Father Thomas J. Mescall, 74, died Feb. 1. He was the former pastor of St. Adrian Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Mescall attended St. Leo School and Leo High School. He went on to the University of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and graduated in 1973 from the John Marshall Law School, now known as University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

Prior to entering the seminary, Father Mescall practiced law in Albuquerque until 2000, serving as a judge for 17 years in municipal, district and probate courts. He married and had two children, and after his divorce, his marriage was nullified.

Father Mescall always felt a pull toward priesthood and in 2000, he entered the Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2004.

Father Mescall served the Archdiocese of Chicago as associate pastor of St. Terrence Parish, Alsip, and St. Denis Parish. He was also chaplain of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago and served as pastor at St. Adrian Parish until he retired in 2018.

He is survived by his son, Thomas J. Mescall II; his daughter, Regina Ann Mescall; four grandchildren; his brother, James Mescall; and his dear and faithful friend, Mary Molina Mescall.

Deacon James Patrick Nimietz, 90, died Jan. 28. He served at St. Benedict (Irving Park Road) and St. John of the Cross, Streamwood.

He is survived by his children Kathleen Colwell, Thomas Nimietz, Michael Nimietz and Gregory Nimietz; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his brother Robert Nimietz.

His wife, Mary Ann, predeceased him.

Viatorian Father John Milton, 92, died Jan. 24 at Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights. He was a Viatorian priest for 65 years and founding faculty member of St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights.

Born in Chicago, he graduated high school from Fournier Institute of Technology in Lemont. He was among the first group of brothers to profess vows at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights after it opened in 1952, and he was ordained a priest in 1957.

He taught in Springfield, Peoria and Kankakee, as well as at St. Viator High School (1963-1965, 1968-1986).

He served as director of novices from 1986 to 1991, and taught part-time at DePaul University in 1987. He became a full-time professor at DePaul in 1991 and taught until 2010, when he was awarded the Via Sapientiae Award, the university’s highest faculty-staff honor.

Father Milton retired to the Viatorian Province Center residence in Arlington Heights, and was a weekend celebrant at St. Zachary Parish, Des Plaines, and served as a consultant to the physics program at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, Waukegan, where he helped establish the Advanced Placement science programs.

He is survived by his brother, George Milton.

Sister Loretta (Mary Nathan) Zemaitis, 99, died Jan. 26 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, Sister Loretta made her first religious profession in 1945 and her perpetual profession in 1948. She was a teacher and tutor, served in adult faith formation and was a director of religious education and pastoral minister in Wisconsin, Illinois, the District of Columbia, Montana, Texas, Wyoming, South Carolina and Florida.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Loretta taught at Visitation (1958-1962), provided food and clothing for those in need at St. Basil Parish (1983-1984), and taught adult religious education and worked with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program at Parish Cooperative of South Chicago (St. Mary Magdalene Parish and Immaculate Conception Parish) (1984-1990).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister LaDonna (Albertino) Jeno, 90, died Jan. 28 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Minnesota, Sister LaDonna made her first religious profession in 1952 and her perpetual profession in 1955. She taught, was a cook and served as support staff and an educational aide in Illinois, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, Minnesota and Alabama.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister LaDonna taught at Epiphany (1952-1954) and Immaculate Conception, Waukegan (1960-1962). She served as cook at Trinity Convent, River Forest (1958-1959).

Edmund Rice Christian Brother Robert Liguori May, 87, died Jan. 30.

Brother Robert attended St. Sabina School and Leo High School before joining the Christian Brothers in 1952.

He taught in New York before returning to the Chicago area. He taught at Brother Rice High School and St. Laurence High School, Burbank, Illinois, where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Brother Robert founded the remedial reading programs at both Brother Rice and St. Laurence, and was active in parents’ clubs and served as band moderator and on school advisory boards. He also served as novice master for his community for seven years.

After retiring in 2005, Brother Robert moved into Marian Village retirement home in Homer Glen, and served on the Resident Council Board, was a sacristan and eucharistic minister, helped in the deli and called bingo and ran other games.

Providence Sister Mary Ann (Robert Ann) Lechner, 92, died Feb. 1 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1947 and professed final voes in 1954. 

She ministered as teacher in Indiana and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Mel (1949-1954).

Sister Mary Ann is survived by two sisters, Elizabeth Bormann and Eileen Lauka.

Benedictine Sister Barbara (Mary Justin) McCarry, 82, died Feb. 2 in St. Joseph Court Infirmary.

Born in Chicago, Sister Barbara attended St. Anthony de Padua Parish and Maria High School. She professed triennial vows in 1964 and made her final profession of vows in 1968.

Sister Barbara taught English for a Chicago public high school (1961-1962), then taught at St. Scholastica Academy (1964-1965, 1968-1974), Queen of All Saints (1966-1967, 1977-1978) and St. Hilary (1967-1968) and then served as curriculum director at St. Scholastica (1974-1977). She returned to Queen of All Saints as principal from 1978 to 1993.

Sister Barbara then trained and served as a probation officer in Chicago at the Juvenile Court Building, with outreach to detention centers in St. Charles and Warrenville. She later returned as a curriculum consultant for the Chicago Board of Education. In 2008, Sister Barbara served as a consultant for UNO Charter Schools.

From 2012 to 2022, Sister Barbara lived a life of prayer.