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Fr. Patrick Szemla
Missionary, chaplain
Franciscan Father Edward Szemla, 85, died Dec. 22 in Manitowoc, Wis. Father Szemla was retired since 1998.
He had served the Franciscans of the Assumption BVM Province as a home missionary and as guardian of several friar communities. From 1954 to 1962, he was involved in formation work as master of clerics and master of novices, as well as an instructor at the seminary in Burlington, Wis.
Born in Chicago, he attended St. Michael School in South Chicago and St. Bonaventure Minor Seminary in Sturtevant, Wis. He received the Franciscan habit in 1934, taking the name, Patrick. He was ordained in 1942.
Surviving is a sister, Helen Kania, and nieces and nephews.
Sr. Madeleine Adamczyk
Educator, author
A funeral Mass for Franciscan Sister Madeleine Adamczyk, an educator and author, was offered at Immaculata Convent in Bartlett. Sister Madeleine, 87, died Dec. 26 at St. Alexius Medical Center, Hoffman Estates.
Sister Madeleine, who held a doctorate in psychology from Ottawa University, had taught on the elementary, junior high and college levels. She also was a former assistant supervisor of schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago in the 1940s and ‘50s and the author of several textbooks on reading and writing for the primary grades.
Her early assignments included St. Mary of Czestochowa in Cicero, St. Mary of Perpetual Help and Lourdes High School. She was associate professor at Immaculata College in Bartlett, St. Michael’s College in Winooski, Vt., and St. Joseph’s College in East Chicago, Ind.
In her community, the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, she was provincial superior.
Sr. Katherine Ward
Teacher, music director
BVM Sister Katherine (Jean Helene) Ward, 85, died Jan. 1 in Dubuque, Iowa. She taught at Our Lady of Lourdes, 1936-38; St. Gertrude, 1949-50; Immaculata High School, 1970-71; and Carmel High School in Mundelein, 1965-70.
She was involved in parish ministry at Our Lady of the Brook, Northbrook, 1976-77, and was director of music at Queen of Angels Parish, Chicago, 1982-86.
Sr. Lucy Sliwinski
Taught on South Side
A funeral Mass for Franciscan Sister Lucy Sliwinski was offered Jan. 9 at Immaculata Convent in Bartlett. Sister Lucy died Jan. 5 at the age of 82.
She taught in Chicago at St. Salomea and Immaculate Conception schools.
Thomas O’Connell
Headed Catholic League
A funeral Mass for Thomas O’Connell was offered Jan. 10 at St. Bernadette Church, Evergreen Park. Mr. O’Connell, 66, died Jan. 6.
The son of a Chicago firefighter, he joined the Fire Department in 1961 and in the 1970s became their spokesman.
Mr. O’Connell also served as Midwest director of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. He was a past president of the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council.
Surviving are his wife, Betty; seven sons, Thomas, James, William, Daniel, John, Martin and Matthew; a daughter, Mary Beth Liebowitz; nine grandchildren; a brother, Msgr. William O’Connell; and a sister, Joan Hickey.
Sr. Agnes T. Casey
Taught in Chicago
Sister of Providence Agnes Theodore Casey, 88, died Jan. 7 at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. A retired grade school teacher, she served in Chicago at St. Andrew, 1933-34, and St. Genevieve, 1942-44.
Fr. Anthony Gendusa
Missionary pioneer
Sacred Heart Missionary Father Anthony Gendusa, 87, died Jan. 8 at his niece’s home in Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
Father Gendusa had been living with his community in Aurora since 1999, when he returned from Papua New Guinea.
Father Gendusa was the last of the “pioneer six”—the first group of Sacred Heart Missionaries to set sail for Papua New Guinea in 1946. Because of the devastation of World War II, they spent their first month sleeping in tents in an open field near the site of a church that had been destroyed.
The six traveled from village to village by walking and it was not until 1969 that the first airplane was purchased for their use.
In the meantime, Father Gendusa oversaw the building of airstrips on various islands and started a sawmill as a source of income to maintain the plane.
Born in Chicago, he attended St. Gregory School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He began studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, then decided to become a Missionary of the Sacred Heart and was ordained June 23, 1940.
Sr. Peggy Purcell
Taught in Chicago
BVM Sister Peggy (Moira) Purcell, 71, died Jan. 9 in Dubuque, Iowa. From 1971 to 1993, she taught English as a second language at Alvernia High School, Mundelein College, YMCA College, Truman College, the Chicago Urban Skills Institute and the Chicago Public Schools.
Her teaching assignments included Our Lady of Lourdes, 1950-57; Our Lady of the Angels, 1968-69; St. Callistus, 1969-70; and Immaculata High School, 1970-71.
Sr. Imelda House
Taught in Chicago
Dominican Sister Imelda (Marie) House, 94, died Jan. 15 in Adrian, Mich. During her 42 years of teaching, she taught in Chicago at St. Kilian, 1928-29; St. Clare of Montefalco, 1930-35; St. Philip Neri, 1936-39; St. Kevin, 1939-40; St. Columbanus, 1940-45; and St. Rita, 1945-52.
Sr. St. Theresa McGrath
Worked for Chicago Police
BVM Sister St. Theresa McGrath, 85, died Jan. 16 in Dubuque, Iowa. For the past 24 years, she worked for the City of Chicago Police Dept. in a number of positions. In 1978 she was appointed 15th police district beat representative program coordinator. She also served in that position for the 25th District.
Most recently she was in the 15th District Commander’s Office in the community police program, where she received a certificate of recognition for “outstanding service to the residents of the Austin Community and to the Officers of the 15th District Police station.” She also worked on a Community Gang Control Program.
Sister St. Theresa’s earlier ministry was as an educator in the upper grades and high schools for 37 years. In Chicago, she taught at St. Agatha, 1939 and 1944-45; St. Thomas of Canterbury, 1945-47; Cathedral High School, 1955-61; and Our Lady Help of Christians, 1971-75. She also taught in Iowa and Tennessee.
Sister St. Theresa was born in Chicago and graduated from Our Lady of Angels Elementary School and St. Mary High School. She worked as a stenographer for two years before entering the BVM congregation in 1935.
Deacon Jasper Roy
Ministered at parish, jail
A funeral Mass for Deacon Jasper Roy, who died Jan. 17, was offered Jan. 19 at Holy Angels Church.
Deacon Roy had served at Holy Angels since his ordination to the permanent diaconate in 1973. He was active at Holy Angels with the Knights of Peter Claver and Christ Renews His Parish.
While he was studying for the diaconate, his class was given a tour of Cook County Jail and he began volunteer service there.
After 25 years of volunteer work, he joined the staff at Cook County, working with two divisions of the jail. He served as deacon for Cardinal Bernardin and Cardinal George at several Christmas Day Masses celebrated at the jail.
Explaining why he volunteered for the job in an interview last year, Deacon Roy said, “I know I’ve been blessed. All 13 of my children have gone through college, entered careers and have found happiness. It just seems you can’t out-give God—the more you give, the more you receive.”
Surviving are his wife, Barbara; and his sons and daughters.
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