Issue of June 20, 2004

Fr. David Byrne

incarnation Associate Pastor

Father David J. Byrne, 61, associate pastor of Incarnation Parish in Palos Heights, died June 13 of cancer at Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park. Fr. Byrne had been serving at Incarnation since 2000.

Priesthood came as a second vocation to Father Byrne, who discerned his vocation while principal of St. Victor School in Calumet City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from John Carroll University in 1964 and a master’s in educational administration from Indiana University in 1968. Before his ordination by Cardinal John Cody in 1978, he pursued a career in educational administration.

Father Byrne also held several offices in the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) from 1974 to 1980. He served a two-year term as the association’s vice president and a two-year term as president from 1976-1978. He was a member of the NCEA Board for three years from 1977-1980.

For four years beginning in 1978, Father Byrne was the associate pastor at Holy Redeemer Parish in Evergreen Park. He served for six years as associate pastor at St. Catherine of Alexandria in Oak Lawn from 1982 to 1988. For most of the 1990s, he served as pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Evergreen Park.

During that time he was also the associate director of the Center for Pastoral Ministry, charged with the work of providing ongoing education for priests. Father Byrne’s work involved planning pilgrimages, and he organized several to Israel. The CPM later branched out to include continuing education for lay persons involved in ministry as well.

Fr. Francis Shaunessy

St. Eugene pastor emeritus

Father Francis W. Shaunessy, 84, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago for 59 years, died June 3 at St. Benedict Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Niles, where he was a resident.

Father Shaunessy served Catholics on the city’s North Side and in north Cook County for more than 30 years beginning in 1945 with his appointment as assistant pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Wilmette. For 11 years, beginning in 1953, he was the assistant pastor of St. Mel Parish in Chicago. Following that appointment, he served as assistant pastor for four years each at Queen of Angels and St. Raphael, both in Chicago.

In 1972, Father Shaunessy was appointed administrator and then pastor of St. Eugene Parish on the Northwest Side. He served there for 19 years before his retirement from active ministry in 1991. He was made pastor emeritus of St. Eugene in that year.

An Oak Park native, Father Shaunessy attended schools in Forest Park before enrolling in Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He graduated from the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein in 1945, the same year he was ordained for the archdiocese.

For a decade beginning in the 1950s, Father Shaunessy served three Chicago Catholic high schools in various capacities. He was a chaplain and teacher at Siena High School in the mid- 1950s and was a counselor at St. Mel High School from 1953 to 1964 and at Providence High School from 1957-1962 before they were merged as one school.

Sr. M. Evidia Cichowicz

Homemaker

School Sister of Notre Dame Mary Evidia Cichowicz died May 6 at Resurrection Life Center in Chicago. She served as a homemaker at several School Sister of Notre Dame missions, including St. Stanislaus, St. Constance, St. Alphonsus, and the Academy of Our Lady.