Obituaries
Pray For Them
Sr. M. Rosaline Widak
TEACHER, CHAPLAINSister of the Holy Family of Nazareth M. Rosaline Widak, 78, died July 10. She had been serving as the community relations coordinator at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Medical Center.
A native of Chicago, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1945. She taught school in the Archdiocese of Chicago through 1963, and again during the 1980s and 1990s. Her final teaching assignment was at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Chicago. She then joined the staff of the Nazareth Family Center at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Medical Center, where she worked until her recent illness.
From 1963 through the early 1980s, she served as a prison chaplain in Texas. Last year, Sister Rosaline was one of 17 women who received Cook County’s 2006 Unsung Heroine Award.
Sr. Agnes Pauline Meinert
EDUCATORSister of Providence Agnes Pauline (Florence Mary) Meinert, 90, died June 24 in Terre Haute, Ind. Born in Cicero, Sister Agnes entered the Sisters of Providence in 1936 and professed final vows in 1944. She served as a teacher in Indiana, Illinois, Washington D.C. and Massachusetts. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Genevieve (1955-59), St. Angela (1959-61), Immaculate Conception (1967-79), St. Francis Borgia (1979-87) and Mother Theodore Guerin High School in River Grove (1987-96).
Sr. M. Roberta Turkowski
NURSE'S AIDESister of the Holy Family of Nazareth M. Roberta Turkowski, 90, died July 7. A Chicago native, she grew up in St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. Hyacinth parishes. She entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1938. Sister Roberta worked in housekeeping for the congregation, and taught kindergarten at St. Michael School, South Shore Drive. She trained as a nurse’s aide and spent 25 years in that role at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago.
Sr. Michaeleen Gibbons
EDUCATORBVM Sister Michaeleen Gibbons, 84, died July 9 in Dubuque, Iowa. A native of Chicago, she attended Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School and Immaculata High School. She entered the Sisters of Charity, BVM in 1940 and professed final vows in 1948.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Michaeleen served as a librarian and dean of admissions at Mundelein College (1943-44; 1973-75). She taught at St. Eugene (1954-57), Holy Name Cathedral High School (1961-68) and Mac- Cormac Junior College (1975-76). She was finance director and administrative assistant to the pastor of Holy Name Cathedral from 1995-2003. She also served as treasurer of the BVM congregation.
Fr. Francis Cerniglia
PASTOR EMERITUSFather Francis Cerniglia, 80, pastor emeritus of Queen of the Rosary Parish in Elk Grove Village, died July 26 at Resurrection Medical Center due to complications of hepatitis. Cardinal George was the main celebrant at a July 31 funeral Mass at Queen of the Rosary Church.
A native of Chicago, Father Cerniglia attended Washington elementary school, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and University of St. Mary of the Lake/ Mundelein Seminary.
He was ordained in 1953 and celebrated his first Mass at Santa Maria Addolorata. He served as assistant pastor at St. Stephen Protomartyr in Des Plaines (1953-66), St. Simeon in Bellwood (1966-73) and St. John Bosco (1973-76). He was associate pastor at St. Isaac Jogues in Niles from 1976-80. He was named pastor of Queen of the Rosary in 1980, a position he held until his retirement in 1996.
Fr. Arthur Fagan
PASTORFather Arthur Fagan, 65, pastor of Queen of the Rosary Parish in Elk Grove Village, died July 28 from an apparent heart attack. C a r d i n a l George was the main celebrant at an Aug. 2 funeral Mass at Queen of the R o s a r y Church.
A native of Chicago, he attended Our Lady of Peace grade school, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained in 1967 and celebrated his first Mass at Our Lady of Peace. He served as assistant to the superintendent at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines from 1967 until 1972 when he left the priesthood.
He was married in a civil ceremony in 1973, and in 1979, he and his wife adopted a 2-year-old son, Michael. The marriage ended in 1984, and Father Fagan continued to raise Michael.
In 1985, Father Fagan petitioned Cardinal Joseph Bernardin to return to active ministry. Cardinal Bernardin forwarded his request to the Vatican while arranging for a pastoral and academic internship at Mundelein Seminary and Loyola University. In 1988, Father Fagan was appointed associate pastor of St. Juliana Parish, and in 1996, Father Fagan was named pastor of Queen of the Rosary Parish.
Father Fagan is survived by his son, Michael, and grandson, Michael Jr.
Br. David Sharp
NURSE, DEACONAugustinian Brother David L. Sharp, 72, died July 14. Brother Sharp entered the congregation in Wisconsin in 1954. He professed permanent vows in 1961.
In 1958, Brother Sharp began to serve as a tailor at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Monastery in Olympia Fields. He also studied nursing at Cook County Hospital and received his certificate in 1964. From 1964-73, he worked in the missions of northern Peru, running the pharmacy and doing home nursing. He was ordained a permanent deacon in Peru in 1972.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Brother Sharp was a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital (1976-77; 1978- 79) and as director of nursing at St. Rita Monastery (1989-96). He ministered as a nurse in Michigan, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
