Sister of St. Joseph-Third Order of St. Francis Regina Wachowski, 84, died Dec. 6 in Manaus, Brazil.

A member of her religious community for 68 years, she taught at St. Roman and St. Mary of Perpetual Help before embarking on a 44-year ministry in Brazil. She was a medical missionary in the Esperanca Project, traveling down the Amazon River on a hospital ship. She spent many years in the medical field before serving as a pastoral care worker in Manaus.

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).

Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Sister Joanne Whalen died April 30 in Bridgeton, Missouri.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from Josephinum High School in 1949 and earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Rosary College, River Forest, in 1953.

Sister Joanne worked several years before entering the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in 1962. She taught regular and special education in New Orleans, Missouri and Texas.

She is survived by her brother, Robert Whalen, and her sister, Mary Whalen.

Springfield Dominican Sister Mary Ventura died on April 26 at Sacred Heart Convent in Springfield, Illinois.

She was born in Bradley, Illinois, in 1928. She made her profession of vows in 1947 at Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield.

She taught primary school in Chicago, Mt. Sterling, Odell and Springfield, Illinois. In Aurora and Morrisonville, Illinois, she was a principal and junior high teacher.

She also taught in East Alton and Rantoul, spent 14 summers in Mendota administering a federally funded program for migrant children, and served part-time on the staff at Alfred Fortin Villa, Bourbonnais.

After teaching Vietnamese refugees in Peoria from 1985-1986, Sister Mary moved to St. Bernadette Parish in Evergreen Park, where she served for 30 years. She taught fourth grade, and in 1996 started Essential Learning Solutions, a computerized learning program for children and adults with learning difficulties.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Catherine Rita (Thomasina) Palmisano, 86, died April 17 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Champaign, Illinois, Sister Catherine made her first religious profession in 1949 and her final profession in 1952. Sister Catherine lived her entire religious life ministering in Illinois and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Catherine taught at Visitation (1949-1958) and St. Giles, Oak Park (1966-1968). She taught (1977-1999), was administrative assistant (1999-2005) and volunteered (2005-2010) at St. Thomas More.

She is survived by a sister, Mary Spradley.

=Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Marcella (Baptista) Connolly, 88, died April 13 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Sister Marcella founded the Apostolic Volunteer program in 1973, which is now Dominican Volunteers USA, and served in the leadership of the congregation.

Born in Iowa, she made her first religious profession in 1949, and her final profession in 1952.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Marcella taught at St. Brendan (1949-1951) and Holy Trinity High School (1994-2003), where she also served as campus minister (1987-1994). She served as principal at Epiphany (1976-1987); campus minister at Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest (1994- 1996); and pastoral minister at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital (2003-2006), and she was coordinator for the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation’s Preaching for the Foreign Mission Fund (2006-2007).

She is survived by a sister, Mary Alice Hansen and a brother, William Connolly.

Sister of Christian Charity De- Lourdes (Evelyn) Bragg, 104, died Dec. 4 at Sacred Heart Convent, Wilmette.

Born in Michigan, she was received into the novitiate in 1930, made first vows in 1932 and perpetual vows in 1937.

She taught in schools in Missouri, Louisiana and Iowa as well as at Mallinckrodt High School, Wilmette, where she taught ninthgrade religion, English and Latin (1942-1943).

She returned to the motherhouse in Wilmette in 1985 and began teaching art at Mallinckrodt College. When she came to Sacred Heart Convent in 1999 a group of former students followed her; they would continue to meet until 2012 in the basement of Sacred Heart Convent to paint, talk and enjoy refreshments twice a week.

Servite Father (Leroy) Philip Scherer, 95, died April 12 at St. Joseph’s Village.

Born in Chicago, he attended Our Lady of Grace School and St. Philip High School. He entered the Order of Friar Servants of Mary in 1948 and professed solemn vows in 1952. He was ordained in 1955.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was assistant principal at St. Philip High School; parochial vicar at Seven Holy Founders, Calumet Park; Assumption (Illinois Street); St. Donatus, Blue Island; and Annunciata; and chaplain for the Servite Sisters Mother of Sorrows Convent, Blue Island. He retired in 2004.

Father Scherer is survived by his brother, Robert.

Felician Sister Mary Georgia (Theresa) Maleski, 91, died April 8 at Our Lady of the Angels.

Born in Belmont, Wisconsin, she attended Good Counsel High School and entered the Felician Sisters postulancy in 1944. She professed her final vows in 1953.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Bruno (1947- 1951, 1973-1975); SS. Peter & Paul (1951- 1954); St. James (1960- 1961); Holy Innocents (1961-1965); St. Joseph (1982-1983;, St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates (1983-1984); and Our Lady of Ransom, Niles (1984-1988).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Sabina Ryan, 89, died April 8 in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin.

Born in Nebraska, she made her first religious profession in 1953 and her final profession in 1956. She ministered mostly in education in Alabama, Illinois, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, New York, Florida and Wisconsin.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Sabina taught at St. Patrick, Lemont (1960-1963); Visitation (1966-1967); St. Thomas More (1973-1974); and St. Brendan (1981-1982).

She is survived by four sisters, Dominican Sister Nora Ryan, Imelda McMillin, Mary Rehan and Virginia Garner; and three brothers, John Ryan, Jesuit Father James Ryan and George Ryan.