Providence Sister Michaela (Arline Clare) Galvin, 94, died May 15 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. 

Born in Massachusetts, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1943 and professed final vows in 1951.

She ministered in Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Mel-Holy Ghost (1946); Maternity BVM (1946-1950), St. Leo (1951-1954), St. Andrew (1958-1962) and Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1988-2000).

Adrian Dominican Sister Irene Marie (Mary Louise) Kerich, 94, died May 27 in Adrian, Michigan. She was 94 years of age and in the 77th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican congregation.

Born in Minnesota, she ministered in Michigan, Illinois, New Mexico and Ohio.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Kevin and St. Clare of Montefalco.

Claretian Missionary Father Thomas R. Brummel, 88, died May 29 in Chicago.

Born in Chicago, Father Brummel attended Dominguez Seminary and Loyola University in California and Gregorian University in Rome before being ordained in 1959. 

Father Brummel served as a teacher and professor at various educational institutes in California, New York, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. He also was a professor at the Claretian Institute of Philosophy and the Spiritan International School of Theology, both in Nigeria.

Until his retirement in 2009, he also served part-time at the Chicago parishes of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Paul.

Deacon Robert LaCosse, 80, died May 1 in Marquette, Michigan. He was ordained in 1990 and served at St. Mary Parish, Buffalo Grove, before returning to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where he was born and raised, in 1999.

He served in the Marine Corps from 1957 to 1960 and returned home and married his wife, Janet, in 1962. The couple moved to Chicago the same year. Five years later, they moved to Buffalo Grove.

Deacon LaCosse was an accountant and financial planner for several Chicago-area companies.

He is survived by his wife, Janet; his children Jeffrey LaCosse, Scott LaCosse, Robert Michael LaCosse and Lee Ann LaCosse; six grandchildren; and his brothers Gene LaCosse and Stanley LaCosse.

Deacon Robert A. Banet, 92, died May 7. He was retired and had been living in Crown Point, Indiana. He was ordained in 1977 and ministered at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Calumet City, where he lived at the time.

Deacon Banet was also a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He taught English literature and composition at Calumet College of St. Joseph and Bellarmine University.

He is survived by his children, Kevin Banet, Christopher  Banet, Eva Lambert, David Banet and Jane Zatorski; nineteen grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a sister, Mary Ann Kruer. His wife, Mary, predeceased him.

School Sister of Notre Dame Mary Bruce (Patricia Ann) Wright, 82, died March 1 at Resurrection Life Center.

Born in Chicago, she was baptized at St. Michael Church and attended St. Bonaventure School and St. Michael High School.

She entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1955 and professed final vows in 1963.

Sister Mary Bruce taught intermediate grades at schools in Wisconsin and locally at St. Rosalie, Harwood Heights; and St. Paul. She became an administrator at St. Paul, and later at St. Margaret of Scotland, also in Chicago, after teaching junior high at St. Margaret for several years.

In 1997, Sister Mary Bruce became medical payments coordinator for the Chicago Province, and eventually for the Chicago area of the Atlantic-Midwest Province.

School Sister of Notre Dame Julita (Stella) Jelen, 102, died at Resurrection Life Center on April 18.

She was a vowed member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 84 years.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. John Cantius School and St. Stanislaus Commercial High School. She was received into the novitiate in 1934 and was professed the following year. She taught first grade for 31 years at many schools, including St. Therese Chinese Catholic School. She opened a new school in Wisconsin with two companions before returning to the Archdiocese of Chicago to teach at St. Alphonsus; St. Anthony; and St. Benedict, Blue Island.

In 1975, Sister Julita became principal at St. Michael School in Old Town. Sister Julita was the last principal there; the school closed in 1981.

She was then principal of St. Columba School for 10 years. Following retirement, she remained at St. Columba, ministering to the homebound and elderly and volunteering as librarian and tutor in the school.

She moved to Resurrection Life Center in 2015.

Servite Sister Bridie Kelly, 88, died May 14 in Wheeling.

She retired after many years of service at St. Domitilla School, Hillside.

She is survived by her sisters Kathleen Shanley, Mary Duggan, Nora Doherty and Margaret Callaghan.

Father Edward J. McKenna, 79, died April 11. He was most recently the  Catholic chaplain at St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights.

Father McKenna was born in Chicago and attended St. Dorothy and St. Philip Neri schools, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1965.

He was assistant pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas and associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Glenview; St. Bridget; and St. Paul (22nd Place).

Rev. David P. Dowdle, 65, died April 18. He was senior priest and former pastor of St. John of the Cross Parish in Western Springs.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Bernardine School, Forest Park; Quigley Preparatory Seminary; Niles College Seminary of Loyola University; and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1979.

Father Dowdle served as associate pastor of St. Marcelline, Schaumburg; St. Mary of Celle, Berwyn; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview. He was pastor of St. Gall (1992-2000), then became director of spiritual formation for the Deacon Formation Program.

In 2007, Dowdle was appointed pastor of St. John of the Cross in Western Springs, Illinois, and served in that role until 2018. As his health declined, he continued to serve as a senior priest.

Deacon Mathews VellurattilDeacon Mathews C. Vellurattil, 69, died April 22.

