Issue of January 16, 2005

Grace Roche

Cousin of Cardinal George

Grace M. Roche died Jan. 8 at age 88, just 10 weeks after the death of her husband of 55 years, Irish dance teacher Patrick Roche.

A Chicago native and cousin of Cardinal George, she grew up in Epiphany Parish on the West Side, and attended Trinity High School in River Forest.

She went into bookkeeping and secretarial work after graduating from Moser Business College. She worked until she was 33, when she married Mr. Roche, a widower with four young children. They then had four more children.

The Roche family lived in St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Ferdinand parishes. Once her children were in school, Mrs. Roche worked at Chicago’s Howe School as a stenographer and typist, and the city Corporation Counsel’s office, where she learned computer skills in her 60s. She retired, at age 80, from Clearvue SVE.

Cardinal George celebrated a funeral Mass for her Jan. 8 at St. Thecla Church.

Sr. M. Therenia Zajak

Teacher

Felician Sister Mary Therenia Zajak, 85, died Jan. 2 at the Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Chicago.

A Chicago native, she was a Felician Sister for 68 years. She spent 45 years as a primary grade teacher in schools in the Chicago area, teaching at St. Joseph from 1938-39 and 1976-89; Ascension, Evanston, from 1939-40; St. Wenceslaus, 1942-48; Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Lemont, 1952-54; St. Bronislava, 1954-56; St. Linus, Oak Lawn, 1956-63; St. Damian, Oak Forest, 1963-65; Our Lady of Ransom, Niles, 1965-68; St. Helen, 1968-73; and Holy Innocents, 1973-76.

Fr. Thomas Commons

missionary

Divine Word Missionary Father Thomas Commons, 84, died Dec. 30 at the Divine Word Residence in Techny. Fr. Commons had been a Divine Word Missionary for 62 years and a priest for 57 years.

Born in Indianapolis,he entered the Society of the Divine Word at Techny in 1940, where he studied for the priesthood. He was ordained in 1947.

In 1948 Father Commons left the United States for his assignment to Papua New Guinea, where he worked as a pastor and youth minister for 28 years. For the first 18 years, he worked in Madang, on New Guinea’s north coast; for the last six years in Goroka in the central highlands.

Later, he was put in charge of a teachers’ college, a primary boarding school and a high school. His last assignment in New Guinea was ministering to young people in Goroka, where he helped another Divine Word Missionary start a network of youth centers that developed into a national Young Christians Organization. He returned to the United States in 1976. From 1976-1979, Father Commons served as rector at Divine Word Seminary, Perrysburg, Ohio.

From 1976-1989, he worked as an assistant pastor in parishes in Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Chicago. From 1980-1989 he served at St. Agnes Parish (now Our Lady of Fatima) Chicago, where he was chaplain to the Senior Citizens Club, which included members from many South Side parishes. He also traveled around the Midwest doing mission appeals.

He retired to Divine Word Residence, Techny in 1989.

Sr. Mary Bernice Akers

teacher

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Bernice Akers, 85, died Dec. 27 at Mercy Medical Center, Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Washington D.C., she made her first religious profession in 1946, and her final profession in 1949. She was a primary grade teacher in Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Maryland and Alabama.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Jarlath School, Chicago, 1946-51; St. Luke School, River Forest, 1955-56; and Immaculate Conception School, Waukegan, 1969-70.

Sr. Loretta Bozich

teacher

Adorer of the Blood of Christ Sister Loretta Bozich, 87, died Dec. 29 at St. Anne’s Retirement Community in Columbia, Pa.

The Chicago native was a professed Adorer of the Blood of Christ for 69 years. She entered the community in 1931. After a two-year aspirancy and a year of postulancy, she was received into the congregation in 1934 and given the name Sister Mary Loretta. She made her first profession of vows in 1935, and professed her final vows in 1940.

She spent 41 years in elementary education as both teacher and principal in schools in Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Pennsylvania. She also served as local superior during those years. For nine years, 1956-1965, she served in the province formation ministry. In 1965, Sister Loretta was appointed superior, in which she served for six years, until 1971.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Jerome School (S. Princeton) from 1983-89.

Br. George Prickril

Served more than 50 years

Jesuit Brother George Prickril, 80, died Dec. 27 at Colombiere Jesuit Community in Clarkston, Mich.

Born in Park Falls, Wis., he entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Milford, Ohio, in 1951 after serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II.

Brother Prickril served for more than 50 years in a variety of ministries. From 1953 to 1959, after completing the novitiate, he served at Milford Retreat House preparing rooms for retreatants. In 1960-75, he was refectorian for the Jesuit community at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. From 1975 to 1981, he was assigned to St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, where he worked in the kitchen and as a custodian. In 1981 he was assigned to Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, where he served until August 1999, when he retired.

Sr. M. Celestine Farmer

Ministered to senior citizens

Sister of Christian Charity Mary Celestine Farmer, 89, died Dec. 23 at Sacred Heart Convent.

Born in Harrisonville, Ill., she entered the congregation at the motherhouse in Wilmette in 1932 and made her first vows in 1935.

From 1935-1973, her primary apostolate was housework. She spent most of this time in Chicago: St. Teresa of Avila, St. Mary (Riverdale), Josephinum, St. Raphael, and St. Gregory, as well as at convents in Prospect Heights and Westmont.

In 1973, Sr. Mary Celestine began a ministry to the senior citizens at St. Teresa of Avila Parish, and at the St. Vincent DePaul Center.

In 1993, she received a citation from Mayor Daley in recognition of her work for the senior citizens and the poor.

She continued her work there for the next 25 years, retiring and moving to Sacred Heart Convent in Wilmette in 1998. As a gesture of gratitude to her, the parishioners honored her by naming the part of North Kenmore Avenue near the convent in her honor.