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Obituaries

Issue of June 11, 2006

Fr. Kenneth Brigham

Retired pastor

Father Kenneth M. Brigham, 71, pastor emeritus of St. Angela and St. Martin de Porres parishes, died May 25. Father Brigham retired one year ago and was living in Las Vegas at the time of his death.

He was a Chicago native who attended grade schools on the South Side and in Milwaukee before graduating from Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/ Mundelein Seminary.

Following his 1961 ordination, Father Brigham was assigned to the now-closed Our Lady of Solace Parish, where he served for five years. From 1969-1972, he was administrator at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Vicariate, organized in 1898 at 13th Street and St. Louis Avenue, as a national parish for German families. In 1972, he was appointed assistant pastor at Holy Angels Parish, where he served for five years.

In 1980, following two years as associate pastor at St. Helena of the Cross, he became pastor of St. Columbanus, where he served for 12 years. He also served on the Pastors Review Board during part of that time.

For 13 years, beginning in 1992, Father Brigham was pastor of the now-closed Our Lady Help of Christians. He also served as administrator (2000-01) and then pastor (2001-05) of St. Angela and as pastor of St. Martin de Porres (2001-05), making him the pastor of three parishes at the same time between the years 2001 and his retirement in 2005. During most of that time, Father Brigham also served as dean (2000-04) in the area of Vicariate III that covers the lower West Side of the city.

Cardinal George was the main celebrant at the May 31 funeral Mass for Father Brigham at St. Malachy Church. He is survived by his sister, Josephine McCord.

Cynthia Petzel

Park Ridge Principal

Cynthia J. Petzel, principal of Mary, Seat of Wisdom School in Park Ridge for 17 years, died May 25. She was recovering from knee surgery but died of complications.

She previously taught at St. Peter School in Skokie (1979-89). A funeral Mass was held May 31 at Mary, Seat of Wisdom Church.

Fr. George Helfrich

Canon lawyer

Father George J. Helfrich, 78, a canon lawyer who served in the Metropolitan Tribunal, died May 29. He was residing at St. Benedict Home in Niles.

A Chicago native, Father Helfrich graduated from St. Gregory elementary school, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained in 1954, and served as assistant pastor at St. Aloysius Parish from 1954 to 1956, before beginning his post-graduate studies in Canon Law at the Gregorian University in Rome.

In 1958, he began working in the archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal and served there for eight years. Father Helfrich also served as the assistant pastor at Queen of Angels Parish (1966-69), was chaplain at St. Theresa Hospital in Waukegan (1969-70), and assistant pastor at St. Fabian Parish in Bridgeview (1970-75), St. Eugene Parish (1975-80) and St. Martha Parish in Morton Grove (1980-87). He retired in 1987.

Fr. Stephen Tebes

Divine Savior Pastor

A funeral Mass for Father Stephen J. Tebes, 64, was held June 1 at Divine Savior Church, Norridge. Father Tebes, the former pastor of Divine Savior and a professor at Niles College Seminary, died May 29.

Father Tebes was born in the former Yugoslavia and came to Chicago during elementary school. He graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained in 1968 and assigned as assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish, Lake Forest, where he served for five years.

He served for one year as assistant pastor of St. Maria Goretti Parish in Schiller Park before becoming a professor at Niles College, now St. Joseph College at Loyola University. He taught for 17 years at Niles, from 1974 until 1991, when he was named pastor of Divine Savior Parish in Norridge. Father Tebes served as pastor at Divine Savior for 14 years until last year, when health concerns forced him to step down as pastor and become associate pastor. He served in this position until his death. Father Tebes is survived by his brothers, John and Jacob.

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