He was ordained in 1999 and served at St. Ladislaus Parish.

He is survived by his wife, Kunjoonjamma (Kay), his son Sijin; two grandchildren; and his siblings Father George Vellurattil, Lizy, Joseph, Alex and Shiny.

Providence Sister Mary Jo (Joseph Maureen) Stewart, 91, died April 20 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Indiana, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1945 and professed final vows in 1952. She ministered in education and health care in Indiana, Illinois, California and Mississippi. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows (1947-1948); St. Genevieve, (1948-1952) and St. Francis Borgia (1952-1954).

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Patricia Ann “Pam” (Marie Job) Miller, 78, died April 25 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Kansas City, Sister Pam made her first religious profession in 1967 and her perpetual profession in 1970. She was a teacher, pastoral minister and congregation leader who served in Minnesota, Illinois, Montana, Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Pam taught at Trinity High School, River Forest (1976-1978).

She is survived by a sister, Cathy Colver, and two brothers, James Miller and Thomas Miller.

Adrian Dominican Sister Beverly (Marie Neal) McEachin, 90, died April 26 in Adrian, Michigan.

Born in Detroit, she was in her 72nd year of religious life,

Sister Beverly ministered in education and school counseling in Illinois, Arizona and Michigan. She also worked in finance and in the sisters’ development office.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Nicholas of Tolentine School (1948-1951, 1962-1965).

She is survived by her sisters Marilyn Helhowski and Susan Nichol and her brothers Patrick McEachin and Robert McEachin.

Viatorian Father Robert T. Bolser, 74, died April 28 in Las Vegas.

Born in Urbana, Illinois, he professed his first vows as a Viatorian in 1964, his final vows in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1995 in Chicago.

Father Bolser held master’s degrees in religious studies, educational psychology and divinity.

He taught in Springfield and Rock Island, Illinois and in Colombia.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served as director of affiliates and in campus ministry at St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights (1983-1989); as a pastoral associate at St. Bartholomew Parish, Waukegan (1989-1991); and parochial vicar at St. Viator Parish (1995-2000, 2001-2006). He also ministered in Las Vegas. He moved to the Province Center retirement residence in Arlington Heights in 2016.

He is survived by his brothers Viatorian Father Charles Bolser, John Bolser and Joseph Bolser; and his sisters Mary Catherine Bolser and Colleen Von De Bur.

Providence Sister Mary (Marie Anita) Leahy, 84, died April 30 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1952 and professed final vows in 1959.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1968-1971); was the coordinator of secondary schools for the St. Joseph Province, based in Chicago (1971-1973); taught at St. Genevieve (1972-1973); was principal at St. Jerome (1973-1979); and was finance and development director at Sacred Heart of Mary High School, Arlington Heights (1980-1985).

She ministered in education and development in Indiana, Illinois and Washington, D.C. In 1997, she was named director of the National Religious Retirement Office, an office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that coordinates fundraising for the retirement of members of all religious congregations.

Sister Mary is survived by two sisters, Sheila Ruskauff and Margaret Frederick.

Father John P. Smyth, 84, died April 16. He served at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines for more than 40 years.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Genevieve, DePaul Academy and Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1957 and turned down an opportunity to play in the National Basketball Association to pursue a vocation to the priesthood. He received a bachelor’s degree in theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in 1962 and was ordained the same year.

Following ordination to the priesthood, Smyth was assigned to Maryville Academy in Des Plaines and served there in a variety of roles for more than 40 years. During his time at Maryville, Smyth also served as the director of the Office of Catechesis and Youth Ministry from 1992 until 1995. In 2007, Smyth was appointed president of Notre Dame College Prep, Niles. He  served until 2014.

Resurrection Sister M. Virginia Tasny, 92, died March 6 at Resurrection Life Center.

She was born in Detroit and worked as a bank teller for six years before entering the congregation in 1950. She made final vows in 1956.

She spent many years teaching primary grades at schools including St. Mary of the Angels; St. Casimir (now Our Lady of Tepeyac); and Queen of the Rosary, Elk Grove Village. She also assisted in the office at Resurrection High School.

Sister Mary Virginia then spent 20 years working at the provincial home as receptionist, assisting the local superior or director of nursing at Queen of the Resurrection.

Providence Sister Cecilia (June) Carter, 92, died March 31 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.  Born in California, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1952 and professed final vows in 1960. She ministered for 41 years as a music teacher in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and California.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Andrew and St. Mel-Holy Ghost.

She moved to the motherhouse in 2002.  Beginning in 2009, she dedicated herself totally to the ministry of prayer.

Holy Family of Nazareth Sister M. Christiana (Dolores Georgianna) Metz, 88, died April 1 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Born in South Heart, North Dakota, she entered religious life in 1946. She earned a teaching diploma and theology certificate from DeLourdes College in Des Plaines in 1954.

She taught for 24 years in Chicago at Roseland, St. Josaphat and Immaculate Heart of Mary. She also taught in Florida and North Dakota.

After her teaching ministry, she spent 13 years caring for the sick at Nazarethville Skilled Nursing Care in Des Plaines. She also served as a nurses’ aide at Jesus the Good Shepherd Convent in Grand Prairie, Texas.