Father John Edward Tilford, 76, died Aug. 14, at Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights. He had been associate pastor at St. Michael the Archangel Parish until he retired in 2014.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Laurence School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary North and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1966. 

He later earned a master’s degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Thomas of Canterbury (1966-1971) and assistant pastor of St. Maria Goretti, Schiller Park (1974-1978), before being named and pastor of St. Bridget (1981-1990). In 1990, Father Tilford was named pastor of St. Michael the Archangel and served in that role until stepping down to associate pastor in 2004 and retiring in 2014.

In addition to serving Catholics in parishes around the archdiocese, Father Tilford was the area chaplain for Catholic Scouts in 1968, an assistant administrator at Angel Guardian Orphanage (1971-1974) and an assistant executive director at Maryville Academy (1978-1981). Father Tilford was known for his work with underprivileged youth and young adults, especially within Hispanic communities.

Father Tilford is survived by his sister, Mary Boettcher.

Sister of St. Casimir Georgine Cizauskas, 90, died Aug. 1.

Born in New Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sister Georgine entered the Sisters of St. Casimir in 1944. She made her first profession of vows in 1947, and made her final vows in 1952.

She taught in elementary and high schools in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Rhode Island. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served as a teacher at Nativity BVM, Marquette Park (1952-1953); St. Bartholomew School, Waukegan (1960-1963), and Maria High School (1963-2005). After she retired, she took on volunteer roles in the school.

Most recently Sister Georgine participated in the ministry of prayer (2011-2017) at the motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Casimir and then at Franciscan Village, Lemont.

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Joanne (Mary Gregory) Seiser, 89, died July 28 in Cincinnati.

Born in Indiana, Sister Joanne entered the community in 1948 and made her final vows in 1953. She taught in elementary and secondary schools in Ohio and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at Notre Dame High School (1967-1968), in campus ministry at the University of Illinois at Chicago (1968-1979) and as part of the Lay Ministry Training Program (1979-1985).

She is survived by her sister, Mary Ellen Pfeiffer.

Providence Sister Eileen (Mary Jane) Clare Goetzen, 94, died July 26 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of Providence from St. Genevieve Parish in 1941 and professed final vows in 1949.

She was an elementary and high school teacher and on the clerical staff at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Columbkille (1955-1957); Providence High School (1966-1969); Our Lady of Sorrows (1969-1983); and Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1983-2005).

Conventual Franciscan Father John Peter Grigus, 65, died July 21 at the Felician Sisters convent in Chicago. He was rector of the St. Maximilian Kolbe Shrine at Marytown in Libertyville.

Born in Poland, he received his masters of Divinity at Catholic Theological Union. He professed his first vows in 1985, was ordained a priest in 1989 and made his solemn vows in 2000.

For the past 20 years, he led numerous religious retreats and authored many video presentations and broadcasts.