Issue of April 16, 2006

Fr. John M. Dowd

Pastor

Servite Father John M. Dowd, 63, died March 2 after a long illness. A priest for 36 years, Father Dowd had been pastor of Assumption Church since 1999.

A funeral Mass was held March 7 at the church.

Father Dowd attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and De La Salle Institute. He received a Doctorate in Philosophy from The University of Louvain, Belgium. From 1971-75, he taught at Servite High School, Anaheim, Calif., and from 1975-97, he was a member of the Pontifical Faculty and Master of Students at St. Alexis College, Rome, Italy.

George Rassas Sr.

Bishop’s father

George J. Rassas Sr., father of Auxiliary Bishop George Rassas, died April 4.

Bishop Rassas was the main celebrant at the April 6 funeral Mass at Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity Church. Interment was at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines.

Mr. Rassas is survived by his wife, Frances; his children, Bishop Rassas, Nicholas, Margot, Kevin (Susan), Denice Rassas Krez and Deirdre (Justin, Sr.) Zubrod; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Sr. Marie Majella Gudgeon

taught at visitation

Dominican Sister Marie Majella Gudgeon, 92, died Feb. 5 at St. Dominic Villa, Sinsinawa, Wis. Sister Marie Majella was born in Chicago to parents LeRoy and Mabel Gudgeon. She made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1940 and her final profession in 1943.

Sister Marie Majella taught high school English, art, speech and drama for 35 years. She also taught art to special education students at St. John School for the Deaf, Milwaukee. She served in Wisconsin, Washington D.C., Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught the arts at Visitation High School (1953-62), Queen of Peace in Burbank (1965-75) and Levy Senior Citizens Center in Evanston (1979-86).

Sr. Mary Frances Radtke

principal, teacher

Dominican Sister Mary Frances (Paul Mary) Radtke, 89, died Feb. 16 at the Dominican Life Center, Adrian, Mich.

A Chicago native, Sister Mary Frances graduated from the Academy of Our Lady. She received a bachelor’s degree from Siena Heights University in Adrian, Mich., and a master’s degree from DePaul University. She ministered in education for 33 years at schools in Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was principal at St. Bridget in Loves Park (1961-67), an assistant principal and teacher at Aquinas High School (1967-74), an adult education teacher at Presentation Education Center (1978-80), a computer assistant instructor at Marist High School (1984-91), a volunteer at Resurrection Center in Woodstock (1991-93), and a religious education office secretary at St. Victor Parish in Calumet City (1993-95).

Sister Mary Frances is survived by two sisters, Agnes Giermak of Evergreen Park and Loretta Ivers of Monee, Ill.

Sr. Gertrude Sitzmann

taught at aquinas

Dominican Sister Gertrude (Robert Mary) Sitzmann, 88, died Feb. 11 at Toledo Hospital, Toledo, Ohio.

She earned a master’s degree in education from Loyola University Chicago. She ministered in education for 41 years in Michigan, Illinois and California. In Chicago, she taught at Aquinas High School from 1956-60.

Sr. Mary Justitia Gaynor

Educator

Sister of Mercy Mary Justitia Gaynor, 95, died March 21 at Provena McAuley Manor, Aurora.

Sister Justitia, a native of Taylorville, Ill., was a teacher in Illinois. Among the schools she served were St. Ethelreda, Holy Family (North Chicago), All Saints, St. Clotilde, St. Paul of the Cross in Park Ridge, Little Flower, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Mary in Lake Forest, Christ the King, Mother McAuley High School, St. Patrick Academy in Des Plaines, Unity High School and St. Mary of the Lake.