beyond a parochial setting.”

Father Daniel M. Tomich, 71, died June 25. He was the former pastor of Queen of Apostles Parish, Riverdale.

Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1976.

He was associate pastor of St. Patricia, Hickory Hills; St. Victor, Calumet City; and St. Monica. Later, he was pastor of Queen of Apostles, Riverdale, for more than 10 years, and then associate pastor of St. Alexander, Palos Heights, St. Louis de Montfort, Oak Lawn; and St. John Fisher.

“His friendship has been a gift,” said Father Dennis Zalecki, pastor emeritus of St. Anastasia Parish in Waukegan. He met Father Tomich during seminary at Quigley South and he recalled that they were bound together by their mutual sense of humor.

Deacon Thomas F. Dehler, 84, of O’Fallon, Missouri, died June 13.

Born in Chicago, he was ordained in 1988 and served at St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish in Matteson before moving to Missouri.

He was predeceased by his wife, Janet Birnett Dehler. He is survived by his second wife, Priscilla, and his children Thomas Dehler Jr., Alicia Dehler and Beth Del Rosario; stepchildren Tracy Webb-Wiley, Robert Webb, Mark Webb and Gary Webb; 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and his sister, Barbara Baker.

Deacon Jose Colon-Ortiz, 89, died June 15. He was ordained in 1972 and served at Holy Rosary, Resurrection, St. Aloysius and St. Mark parishes.

His wife, Emma, predeceased him. He is survived by his children Jose Colon, Mayra Colon, Elsie Colon and Lisandra Toro; four grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and his siblings, Antonia Maria Colon, Margarita Colon, Francisco Colon, Miguel Colon.

Deacon Dexter Gary Watson, 70, died June 18.

He was ordained in 1990 and served at St. Malachy and Precious Blood Parish, now part of Blessed Maria Gabriella Parish.

Born in Chicago, he was a U.S. Army veteran and former 27th Ward alderman.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Robin Watson; children Dexter II, Amber and Ryan Watson; his mother, Gloria Watson; and his sister, Sharone Watson.

Divine Word Father Paul Nadolny, 68, died June 12 in Techny after fighting cancer.

Born in Wisconsin, he graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in forestry and worked in the field before joining the Peace Corps and serving in Guatemala. When his commitment with the Peace Corps ended in 1983, he entered the Divine Word Associates Program and professed vows in 1984.

As a seminarian, he studied at Catholic Theological Union and volunteered at St. Procopius parish in the city’s Pilsen neighborhood before being ordained to the priesthood in 1989.

Father Nadolny’s first assignment as a priest was in Chiapas, Mexico, where he served indigenous people. While in the United States to foster a partnership with a Wisconsin parish in 1995, Father Nadolny learned that the Mexican government refused to renew his visa.

 After a year of hoping to return to Mexico, Father Nadolny’s superiors encouraged him to learn Portuguese in Brazil in preparation for his next assignment, a new mission to Mozambique. In 1999, Father Nadolny became one of the first Divine Word Missionaries to serve in the southeastern African nation, where he worked among the Zulu, Makua and Bantu peoples.

In 2019, Father Nadolny moved back to Techny for cancer treatment.

He is survived by his brothers James, Joseph, David and Stephan Nadolny; and his sisters Ann Luckey and Mary Garrity.

BVM Sister Vivian C. (Lauren) Wilson, 94, died June 21 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Wyoming, she entered the BVM congregation in 1948 and professed final vows in 1955.

She taught elementary school in Iowa and South Dakota and at St. Callistus. She also served as an admissions counselor and assistant director of the Business Administration Institute at Mundelein College and director of religious education at St. Keiran, Chicago Heights.

Servant of the Holy Heart of Mary Sister Bernadette (Awilda) Pabon, 76, died June 22.

Sister Bernadette was born in Puerto Rico and, after her mother died, lived in several foster homes. As a teen, she attended Holy Family Academy in Beaverville, Illinois, where she met the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary and began to consider religious life.

However, she married Nobel Pabon and raised a family. For more than three decades, Bernadette served as a catechist and trainer in the Archdiocese of Chicago. She was director of religious education at Holy Rosary Parish for 33 years.

After her husband died and her sons were grown, she pursued the call to religious life. Sister Bernadette made her vows in September 2020 and ministered in Batavia, Hopkins Park, Champaign and Kankakee.

She is survived by her sons, Frank, Rey, Joseph (Cynthia) and Robert (Alejandra), her daughter-in-law, Toni Pabon; 10 grandchildren; her brothers Alfred and Jose Oquendo; her sister Hedda Vazquez; and her adopted family the Suprenants.

Deacon Paul Telle, 86, of Park City, died May 29. He was ordained in 1990 and ministered at St. Dismas and Holy Family parishes in Waukegan. He also worked as a chaplain at Vista Medical System/Victory Memorial Hospital.

Born in Missouri, he married Barbara Muthig there before in earning a doctorate in nutrition. He was a member of the American Society of Animal Science, American Dairy Science Association, American Poultry Science Association, Professional Animal Scientist, American Dietetic Association and Professional Chaplain Association.

After retiring from active ministry as a deacon, he was an alderman in Park City from 2009 to 2013.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; children Jennifer Hall, Cynthia Cassidy, Audrey Mackey, Patricia Telle and Paul Telle Jr.; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren, Klaira, Leyna, Emery, Timothy, Olivia and Scarlett.

Divine Word Father Khien (John) Mai Luu, 63, pastor of Resurrection of Our Lord in St. Louis, died in his sleep on May 26.

Father Khien, who devoted his priesthood to working in formation and pastoral ministries, was a missionary in Australia, Vietnam and the United States. He studied at Catholic Theological Union from 1987 until he was ordained in Techny in 1992.

“He was a kind and gentle person who always tried to bring peace and harmony to other people,” said Divine Word Father Quang Duc Dinh, provincial superior of the Chicago Province.

Born in Vietnam, he entered the seminary as a youth in 1969 and earned a certificate in philosophy from Pope John XXIII Seminary in My Tho, Vietnam, in 1979. His seminary studies were interrupted the following year when he left Vietnam, lived in a Thai refugee camp and finally settled in San Jose, California.

Shortly after arriving in the United States, he earned certificates in electronic assembly and electronic technology. In 1982, he enrolled in Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, where he continued his seminary training.

Providence Sister Elizabeth (Joseph Aloyse) Meyer, 90, died on June 1 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1950 and professed final vows in 1957. 

She was a teacher and school librarian in Indianan and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Genevieve (1958-1964).