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Obituaries

Pray For Them

Fr. Edmund Siedlecki

RETIRED PASTOR, CONSULTOR

Father Edmund J. Siedlecki, a pastor and assistant pastor for more than 30 years on Chicago’s Northwest Side, died Sept. 27, at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville of heart failure. He was 82 years old and retired from active ministry since 1997.

Father Siedlecki was born in Cicero and graduated from St. Casimir School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He was ordained in 1952 and continued at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary for post-graduate studies until 1956. He then began an eight-year term as assistant pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish.

From 1964 to 1971, he served as assistant pastor at two more Northwest Side parishes, St. James (1964-68) and St. Eugene (1968- 71). For the next three years, he served as pastor at St. Susanna Parish in Harvey, which is now closed.

For 13 years beginning in 1975, Father Siedlecki was the pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish. He was pastor for one year at St. Helen Parish before being named pastor of Five Holy Martyrs Parish on the Southwest Side in Brighton Park in 1990, where he served until 1997. For one year (1996-97) he was administrator of the Cardinal Stritch Retreat House in Mundelein. Father Siedlecki retired from active ministry in 1997 and was named pastor emeritus of Five Holy Martyrs Parish.

In 1975, he was named chairman of the archdiocesan Liturgical Commission. He was a lecturer at Niles College and graduate studies advisor at Mundelein Seminary. In addition to his parish duties, Father Siedlecki was the chaplain at Prosser High School for a period beginning in 1964. In the 1980s he was a dean in the area of Vicariate III that covered parts of Chicago’s Northwest Side, a senator on the archdiocese’s Presbyteral Senate and served on the archdiocese’s Board of Consultors.

Msgr. John Cardiff

PASTOR

Msgr. John I. Cardiff, who served for nearly 20 years in the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Chicago dealing with canonical issues, died Oct. 3 of congestive heart failure at St. Linus Parish rectory in Oak Lawn, where he was in residence.

He was 89 years old.

Msgr. Cardiff graduated from St. Henry School on Chicago's North Side and from Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

He was ordained in 1945 as assistant pastor at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish before being assigned to the Tribunal offices in the chancery, the headquarters of the archdiocese. He worked there less than a year before beginning graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a licentiate in Canon Law in 1950.

For the next 16 years, he served as a judge and assistant judicial vicar in the Metropolitan Tribunal, dealing with requests for marriage annulments. Starting in 1966, he served as assistant pastor of St. Matthew; St. Francis Xavier (Nelson St.); Our Lady of Charity, Cicero; St. Ladislaus; and Queen of Angels parishes. During most of this time, Msgr. Cardiff also served on the Personnel Board of the archdiocese, where decisions about clergy placements were made.

In 1972, he was named the administrator at St. Linus Parish in Oak Lawn and six months later became pastor, a position he held for 18 years until his retirement in 1990. In retirement, he continued to serve St. Linus as a senior priest in residence.

Msgr. Cardiff is survived by his sister, Cecilia Groark.

Sr. Dorothy Johnson

TEACHER

Sister Dorothy (Ann Dorothy) Johnson, 96, died Sept. 8 in Adrian, Mich.

A Chicago native, she graduated from Aquinas High School before entering the community in 1934. She spent 36 years ministering in education. She also worked in health care for many years.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Edmund, Oak Park (1951-53); St. Kevin (1961- 62); St. Columbanus (1962-65) and Santa Maria del Popolo, Mundelein (1965-69).

Sr. Anthonita Porta

EDUCATOR

Adrian Dominican Sister Anthonita (Dolores) Porta, 76, died in Adrian, Michigan on Sept. 9.

A Detroit native, she spent 57 years ministering in education. She began the Adrian Dominican Montessori Teacher Education Institution.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Nicholas of Tolentine (1951-54).

She is survived by a brother, Michael Porta, and two sisters, Ann D’arcy and Anthonita Porta.

Sr. Mary Silvana Eberle

MUSICIAN

School Sister of St. Francis Mary Silvana Eberle, 100, died Sept. 13 in Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin native entered the congregation in 1925. Sister Mary Silvana was a musician, coordinator of occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant in Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, and California. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was a musician at St. Bernardine, Forest Park (1925-27); Our Lady of Victory School (1927- 41), St. Benedict Grade School (1944- 47); and St. Martin School (1954-61).