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Obituaries

Pray For Them

Fr. John Mackin

SERVED ON MISSION BAND

Father John James Mackin, the third oldest priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, died Nov. 17 in Lemont. He was 95 years old and was living at Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Hometown prior to entering Mother Theresa Home in Lemont several months ago following a stroke.

Father Ronald Mass, pastor at Our Lady of Loretto from 1984 to 1997, described Father Mackin as beloved by the people of the parish. “Father Mackin retired from being a pastor but not from priesthood,” Mass said.

According to Mass, Father Mackin said Mass regularly, presided at funerals, baptized the newest parishioners, was present for the sacrament of reconciliation and loved visiting the children at the parish school. He regularly greeted parishioners at the door of the church and found time and energy to attend most of the parish’s social functions as well.

Father Mackin was born and grew up on Chicago’s South Side. He attended Visitation and Our Lady of Solace elementary schools, graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, and was ordained by Cardinal George Mundelein in 1938.

He was an assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish until 1944, and at St. Benedict Parish in Blue Island until 1947, when he was named to the Diocesan Mission Band. For 13 years, Father Mackin preached retreats for the Mission Band in parishes throughout the archdiocese.

In 1960, he began a nine-year assignment, first as assistant pastor then as pastor, at St. Justin Martyr Parish in Chicago. He was named pastor of Our Lady of the Wayside Parish, Arlington Heights, 1969 and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1983, when he was named pastor emeritus.

Deacon Robert Smith Jr.

ATTORNEY

Deacon Robert S. Smith Jr., 64, of Deerfield, died Nov. 10.

Ordained to the diaconate in 1988, he ministered at Holy Cross Parish in Deerfield and Ss. Faith, Hope and Charity in Winnetka.

Deacon Smith was an attorney in Lake County for 35 years and an associate judge in the 19th district of Lake County.

He is survived by his wife, Carol Ann; children Jennifer Luetkemeyer and Rob; granddaughter Lucy Luetkemeyer; mother, Emily; and sisters Susan Tucker and Julianne Tewart.

Sr. Ann Schlaefer

TEACHER

School Sister of St. Francis Ann (Constantia) Schlaefer, 86, died Nov. 8 in Campbellsport, Wis.

Sister Ann was a musician, teacher and professor in Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Ann served as musician at St. Bernardine School, Forest Park (1943- 1947), and at St. Benedict Grade School (1947-1948).

Sister Ann is survived by her sisters Dolores and Genevieve Schlaefer and brothers Bernard and Robert Schlaefer.

Fr. James Sullivan

CHICAGO NATIVE

Father James R. Sullivan, 88, a priest of the Springfield diocese, died Nov. 13 at Smith Village in Chicago.

Father Sullivan attended Our Lady of Peace Grammar School and St. Ignatius High School. He was ordained for the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., in 1947, and served in several parishes in that area. In 1951 he became an Air Force chaplain, serving until he retired in 1974 with the rank of colonel. He returned to the Springfield diocese and served as a pastor there until his retirement in 1986. He moved back to the Chicago area and helped out for many years at St. Christina Parish, 11005 S. Homan Ave., and St. Linus, Oak Lawn.

Sr. Catherine Sienna Wire

TEACHER

Sister of Providence Catherine Sienna (Helen) Wire, 96, died Oct. 28 in St. Maryof- the-Woods, Ind.

Sister Catherine Sienna was a native of Decatur, Ill. She ministered for 55 years as a teacher in Illinois, Indiana, California and Washington, D.C.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Genevieve (1931); St. Athanasius, Evanston (1931-32); St. Agnes (1933-34); Our Lady of Mercy (1934-35); St. David (1945-49); and St. Francis Xavier, Wilmette (1953-64).

Sr. Dorothy Joan Lagocki

NURSE, TEACHER

Franciscan Sister Dorothy Joan (M. Anthony) Lagocki, 85, died Nov. 4.

A Chicago native, she was baptized at Five Holy Martyrs Parish and graduated from elementary school there. She entered the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago in 1937 at age 14.

She taught at St. Florian School (1941- 45). In 1949, she entered nursing school and ministered as a nurse in Nebraska and South Dakota. She returned to Chicago and worked as a nurse and teacher at Guardian Angel Day Care Center and as school nurse at Madonna High School.

