Obituaries

Sr. Joanne O’Connor

Educator

Adrian Dominican Sister Joanne (Helen Susan, Mary Joannes) O’Connor, 96, died March 8 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Chicago, she was in the 78th year of her religious profession.

Sister Joanne ministered in education in Florida, Michigan and Illinois, and as a medical technician, tribunal advocate and congregational leader in California. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Philip Neri School.

Sister Joanne is survived by a sister, Joan Panaro.

Fr. Charles Duster

Missionary

Columban Father Charles Duster, 82, died March 7 in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Born in Iowa, he attended Regis University in Denver and Marquette University in Milwaukee before entering the seminary. He completed his studies and was ordained a priest of the Missionary Society of St. Columban in 1961.

He served in Japan from 1962 to 1968. He was based in Omaha, Nebraska, while he served as Midwest vocation director for his congregation from 1969-1972, a position he continued while residing at the Columban House in Chicago.

After lengthy assignments in Fiji and in Rome, he returned to Chicago. He was assigned to the Columban Magnolia house, where he worked on mission promotion and vocations (2005-2011) and served as house superior (2008-2011).

He returned to Omaha in 2011 and worked in planned giving and development and served as superior of the Omaha community (2012-2016).

He is survived by his brother, William Duster, and his sister, Katie Enns.

Sr. Mary Kathryn Guenther

Educator

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Kathryn Guenther, 87, died March 4 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in South Dakota, Sister Mary Kathryn made her first religious in 1949 and her final profession in 1952. She taught, was an activity director and did pastoral ministry in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Mary Kathryn taught at Immaculate Conception, Waukegan (1949-1956); and St. Richard (1958-1962).

Sr. Joanna Trapp

Educator

Benedictine Sister Joanna (Jean Ann) Trapp, 90, died on March 3 at St. Scholastica Monastery.

Born in Detroit, she moved to Chicago with her family and attended St. Ignatius Parish and St. Scholastica High School. She entered the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago in 1946, a year after graduation, and professed final vows in 1951.

She taught at St. Hilary and St. Lambert, Skokie, and at elementary and high schools in Colorado. She returned to Chicago and taught for the next 42 years at St. Scholastica Academy.

She is survived by her sister, Norene Mahoney.

Sr. Margaret Haas

Educator, parish minister

BVM Sister Margaret (St. Leonard) Haas, 84, died March 1 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she entered the BVM congregation in 1953, from St. Paul of the Cross Parish, Park Ridge, and professed final vows in 1961.

In Chicago, Sister Margaret taught at Immaculata High School and Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein. She ministered as curriculum consultant for the Archdiocese of Chicago; was director of connections for the adult education center at Malcolm X College; served in donor relations for the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls; and worked in parish ministry at St. Gertrude Parish. She also was a teacher in Iowa, California and Nebraska.

She is survived by her sisters Marilyn Haas (her twin), Monica Michelau, Mary Kathryn Amaya, Carolyn Thompson, Mary Beth Fitt and Patricia Bougher; and her brothers John, Thomas and Robert Haas.

Sr. Mary Joanne Maslowski

Educator

Felician Sister Mary Joanne (Agnes) Maslowski, 91, died Feb. 25 at Our Lady of the Angels Convent.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, she entered the Felician Sisters in 1943 and professed her final vows in 1951. For most of her religious life, she ministered in elementary and high schools as a teacher and principal in Illinois and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at Good Shepherd (1945-1947, 1960-1962), Holy Innocents (1947-1952), St. Cyril and Methodius, Lemont (1952-1957), Holy Rosary, North Chicago (1957-1960), St. Wenceslaus (1968-1969), St. Turibius (1969-1970), St. Joseph High School (1970-1978), St. Bruno (1984-1985) and Good Counsel High School (1992-2002).

Sr. Mary Loyola Reszka

Educator, community leader

Resurrection Sister M. Loyola Reszka, 95, died Feb. 24 at Resurrection Life Center. Born in North Dakota, she was received into the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection in 1941.

Sister M. Loyola taught at St. Casimir, St. Thecla, St. Mary of the Angels and Resurrection Academy in the Archdiocese of Chicago and at schools in Florida. She also spent 32 years teaching at Resurrection High School.

After leaving the high school, she served as directress of novices, local superior, archivist and librarian at the provincial home of the Sisters of the Resurrection.

Fr. Charles Bueche

Missionary, parish priest

Redemptorist Father Charles Bueche, 89, died Feb.16 in Liguori, Missouri.

He spent the first 30 years of his priesthood as a missionary in Thailand. Returning to the United States, he served as a parish priest at St. Alphonsus (Wellington Avenue) during the 1970s before undertaking various assignments in Colorado, Kansas and Missouri.

Fr. Henry Novak

Pastor, treasurer

Redemptorist Father Henry Novak, 92, died Feb. 11 in Liguori, Missouri.

Stationed in the Archdiocese of Chicago for more than 50 years, he served at Old St. Michael (Old Town) from 1957 to 1967 and was pastor of St. Alphonsus (Wellington Avenue) from 1967 to 1972. He then directed the Villa Redeemer Retreat House in Glenview for several years before serving as province treasurer until 1996. He remained there until 2011, frequently saying Mass at neighboring parishes, convents and nursing homes.

Sr. Virginia Lacy

Educator

Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Virginia (Michael of the Trinity) Lacy, 85, died Dec. 1, 2016, in Ohio.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, she was a sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 67 years. She entered the community in 1949 and made her final vows in 1957.

She taught and served as principal of elementary schools in Chicago and Ohio, and later was a pastoral minister. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Peter Canisius (1953-1960, 1965-1973).

Advertising