Issue of September 11, 2005

Fr. John Koster
Scientist

Divine Word Father John Koster, 87, died June 21 at Divine Word Residence in Techny.

Born in Iowa, he entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1932 and was ordained in 1944. He completed a Master’s in physics at De Paul and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of London. In 1950, he was assigned to Ghana, where he became chaplain and physics lecturer at the University of Ghana.

He is credited with being the first scientist outside the Soviet Union to detect Sputnik in 1957. He taught in Ghana for 28 years, and then at the Society’s Fu Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan, until 1993. He retired in 1997.


Sr. Mary Veronica Brzezinski
Educator/Formation Director

Felician Sister Mary Veronica Brzezinski, 70, died June 14 at Kindred Hospital. She suffered severe head trauma after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the street near her home at SS. Peter and Paul Convent on May 11. The case remains unsolved according to Chicago police.

Born in Wisconsin, she entered the Felicians in Chicago in 1954. Sister Brzezinski spent her life serving in education, religious formation and prayer. She had retired from her position as Campus Minister at Our Lady of Tepeyac School.

She ministered here at St. Joseph on S. Hermitage in 1958; St. Helen, 1959-62; St. Turibius, 1962-76; St. Stanislaus in Posen, 1976-79; and Our Lady of Tepeyac High School, 1999-2005. From 1993-99 she was administrator of Our Lady of the Angels Convent (former Marian Care Center), a retirement facility for the Felician Sisters.


Sr. Colette Mingey
Culinary artist/ Caretaker

Dominican Sister Colette Mingey, 86, died June 26 at the Dominican Motherhouse in Sinsinawa, Wis. Born in Chicago, she made her final profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican in 1943.

For 36 years, Sister Mingey worked as a culinary artist. She also worked with the sick and elderly for 10 years, serving in six Midwestern states. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered in culinary arts at Trinity Convent in River Forest, 1939-42 and 1965-68; St. Thomas More Convent, 1960-62, 1977-78 and 1989-90; St. Thomas Apostle Convent, 1963-65; and Queen of Peace Ministry Center, 1979-82. She ministered with the sick and elderly at St. Basil Convent, 1973-74; St. Cajetan Convent, 1974-77; St. Barnabas Convent, 1978-79 and 1988-89. Sister Mingey also ministered in community life and transportation at Queen of Peace Ministry Center, Burbank, 1985-86, and in community life at St. Thomas More Convent, 1986-88.


Sr. Marie Bernadette Carroll
Educator

Dominican Sister Marie Bernadette Carroll, 78, died June 30. Born in Appleton, Wis., she made her final profession in 1950.

For 41 years, Sister Carroll served as an elementary teacher in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Montana and Nebraska. She also served as support staff-finance at the Sinsinawa Dominican Motherhouse from 1988 to 2002. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Carroll ministered as a teacher at Visitation, 1947-54, and St. Luke in River Forest, 1963-65.


Sr. Marie Walsh, BVM
Educator

BVM Sister Marie Walsh (Anna Lourdes), 90, died July 6 at Marian Hall, Dubuque, Iowa. For 42 of her 50 years as a teacher, Sister Walsh served in Chicago at St. Charles Borromeo, 1944-46, 1951-57; St. Ferdinand, 1946-49 and 1983-90; St. Pius, 1949-51 and 1960-66; St. Joseph in Round Lake, 1957-60; St. Tarcissus, 1970-71; St. Callistus, 1971-76; and St. Cornelius, 1976-83. In retirement, she lived at St. Eugene.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Our Lady of Angels School and St. Mary High School and was a stenographer before entering the BVMs in 1935. She professed final vows in 1943.


Sr. Helen McCarthy
Music teacher

Providence Sister Helen McCarthy died July 18 at the age of 87. Born in Chicago, she professed her final vows as a Sister of Providence in 1944.

She taught music for 46 years at schools in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, New Hampshire and Missouri. In Illinois she served at St. Sylvester from 1960-69; St. Genevieve, 1969-75; Our Lady of Mercy, 1981-85; and St. Francis Borgia, 1985-86.


Sr. Eleanor Marie Jadrych
Educator

Franciscan Sister Eleanor Marie Jadrych, 85, died July 3.

Born in Ohio, she received degrees from DePaul University, Mundelein College and St. Louis University, along with a certificate in theology from Xavier College.

In Chicago, she taught at St. Pancratius and St. Florian grade schools, as well as Madonna High School. In 1984, she earned her nursing home administration certificate from Georgetown University, and then ministered at St. Joseph Home of Chicago from 1984-87. Sister Jadrych returned to Madonna High School and worked as the manager of the bookstore. In total, she served at Madonna for 48 years.


Fr. Luke Connolly
Director, pastor

Passionist Father Luke Connolly, 82, died June 26 at Resurrection Hospital. Born in St. Louis, he was ordained a priest in 1952.

In Chicago, Father Connolly served as vocation director at the Passionist headquarters, 1959-65; assistant superior for the Chicago community, 1965-68, and field representative for the Sign Magazine, 1968-70. He also served as a retreat director, in parish missions, in Marriage Encounter, as a pastor and hospital chaplain.

From 1989 until his death, Father Connolly was the director of Mission Appeals for the Passionists.


Fr. Eugene A. Thalman
Missioner

A memorial Mass for Maryknoll Father Eugene Andrew Thalman, 71, was offered July 16 at St Joseph Church in Wilmette. Born in Tessville, Ill, he was ordained in 1960 and sent to minister in Hong Kong. In 1979, he founded the Center for the Progress of Peoples, a peace and justice research and documentation center serving the people of Asia.

He returned to the United States in 1994 to do mission education and promotion work, first in Minneapolis and then in Chicago. In 1997, he returned to Hong Kong where he remained for the rest of his life.


Deacon Gerald Savercool
lived in Joliet Diocese

Deacon Gerald Savercool, ordained in 1983, died July 15. A funeral Mass was offered for Deacon Savercool on July 19 at St. Rita Parish in Rockford.

Deacon Savercool was ordained a deacon in the Archdiocese of Chicago and was ministering at St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish, Matteson.


Sr. M. Emilyann Kordecki
Educator

Felician Sister Mary Emilyann Kordecki, 97, died July 9.

Born in Poland, she professed her final vows as a Felician Sister in 1934. She taught in schools in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas and Missouri.

In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Bruno, 1928-32; St. Helen, 1935-41, 1951-55; Sacred Heart, 1942-48, 1950-51, and St. John of God, 1975-88.


Sr. Anne Gallagher
Chicago-born teacher

Dominican Sister Anne (Michael Patrice) Gallagher, 82, died July 17 at Provena-St. Joseph Hospital, Joliet. Born in Chicago, she graduated from Providence High School, Siena Heights College in Adrian, Mich.; Santo Domingo University in the Dominican Republic, and Barry College in Miami.

Sister Gallagher spent her religious life ministering in education in Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. From 1960-61 she taught at St. Columbanus, Chicago. She is survived by a brother, Bernard, of Carol Stream, nieces and nephews.


Sr. Magdalen Therese Peplin
Educator/music teacher

Dominican Sister Magdalen Therese (Veronica) Peplin, 98, died July 24 in Adrian, Mich. She attended high school and college in Michigan and spent 43 years ministering in education in several states, including Illinois.

Sister Peplin taught music, choral and was the organist in many of the schools where she ministered. In Illinois, she taught at St. Clare Montefalco from 1927-29; St. Rita, 1929-30; Queen of Angels, 1949-53; and Visitation in Elmhurst, 1957-59.