Friends, family and loved ones remembered Auxiliary Bishop John Gorman as a “cornerstone” of the church in the Archdiocese of Chicago and around the United States at his funeral Mass June 10 at Our Lady of the Woods Church in Orland Park.

Bishop Gorman, 99, died in his home in the parish rectory June 2.

Cardinal Cupich presided, telling members of Bishop Gorman’s family that they should be “consoled and supported” by the outpouring of love for their “Uncle Jack.” About a dozen bishops were joined by dozens of priests in concelebrating the Mass.

That was no surprise to Father Michael Foley, former pastor of Our Lady of the Woods.

Foley, now vicar for priests, spoke of the generations of clergy Bishop Gorman taught and mentored, including retired Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, who was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1975.

Bishop Gorman grew up on the South Side, attending Visitation School and Leo Catholic High School before entering Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

He was ordained by Cardinal Samuel Stritch in 1952.

In addition to his theology degrees, he earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Loyola University Chicago.

He served as an assistant pastor at St. Andrew, 3546 N. Paulina St.; St. Odilo, Berwyn; and St. Nicholas of Tolentine, 3721 W. 62nd Place. After five years, he began teaching at Quigley, and then at Niles College Seminary, where he eventually was chairman of the psychology department.

From 1965 to 1973, the years immediately following the Second Vatican Council, he was rector/president of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

Bishop Gorman held a long list of titles over his long life and extensive ministry, Foley said: father, monsignor, bishop, pastor, psychologist, and, one of his favorites, golfer.

“Jack had many titles, but the one I want to share with you today is that Bishop Gorman was a cornerstone,” he said, explaining that the cornerstone of a building must be set correctly to determine the orientation of the building, and must be level for the walls to rise straight and true.

“Here’s the paradox of the cornerstone,” Foley said. “As important as it is, it’s often not noticed. It doesn’t call attention to itself, but without it, the building is not constructed well.”

It’s not the foundation — Bishop Gorman knew very well that Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church — but it sets guidelines that create stability for more visible parts, he added.

In the area of seminary education, Foley said, Bishop Gorman insisted that students’ formation include four quadrants: academic, spiritual, pastoral and human, helping them develop healthy relationships with priests and laypeople.

He became pastor of St. Michael Parish in Orland Park, a large, busy parish that had three parishes form as offshoots when he was there. At St. Michael, he saw a healthy parish life as one that included liturgy, education and formation, service and hospitality and social life.

He was ordained an auxiliary bishop in 1988, and served as episcopal vicar of two vicariates, as well vicar general of the archdiocese.

He was vicar general when Cardinal Joseph Bernardin called on him and his psychological expertise to lead a group that reviewed all of the clergy sexual abuse claims against the archdiocese for the past 40 years, and then come up with new guidelines.

Those guidelines, published in 1992, called for greater transparency, the creation of an independent review board and outreach to victims, and served in many ways as a framework for rules and guidelines adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and later put in place around the world.

“I am certain that because of this, thousands, tens of thousands of people have benefited, and they don’t know his name,” Foley said.

One place where Bishop Gorman was well known was Our Lady of the Woods, where he resided from his 2003 retirement from active ministry as a bishop until his death. He heard confessions every week and celebrated Masses and confirmations.

Foley said that about five years ago, when he was pastor there, Bishop Gorman approached him about giving the parish a gift.

He wanted it to be significant, something that would have an affect on parishioners’ spiritual lives.

“Jack’s gift to the parish was this altar,” Foley said, gesturing to the dark wood altar table behind him. “He said, ‘I want an altar that gathers people around it. I want an altar that lifts people up. I want an altar that says Jesus Christ is here.’”

After the altar was installed, Bishop Gorman celebrated the Mass during which it was consecrated, Foley said, standing and vigorously rubbing the chrism oil into the wood, at 94 years old.

“That was the last Sunday Mass Bishop Gorman celebrated here,” Foley said. By the following week, churches has been shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and when restrictions lifted, Bishop Gorman was too infirm to celebrate Sunday Mass in the church on his own.

He still loved the Eucharist, still celebrated privately in his room every day, Foley said.

He also loved his family, Cardinal Cupich told the congregation, and he loved being with people.

“It’s true Jack was a cornerstone,” the cardinal said. “He was a visionary. But he also liked being with people, and he universally could spread that kind of spirit with whoever he was with.”