Issue of May 28, 2006

Deacon Richard Ward

Class of 1985

Deacon Richard Ward, a member of the 1985 diaconate class, died April 15. A funeral Mass was held April 24 at St. Isaac Jogues Church, Niles.

Deacon Ward ministered at St. Isaac Jogues Parish until he moved to San Bernardino, Calif.

Fr. Walter Stefanski

Pastor Emeritus of st. pancratius

Father Walter Stefanski, 92, pastor emeritus of St. Pancratius Church and long-serving pastor of St. Joseph Church, now closed, died May 17. He was a resident of St. James Manor in Crete when he died.

Father Stefanski was a Chicago native who graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein/Seminary.

Ordained in 1940, he served for seven years as assistant pastor at St. Casimir, which is now closed. He then became assistant pastor of St. Joseph Polish Parish, 48th and Hermitage, where he served for 13 years. At that time, there were five St. Joseph parishes in Chicago, each with a particular ethnic designation: French, German, Polish, Lithuanian and Slovak. In 1960, Father Stefanski was made assistant pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Calumet City, and in 1966 he became pastor of St. Joseph in Chicago Heights, now closed. After serving there for three years, he became pastor in 1969 of St. Pancratius on Chicago’s Southwest Side. He was pastor there until his retirement from active ministry in 1985.

Cardinal George was scheduled to be the main celebrant at a funeral Mass for Father Stefanski May 23 at St. Agnes Church, Chicago Heights.

Father Stefanski is survived by his nephew, Father Gery Stefanski, a priest of the archdiocese.

Sr. Mary Roy McDonald

counselor, teacher

School Sister of St. Francis Mary Roy McDonald died March 27 at St. Joseph Convent in Campbellsport, Wis. She entered the community in 1933.

Sr. Mary Roy ministered as a teacher, counselor, coordinator of ministry of divorce, formation director, field director and associate director of formation at schools and organizations in Illinois and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Nicholas School (1934-39), St. Clara School (1943-45) and St. Joseph School in Wilmette (1945-50).

Sr. Alice Montavon

librarian, teacher

BVM Sister Alice Montavon (Canisius), 99, died March 29 in Dubuque, Iowa. She entered the BVM congregation in 1925 and professed first vows in 1927 and final vows in 1933.

She served as a teacher at St. Charles, Sacred Heart, St. Ferdinand, St. Eulalia in Maywood, St. Pius, and Holy Family. She was also a librarian at the Center for Urban Education and the Archdiocesan School Board, and on the staff of the National Assembly of Religious Women.

Sr. Margaret Noll

Music teacher

Dominican Sister Margaret Noll (Marie Augustine), 86, died March 10 at St. Dominic Villa, Sinsinawa, Wis. Born in Racine, Wis., she made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1939.

She was a music teacher for 32 years, a pastoral assistant for nine, and a pastoral associate for five years. She served in Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught music at St. Barnabas from 1956-60.

Sr. Mary Louise Higdon

taught at St. Francis de paula

Sister of St. Francis Mary Louise Higdon, 97, died March 22. Born in Grinnell, Iowa, she entered the congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent in 1927. She made her first profession in 1930 and final profession in 1933.

Sister Mary Louise received a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University in 1936. She also studied at Loyola University and the National Teachers College, Evanston.

She was a kindergarten and primary school teacher. In Chicago, she taught at St. Francis de Paula School.

Sr. M. Francis Therese Jankoski

Educator

A funeral Mass for Sister of St. Joseph M. Francis Therese Jankoski was offered April 22 at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse Chapel, LaGrange Park.

She was an educator and taught at St. Attracta, Cicero; Mt. Carmel, Melrose Park; and St. Cletus, LaGrange.

Sr. Theresa Ann Callahan

teacher, principal

Providence Sister Theresa Ann (Helen Loretta) Callahan, 89, died Feb. 19 at Mother Theodore Hall, St. Mary of the Woods, Ind. Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1934.

She taught at schools in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina and the District of Columbia. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows (1945-46), St. Andrew (1963-65), St. Genevieve (1965-69), St. Francis Borgia (1969-71) and St. Angela (1971-73).

She was also principal at St. Francis Borgia (1973-81) and Divine Savior in Norridge (1982-92), where she also served as a CCD Coordinator from 1992-2002.

Deacon Chester Kozuchowski

Class of 1974

Deacon Chester Kozuchowski, a member of the 1974 diaconate class, died April 16. A funeral Mass was offered April 20 at St. Gilbert Church, Grayslake. Deacon Kozuchowski ministered at St. Gilbert Parish.