Father Bernard J. Pietrzak, 68, died Nov. 29, He was pastor of St. Anne Parish, Barrington.
Born in Hammond, Indiana, Father Pietrzak attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1981.
He served as associate pastor of St. Victor, Calumet City; Holy Cross, Deerfield; and Church of the Holy Spirit, Schaumburg. He was pastor of St. Raymond de Penafort, Mount Prospect, from 1996 to 2009 before being named pastor of St. Anne Parish in 2009.
Father Jerome Jacob got to know Father Pietrzak when he served as his associate pastor at St. Raymond de Penafort.
“Bernie was a good mentor and friend. He always saw the best in people. He would encourage young priests and welcome them,” Jacob said. “The Sunday assembly was very important to him. … He was very dedicated to adult formation, marriage preparation, etc., to help people grow in their spirituality.”
Father Joji Thanugundla and Father Rodolfo Ramirez, associate pastors of St. Anne, wrote a tribute to Pietrzak on the parish’s Instagram account and said: “Father Bernie served our St. Anne community with unwavering dedication, compassion, and a profound commitment to his faith. He touched the lives of many with his inspiring homilies, guidance, and selfless service.”
Deacon N. Arthur Metallo, 86, died Dec. 3. He was ordained in 1974 and served at St. Martha Parish, Morton Grove.
Deacon Metallo worked as a Jewel Foods grocery store manager before becoming pastoral care director at St. Francis Hospital, Evanston, and Resurrection Hospital. He was honored as National Chaplains Association Chaplain of the Year when he retired.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and his children Cheryl Bischoff, Susan Metallo and Lou Metallo; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and siblings of Carole Metallo, Fran Falcone and Bobby Metallo.
Divine Word Brother John DeBold, 89, a missionary who helped people with disabilities overcome isolation, died on Oct. 13.
Born in Pittsburgh, he began to develop bilateral profound deafness as a teenager but continued to learn with the help of hearing aids and sign language.
A Divine Word confrere once asked about his journey to missionary life, and Brother John responded, “I had the urge to become a priest or missionary since age 17 or so. I knew I was handicapped and knew what it meant and felt like. I had the call to help those in the world who were similar to [me].”
After graduating from high school, Brother John worked in Nabisco’s baking and mixing departments for 17 years. In his mid-30s, he yearned for more, and he entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1973.
He graduated from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., in 1984 and the following year he was assigned to work for the deaf ministry of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He later was transferred to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and continued working in deaf ministry in the Diocese of Biloxi.
After returning to Pittsburgh to care for his mother, Brother John volunteered at the Pittsburgh Deaf Center, which focuses on deaf clients with developmental disabilities, and worked in Goodwill Industries’ wood shop training program, where he assisted deaf and developmentally disabled clients.
Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Catherine (Ann Virginia) Gagliano, 85, died Nov. 27 in Adrian, Michigan.
Born in Rockford, she was in the 66th year of her religious life.
Sister Mary Catherine ministered in education, pastoral care and campus ministry, and as a volunteer in Michigan and Illinois.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Rita School (1963-1967); Our Lady of Knock, Calumet City (1967-1969); St. Philip Neri (1969-1971); St. Celestine, Elmwood Park (1971-1974); Trinity High School, River Forest (1980-1981); and Mother Guerin High School, River Grove (1991-1992); did vocation outreach for the Adrian Dominican congregation (2008-2010); volunteered in the food pantry at St. Germaine Parish, Oak Lawn (2010-2015) and tutored in the Sister of St. Joseph School on Wheels (2010-2017).
She is survived by a brother, Frank Gagliano, and a sister, Virginia La Marca.
Deacon George Brooks, 83, of Tinley Park, died Nov. 15. He was ordained in 1991 and served at Infant Jesus of Prague in Flossmoor and as a chaplain at Cook County Jail.
Deacon Brooks is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children Karen Hyma, Donna Lanigan and Patrick Brooks; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by one child, Georgie Brooks.
Deacon John J. Debnar, 93, formerly of Brookfield and Countryside, died Nov. 22. He served for 40 years at St. Barbara Parish, Brookfield.
Deacon Debnar was an Air Force veteran and worked as a barber.
His wife, Mary Ann, predeceased him. He is survived by his children Steven Debnar, Jack Debnar, Mary Ann Debnar, Tim Debnar and Chris Debnar; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and siblings Mike Debnar and Helen Benway.
Adrian Dominican Sister Mary J. (Clare Olivia) Beaubien, 95, died Oct. 25 in Adrian, Michigan.
Born in Adrian, she was in the 78th year of her religious life.
Sister Beaubien ministered in all levels of education years in Illinois, Michigan, Florida and Ohio, and in community development and teacher training in Mogwase and Kroonstad, South Africa.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Celestine, Elmwood Park.
She is survived by her sister, Margaret Simonis.
Adrian Dominican Sister Marlene (Anthony Irene) Kuhnlein, 89, died Oct. 28 in Adrian, Michigan.
Born in Chicago, she was in her 72nd year of religious life.
Sister Marlene was a teacher; residential home staff member, case worker and social worker; pastoral counselor and bereavement companion; and secretary in Michigan, Illinois, Florida, New Mexico and Arizona.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Albert the Great, Oak Lawn (1962-1966); Queen of Apostles, Riverdale (1966-1967); St. Laurence (1967-1969); St. James, Maywood (1969-1972); and Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1972-1974).
Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Dorothy (Rita Cascia) Victor, 93, died Oct. 28 in Milwaukee.
Born in Rockford, she made her first religious profession in 1950, and her perpetual profession in 1953. She was a teacher and principal, and spent seven years as a missionary in Cochabamba, Bolivia. In the U.S., she ministered in Illinois, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia and Florida.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Dorothy taught at St. Philip Benizi (1950-1956), St. Jarlath (1963-1966) and St. Basil (1978-1980).
Daughter of Charity Sister Marillac (Mildred Elizabeth) Grabinski, 94, died Oct. 30 in Evansville, Indiana.
Born in Chicago, she graduated from Good Counsel High School in 1947 and entered the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis in 1951.
After initial formation, Sister Marillac taught at elementary schools in Missouri, Alabama, Utah and Illinois. She also served as a docent at the Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland; worked in social services and as a parish visitor and as an outreach minister.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Francis de Sales School in Lake Zurich (1980) and worked at Marillac Social Center (1980, 1986-1989) and St. Joseph Hospital (1989-1994).
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