Obituaries

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Fr. John J. McDonnell

Pastor

Father John J. McDonnell, 71, died July 23. He had been the pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father McDonnell (also known as Father JJ), attended St. Cornelius School, Quigley Preparatory Seminary North, Niles College and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1973. 

Fourteen years into his priesthood, Father McDonnell joined the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome to pursue his doctorate in sacred theology.
Father McDonnell was assistant pastor at St. Louise de Marillac, LaGrange Park, and associate pastor at Holy Name Cathedral Parish. 

He taught Christian anthropology and ecclesiology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary; was the administrative secretary for Cardinal Francis George from 1997 through 2003; and served as pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish from 2003 until retirement in 2017.

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Sr. Patricia Spangler

Educator

Adrian Dominican Sister Patricia (Anne Robert) Spangler, 83, died July 29 in Adrian, Michigan. 

Born in Chicago, she was in her 66th year of religious life.

She ministered in Michigan, Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Kentucky and Kansas. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita (1961-1966); St. Celestine, Elmwood Park (1966-1967); and Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1967). 

She was principal at Queen of Angels (1969-1972); and was a volunteer tutor at Aquinas Literacy Center (2004, 2010-2013).
Sister Patricia is survived by a brother, Thomas Spangler.

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Br. Patrick Concidine

Missionary

Redemptorist Brother Patrick (John Foster) Concidine, 85, died July 25 in St. Louis.

He had been in poor health for several years. 

Born in DeKalb, Illinois, Brother Patrick became interested in the Redemptorists after attending a high school retreat. He professed temporary vows in 1949 and permanent vows in 1955.

He was trained as a tailor and made more than 1,000 habits for his fellow Redemptorists as a young brother in Wisconsin.
He served as a sacristan and porter at communities throughout the Midwest before being assigned as sacristan to St. Alphonsus Parish, which served a large, culturally diverse community. 

With the blessing of his superiors, he began an outreach program to the Filipino community with the Confraternity of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, serving as a link between the Redemptorists in the Philippines and the Filipinos in the Chicago area. 

Brother Patrick was granted permission to devote all of his time to the Perpetual Help Confraternity when he relocated to Old St. Michael’s in 1984. He and an assistant shared a small office in the former convent on the church grounds. Membership in the confraternity grew into the thousands, and members in the Chicago area participated in the Tuesday novena services and the annual novena leading up to the Perpetual Help feast day celebration in June. 

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Deacon John O’Leary

Class of 1984

Deacon John (Jack) O’Leary died April 26 in New Lenox, Illinois. He was ordained in 1984 and had served at St. Joseph Parish, Homewood. As part of his diaconate ministry, he trained altar servers and was a minister of care. 

He is survived by his children Sheila and Tom; daughter in-law Erin; grandchildren Colleen, Courtney, Kara and Michael; and great-grandchild Jayden.

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