Sr. Mary Charlotte Vesely

BENEDICTINE PRIORESS

Sister Mary Charlotte (Virginia) Vesely, 90, died Nov. 17.

A Cicero native, she graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Lisle in 1935 and entered the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart two years later. She taught at Sacred Heart Academy as well as at St. Mary of Celle School in Berwyn and at Benet Academy in Lisle. She served as prioress of the sisters’ Sacred Heart Monastery for 12 years, starting in 1973.

Mary Frances Mulcrone

MOTHER OF TWO PRIESTS

Mary Frances Mulcrone, the mother of Fathers Thomas and Joseph Mulcrone, died Nov. 9. She was 86.

Mrs. Mulcrone was the first certified signlanguage interpreter for the deaf in Illinois, and grew up in a home where American Sign Language was the first language for her and her deaf parents.

She married and raised eight children in the Austin neighborhood, and as they grew, volunteered her services as an interpreter for deaf people in hospitals and the court system. Later, she trained interpreters and became the first coordinator of interpreter services for the Chicago Hearing Society, and helped develop new signs for technical, court-related terms.

She is survived be her husband of more than 64 years, Edward; daughters Mary Nellis, Ellen Schuetzner and Jean Gronke; sons Laurence, Michael and James in addition to Thomas and Joseph; 15 grandchildren; and six greatgrandchildren.

Mrs. Marion O’Neill

COMMUNICATIONS STAFFER

Mrs. Marion O’Neill, 91, former administrative assistant to Father James Roache, then vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, died Nov. 16 at her home in Chicago.

A native of New York City, the former Marion Allen graduated magna cum laude from Smith College and worked for Young & Rubicam and Reader’s Digest, interrupted by doing public relations in 1945-46 for the Red Cross Nurses in England and Germany.

In Chicago, she worked at the Chicago Maternity Center and then the Archdiocese of Chicago, where she became administrative assistant to Roache, who was then secretary of communications for the archdiocese.

She continued working in the communications department and taking minutes at the Presbyteral Council after Roache retired in 1993.

She married Thomas O’Neill in Chicago in 1960, and he passed away in 1966. She was an active member of St. Veronica and Resurrection parishes, heading up the parish pastoral council for several terms.

She is survived by many nieces and nephews.

Fr. LaVern J. Flach

PRINCIPAL, TEACHER

Augustinian Father LaVern J. Flach, 80, died Nov. 17 after a long period of declining health.

A Michigan native, he was educated in a one-room school in rural Pavilion Township before attending St. Augustine High School in Kalamazoo. He entered Augustinian formation in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1955.

Father Flach taught at St. Rita High School from 1956-58, served as principal there from 1971-79 and then taught there again from 1979-94. He also taught at Mendel Catholic High School from 1968-71. For many years, he served as the advisor to the yearbook staffs at St. Rita and Mendel, and his work in that area was nationally recognized.

After finishing his assignment at St. Rita, he spent a year on a parish assignment in Michigan before teaching for one year at Providence Catholic High School, New Lenox, Ill. In 1996, he retired at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Monastery, Olympia Fields. In 2001 he moved to the new retirement community of Our Lady of Grace at Marian Village, Homer Glen, and then in 2003 to Mother Theresa Home, Lemont.

In 2008 he relocated to St. James Manor, Crete, Ill.

Father Flach is remembered as a down-to-earth person and a demanding teacher who would spend as much extra time as was needed working with students who needed help learning math.

He is survived by sisters Helen Fleck and Marian Woodin, and brother Gerald, all of Michigan, brother Donald of Maryland, and many nieces and nephews.

Fr. Eugene LaVerdiere

SCRIPTURE SCHOLAR

Blessed Sacrament Father Eugene A. LaVerdiere, a noted Scripture scholar, died Nov. 20 in Ohio after a prolonged illness.

Father LaVerdiere, senior editor of Emmanuel magazine, taught for a time at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

He is survived by his sister, Maryknoll Sister Claudette LaVerdiere and two brothers, Blessed Sacrament Brother Gary LaVerdiere and Peter LaVerdiere.

Father LaVerdiere wrote extensively on the Gospel of Luke and also on Mark.

His most significant and popular book according to many people was published in 1994 and entitled “Dining in the Kingdom of God: The Origins of Eucharist According to Luke.”