Father James E. Flynn, 82, died Jan. 5. He was pastor emeritus of Holy Name of Mary Parish.
Born in Chicago, he attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1967.
Father Flynn was assistant pastor of St. Priscilla, Resurrection (now part of St. Martin de Porres) and Our Lady of the Mount Parish (now part of Our Lady, the Mystical Rose Parish) in Cicero. He served as associate pastor of St. Angela (now part of St. Simon Cyrene) and Holy Name of Mary (now part of Our Lady of Kibeho Parish), where he was named pastor emeritus after he retired in 2012.
He served in retirement at Ascension-St. Susanna in Harvey and St. Gerard Majella in Markham.
Father Thadeo Mgimba, archdiocesan priest and one of Father Flynn’s close friends, remembers Father Flynn as a remarkable person who “was very simple, humble and had a golden heart.”
“He was my spiritual father, my mentor and my friend,” Mgimba added.
Father Stephen F. Kanonik, 68, died Jan. 7. He was pastor of St. Benedict Parish on Irving Park Road.
Born in Chicago, Father Kanonik attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1982.
He served as associate pastor of St. Bruno and St. Louise de Marillac, La Grange Park. He then served as pastor of St. Ladislaus, St. Juliana and St. Benedict Parish. He also served as moderator of the curia and recently had been a member of the Priest Placement Board.
Father Thomas Refermat, associate pastor of St. Benedict, remembered Father Kanonik as “a man who loved the people, cared for the people and wanted to speak up for his parishioners.” “He loved them, and his parishioners loved him, especially the children,” Refermat said. “Working side by side with him, I always saw him as an older brother.”
Father James Kastigar, one of Father Kanonik’s classmates, remembers Father Kanonik as a “very kind, gentle man who really loved other people and he took time to listen to them. He’d always stop what he was doing to talk to people.”
Deacon Robert Boharic, 79, died Jan. 12. He was ordained in 1999 and served at St. Paul VI Parish, formerly at St. Mary, Riverside.
Born at Misericordia Maternity Home in Chicago and then adopted, he attended St. Sabina Parish and Leo High School.
A former U.S. Marine, Deacon Boharic was a prosecutor and a judge in Cook County. He told Chicago Catholic in 2012 that his journey to the diaconate began after his son, Bobby, died of a childhood cancer in 1982.
At that time, he and his wife, Kathleen, began to dig deeper into their faith and became more active in their parish.
Deacon Boharic is survived by his wife, his children Father Thomas Boharic, Marie Schwarzenberger, Margaret Boharic and John Boharic; and seven grandchildren.
Felician Sister Paul Marie (Mary Pulveria, Stella) Pietroczynski, 101, died Dec. 19 in Mother of Good Counsel Convent.
Born in Chicago, she attended Holy Trinity School and Good Counsel High School. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1942 and professed her final vows in 1950. She ministered in various elementary schools as a teacher and principal in Illinois, Wisconsin, Alabama and Minnesota. She also served in the Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Phone Ministry from 2004 to 2017.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Bruno (1942-1943); St. Turibius (1944-1946); St. Bronislava (1946-1947); St. Mary Magdalene (1947-1948); St. Hedwig, Niles (1948-1851); Our Lady of the Gardens (1955-1970); St. Joseph (1985-1986, 1993-1997); Sacred Heart (1988-1990); St. Wenceslaus (1990-1992); and Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1997-2004).
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