Obituaries

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Sr. Mary Agnes Moczarnik

Educator

Sister of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Agnes Moczarnik, 83, died Nov. 11, 2018, in Texas.

Born in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago, she discerned a religious vocation as a teenager and entered the order of the Sisters of St. Francis in Dubuque, Iowa, taking the name Jucunda. During the next three decades in Iowa, Ohio and Kentucky, she taught grammar school.

In her 50s, she questioned her calling and left the sisterhood. She continued to teach school and participate in spiritual activities, including serving as an extraordinary minister of Communion at St. Columba Parish. In her 60s, she realized again that God was calling her to religious life and was received into the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. She served in this order in New Mexico and Texas until her death.

She is survived by her sister Victoria Szuflita and her brother Adam Moczarnik.

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Sr. Margaret Anne Puhek

Educator

School Sister of St. Francis Margaret Anne (Verena) Puhek, 93, died Dec. 14, 2018, in Milwaukee.

Born in Milwaukee, Sister Margaret Anne was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1943 and made her final vows in 1951.

Sister Margaret Anne ministered as an educator in Illinois and Wisconsin for more than seven decades. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview (1946-1954), and at Holy Angels School (1960-1963).

Sister Margaret Anne is survived by a sister, Eileen Hackney.

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Sr. Mary Ruth Schweisthal

Educator

School Sister of St. Francis Mary Ruth Schweisthal, 99, died Dec. 24, 2018, in Milwaukee.

Born in Aurora, Illinois, Sister Mary Ruth was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1938 and made her final vows in 1946.

Sister Mary Ruth ministered in education in Illinois, Wisconsin and Nebraska for more than eight decades. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Martin (1944-1946); St. Benedict High School (1953-1956 and 1967-1968); Alvernia High School (1958-1967 and 1970-1973), where she also served as financial manager (1983-1987); and De LaSalle Institute (1969-1970). She served as secretary (1976-1977) and treasurer (1977-1983) for her congregation’s Holy Name Province, based in Chicago. She also served in Chicago as office manager for Friends of the Children (1990-1994), and as building manager for St. Priscilla Convent (1994-1995), where she also was as a receptionist and driver (1995-2002) 

In retirement, Sister Mary Ruth served in the ministry of prayer and presence at St. Joseph Convent, Campbellsport, Wisconsin (2002-2013), and at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee from 2013 until the time of her death.  

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Sr. Mary Quinn

Educator, health care liaison

Daughter of Charity Mary (Mary Elizabeth) Quinn, 93, died Dec. 30, 2018, in Evansville, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, Sister Mary graduated from St. Patrick High School before entering the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis from Our Lady of Sorrows Parish.

She taught in schools and served as a house mother in homes in Alabama, California and Missouri. She then served as a social worker and group home coordinator in Michigan and Alabama, where she was also local community superior.

She then returned to Chicago, where she was Daughter of Charity Liaison for St. Joseph Health Centers and Hospital (1988-2001) and coordinator of volunteers at Marillac Social Center (2001-2005).

She is survived by her brothers Vincent Quinn, James Quinn and Vincentian Father Bernard Quinn; and her sisters Pauline Brewer, Joan Scully and Daughter of Charity Katie Quinn.

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Sr. Nora Brady

Educator, hospitality minister

 Adrian Dominican Sister Nora (Marie Phelim) Brady, 93, died Jan. 5, in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Ireland, she was in the 70th year of her religious life.

Sister Nora ministered in Michigan and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Denis (1972-1981, 1982-1992) and served St. Denis Parish as hospitality minister (1992-2006).

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Sr. Cecilia Marie Brown

Educator

Adrian Dominican Sister Cecilia Marie (Barbara Jane Mary) Brown, 95, died Jan. 5 in Adrian, Michigan. Born in Rockford, Illinois, she was in the 76th year of her religious life.

She ministered in Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Edmund, Oak Park (1955-1956); St. Denis (1963-1966); St. Albert the Great, Oak Lawn (1967-1969); St. Mary Star of the Sea (1970-1971); and St. Collette, Rolling Meadows (1971-1972). She also was plant manager at the Immaculata Congregational Home, Bartlett (1990-1991).

She is survived by a sister, Rosemary Naill.

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Sr. Mary Matthew Janciar

Educator

Adorers of the Blood of Christ Sister Mary Matthew (Bridgit) Janciar, 93, died Jan. 6 in Pennsylvania.   

She entered the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in 1939 as a high school student. She professed first vows in 1942 and final vows five years later.

As a young sister, she taught primary grades at St. Jerome School and in schools in Missouri and Pennsylvania.

She later taught high school and college, directed scholastics in her community, and served as a local and provincial coordinator. She then served in Hispanic and parish ministry in Pennsylvania.

Sister Mary Matthew is survived by a stepbrother, Leonard Kuzbel.

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Sr. Mary Hemeyer

Educator

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary (Muritta) Hemeyer, 88, died Jan. 7 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Sister Mary made her first religious profession in 1950 and her perpetual profession in 1953.

Sister Mary served in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Wyoming.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Mary taught at Visitation (1950-1953) and served as secretary at Trinity High School, River Forest (1981-1982).

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Fr. John Crocker

Educator, pastoral minister

Jesuit Father John R. (Jack) Crocker, 88, died Jan. 8.

Born in Chicago, he was a Jesuit for 70 years.

After earning his doctorate, Father Jack taught in the Department of Clinical Psychology at the Child Guidance Center in Hines VA Hospital (1967-1969). He then spent eight years at Loyola University Chicago, where he was the director of the Speech Pathology Center at the medical center and was an assistant professor of physical medicine and associate professor of psychology.

While he was at Loyola University, he spent a year at the Rome Center (1973-1974).

After spending two years in Chicago as the provincial assistant for planning and higher education (1992-1994), he returned to Rome and was the socius to the Delegate for International Houses for one year before becoming the superior and director of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem (1995-1998).

After another two years in Chicago, Father Jack returned to Italy, where he was the assistant to the rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome (2000-2001) and the minister of the Anthony Baldinucci Community in Florence.

In 2004, Father Jack returned to the United States for the last time and focused on spiritual and pastoral ministries: the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth, Wernersville, Pennsylvania (2004-2006); Jesuit Retreat Center at Milford, Ohio (2006-2008); in the Chicago area (2008-2012); and at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House, Barrington (2012-2013). He moved to Colombiere Center in Michigan in 2013.

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Sr. Mary Suzanne Bacia

Educator, librarian

Felician Sister Mary Suzanne (Sandra Mary) Bacia, 74, died Jan. 9 at Our Lady of the Angels Convent.

Born in Chicago, she attended Sts. Peter and Paul School and St. Joseph High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1962 and professed her final vows in 1970. She ministered in elementary schools as a teacher and librarian in Illinois and Wisconsin. 

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Bruno (1965-1966, 1982-1985); St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates (1967-1967); St. John of God (1967-1968, 1985-1986); Sacred Heart (1968-1971); St. Bronislava (1971-1972); St. Stanislaus, Posen (1973-1978); Good Shepherd (1978-1980); and St. Helen (1987-1989).

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