Cousin of Archbishop Sheen

The 94-year-old cousin of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, a storyteller, poet, family historian and “Christian gentleman,” died Dec. 3 at BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal, Ill.

Merle J. Fulton, the last surviving first cousin of Archbishop Sheen, frequently spoke to visitors to the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Communication Room at the Historic El Paso Depot. He recorded some of those memories on videotape, and also assisted the Archbishop Sheen Foundation, which is spearheading the archbishop’s cause for canonization, with compiling genealogy of the Sheen and Fulton families.

Fulton was a research director for Pfister Hybrid Corn Co. for nearly 40 years. He was among the first to work extensively with agricultural chemicals and fertilizers. He served as area observer for the University of Illinois entomology department. He also served as a volunteer in the ambulance service for seven years.

A funeral Mass was celebrated by the administrator of St. Mary’s Parish and Father Andrew Apostoli of New York, promoter of the archbishop’s canonization cause.

Sr. Clementina Snoblen

Teacher

Sister of Providence Clementina (Florence Anna) Snoblen died Nov. 16 at age 98. Born in Kings Mills, Mich., she professed her final vows in 1932. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Angela, Chicago, from 1926-32.

 

Fr. Cletus Lynch

Oldest archdiocesan priest

Father Cletus J. Lynch, 96, was ordained by Cardinal Mundelein in 1930, making him the priest ordained the longest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, has died. He was the oldest priest ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Father Lynch died Dec. 10 at a retirement center with nursing facilities in Sun City Center, Florida. He was pastor emeritus of St. Louise de Marillac Parish in LaGrange Park, where he served for 21 years.

Father Lynch grew up in Lemont and attended St. Alphonsus Parish and school. He entered Quigley Preparatory Seminary in 1920 and graduated from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, where he did post-graduate studies. Ordained in 1930, his first assignment was as an assistant pastor at St. Bernard Parish on 65th Street.

After serving six years at St. Bernard, he served six-year terms at St. Angela on Chicago’s West Side and at All Saints Parish. He was made administrator at All Saints in 1950 and served in that capacity for four years before becoming chaplain at Resurrection Hospital.

In 1955, Father Lynch became the founding pastor of St. Louise de Marillac Parish in the western suburbs. He said the first Mass of the new parish that year in the public school across the street from the present church. When Father Lynch retired in 1976, he was made pastor emeritus of St. Louise.

Sr. M. Christine Brzozowski

Teacher

Franciscan Sister of Chicago Mary Christine (Cecilia) Brzozowski, 83, died Nov. 20. She was in her 68th year of religious profession. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she was one of five children. She entered the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago in 1935 and made her perpetual profession of vows in 1944.

She ministered in the education and health fields. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Pancratius School, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr School, and Madonna High School.

Fr. Thomas Boyle

st. felicitas Pastor emeritus

Father Thomas Stenson Boyle, 88, pastor emeritus of St. Felicitas Parish on Chicago’s South Side, died Dec. 14. At the time of his death, he was a resident of the Bishop Timothy J. Lyne Residence for Retired Priests in Lemont. Father Boyle was a Chicago native who grew up in St. Brendan Parish. He enjoyed serving as a cruise ship chaplain numerous times in his retirement years. He graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein and was ordained by Cardinal Stritch in 1941.

In that year, Father Boyle was named assistant pastor of St. Jerome Parish on the North Side and served there for 14 years. He was assistant pastor at St. Veronica Parish from 1955 to 1966. For two years beginning in 1966, he was the assistant pastor at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in Cicero and then was named pastor of St. Felicitas. He was pastor there for 11 years from 1968 to 1979.

Father Boyle served as associate pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish prior to his retirement in 1984, when he was made pastor emeritus of St. Felicitas. He spent part of his retirement years in Florida where he helped out at a local parish before returning to the Chicago area.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Fitzgibbons of Palos Park.

Sr. Mary Carol Ann Murphy

teacher

Sister of Mercy Carol Murphy, 70, died Nov. 28 at Provena McAuley Manor in Aurora. A Chicago native, she had been a Sister of Mercy for 50 years. She ministered as a teacher in Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel; St. Irenaeus, Park Forest; St. Joseph the Worker, Wheeling; St. Raymond, Mt. Prospect; and St. Catherine of Alexandria in Oak Lawn. Most recently Sister Carol resided at Provena McAuley Manor in Aurora.

Fr. Leo Brady

Parish mission preacher

Passionist Father Leo Patrick (Edward) Brady, 86, died Nov. 26. Born in Akron, Ohio, he entered the Passionist High School Seminary in St. Louis in 1931. He was ordained a priest in 1944.

After his ordination, he pursued advanced studies in homiletics at the Institute of Spirituality in River Forest, Ill., and graduate work at the North American College in Rome.

He served in numerous capacities, including director of students, director of student priests, assistant superior of several monasteries, and local superior in Houston, Texas. His preferred ministry was preaching parish missions. He came to the Passionist monastery in Chicago in 1999, where he helped other invalid Passionists. He is survived by a brother, three sisters, 72 nieces and other relatives.

Sr. Joette Huels

Child care worker

Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ Sister Joette Huels, 82, died Nov. 25. A native of Carlyle, Ill., she entered the community in 1940 and professed her vows in 1942. She earned two associates degrees, one in child care and one in mental health for the aged. In her ministry, she served children and older adults.

She served as a child care worker at Angel Guardian Orphanage in Chicago from 1941-48. She worked in the same capacity at St. John’s Orphanage in Belleville from 1948-54. She returned to Chicago in 1954 to serve as administrator at Angel Guardian Orphanage and as local leader for the sisters there until 1973.

She served as first associate on the provincial team from 1973-79. From 1979-85, she was the local leader at the Catherine Kasper Home. She then served as executive secretary for the provincial team from 1985-2003.

Sr. Carmelita Brady

Educator

Sister of Providence Carmelita (Charlotte) Brady, 98, died Nov. 23.

Born in Malden, Mass., she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence in 1922, professed her first vows in 1925, and her final vows in 1930. She has taught school in several states.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows from 1923-29 and 1936-38; Our Lady of Mercy from 1935-36; and at St. Mel from 1959-61.

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