Conventual Franciscan Deacon Francis Patrick McGann Jr., 77, died June 22.

Deacon McGann was a devoted Conventual Franciscan friar dedicated to promoting the witness and life of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Prior to taking his solemn vows, Deacon McGann shared 37 years of marriage with Lois McGann, who he had known since grade school. 

Born and raised in Moorestown, New Jersey, where he owned a liquor store and an Irish pub, he was ordained a permanent deacon in 1983 and served at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Moorestown until he decided to pursue his lifelong vocational calling by beginning his postulancy. 

Deacon McGann is survived by his former wife, Lois McGann; their three daughters, Kathleen McGann, Kelly Hébert and Karen McGann-Smith; and their son, Kyle Francis McGann; his sister Margaret Aeillio; and five grandchildren.

Adrian Domican Sister Ann Seraphim (Doris) Schenk, 100, died June 24 in Adrian, Michigan. She was 100 years of age and in the 81st year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Born in Belleville, Illinois, she was in the 81st year of her religious life.

She ministered in elementary and music education in Michigan, Illinois and Arizona.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was an elementary and music teacher at St. James, Maywood (1947-1950) and an elementary teacher at St. Denis (1972-1973).

Sister of St. Casimir Evelyn Vichuras, 96, died June 25. 

A native of Gary, Indiana, Sister Evelyn entered the Sisters of St. Casimir in 1939.  She made her first profession of vows in 1942 and made her final vows in 1947. 

After a few years teaching in the elementary grades, Sister Evelyn spent well over 50 years in health care.  In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served as a teacher at Our Lady of Vilna School (1942-1945) and Nativity BVM School (1947-1949).  She served in health care ministries at Holy Cross Hospital from 1954 to 2007.

BVM Sister Maurine Therese Thiel, 86, died June 28 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Chicago, she entered the community from Our Lady of Angels Parish in 1949.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Maurine was an elementary teacher at Annunciation, Holy Name, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Angels, St. Bartholomew, and St. Constance schools in Chicago; a primary teacher aide at Divine Savior, Norridge; and volunteered as a catechist at St. Dismas Parish, Waukegan.

She also ministered in other communities in Illinois and in Missouri and Iowa.

Adrian Dominican Sister Georgina (Dorothy) Luznicky90, died June 30.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Lourdes High School. She was in the 71st year of her religious life. She held master’s degrees in education and history from DePaul University.

She ministered Michigan and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Ascension, Harvey (1953-1957); St. Philip Neri (1960-1961); and Aquinas High School (1961-1962); was principal at St. Philip Neri (1962-1968); was St. Dominic Province Education Coordinator at St. Rita (1968-1969); was councilor and director of education (1969-1970) and administrator of the St. Dominic Province, Hometown; was an executive secretary and student at Catholic Theological Union (1972-1973): was a consultant in the archdiocesan Catholic schools office (1987-1999); and was an administrative assistant in the chapter office, Burbank (1999-2004).

Adrian Dominican Sister Carol Denise (Mary Catherine) Koenig, 85, died July 1 in Adrian, Michigan. Born in Ohio, she in the 67th year of her religious life.

She ministered in Michigan, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Santa Maria Del Popolo, Mundelein (1953-1957) and Our Lady of Loretto, Hometown (1979-1983).

She is survived by a brother, Dennis Koenig.

Sister Marylin (St. Robert of Mary) Stack, a member of the Congregation of Notre Dame, died July 2 in Wilton, Connecticut.

Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, she made her first profession of vows in 1959 in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and her perpetual vows in1965 in Montreal.

For more than 50 years she was involved in Catholic education in Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, and South Dakota.  For more than twenty years Sister Stack ministered at St. Jude the Apostle school and parish in South Holland as teacher and administrator.

Father John J. Rochford, 96, died June 1 at Palos Community Hospital, Palos Heights. He was pastor emeritus of St. Emeric Parish, Country Club Hills.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Joachim School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1947.

Father Rochford served as assistant pastor at St. Mark, St. Bartholomew and St. Raymond de Penafort, Mount Prospect between 1947 and 1966.

He was then chaplain at Alexian Brothers Hospital, now Amita Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center, in Elk Grove Village, for six years before being named pastor of St. Emeric Parish in 1972. He was named pastor emeritus in 1991.

Father James A. Colleran, 80, died June 2. He was pastor emeritus of St. Mary of the Lake Parish, and a resident at The Admiral at the Lake nursing home.
Born in Chicago, he attended St. Ignatius School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1963.
Father Colleran served at St. Bonaventure, St. Vitus Parish on Paulina Street, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Mary of the Lake Parish. He was named pastor emeritus in 2007.

BVM Sister Ann Ida Gannon, 103, died June 3, in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Chicago, she entered the BVM congregation in 1932, from St. Jerome Parish and professed final vows in 1940.

Sister Ann Ida was a professor at Mundelein College, Chicago, where she later served as president from 1957 to 1975. In Chicago, she also taught at St. Mary High School and St. Ferdinand and St. Charles elementary schools.

Beyond her academic responsibilities, she participated in the governance processes of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1960 she was the youngest chapter delegate participating in the election of the congregation’s leadership.

She received numerous awards, including the University of Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, and 26 honorary degrees.

She is survived by a sister, Benedictine Sister Joan Gannon.

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.