Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Ann Mueninghoff, 79, died May 16 in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters in 1968. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English education from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest; a certificate of theology from St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin; and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago.

Sister Mary Ann’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, religious education and higher education. She taught in Minnesota and was a religious education director in Montana as well as at Epiphany Parish and St. Luke Parish, River Forest.

She then worked for the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation as director of the Apostolic Volunteers program; was director of residence halls and a counselor and rector at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana; and was promoter of mission integration at Dominican University.

She is survived by a sister, Janet Collins, and brothers David, Eric and Robert Mueninghoff.

Father Gerald E. Rogala, 85, died May 7. He was a retired archdiocesan priest and pastor emeritus of the former St. Thecla Parish, now part of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish.

Born in Waukegan, Father Rogala attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1966.

He also earned a master’s degree in New Testament studies from the University of Chicago.

Father Rogala was assistant pastor of St. John Brebeuf, Niles, and St. John Berchmans, now part of Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish. He also taught at Niles College of Loyola University.

He was associate pastor of St. Mary, Buffalo Grove, and pastor of St. Josaphat; Our Lady of the Brook, now part of St. Norbert and Our Lady of the Brook Parish, Northbrook; St. Stephen Protomartyr, now part of Mary, Mother of Martyrs, Des Plaines; and the former St. Thecla. He retired in 2010.

“He enjoyed teaching,” said Father Thomas J. Vitro, a classmate of Father Rogala. “He was a contemporary Catholic priest, very proud of the parishes he served in. He identified with those communities and met all expectations of a priest ordained 60 years ago.”

Vitro added that Father Rogala liked skiing and playing the guitar.

Father Richard J. Kozak, 84, died April 15. He was a retired archdiocesan priest and former pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Homewood, now St. John Neumann Parish.

Born in Chicago, Father Kozak attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

He was assistant pastor of St. Felicitas Parish and associate pastor of St. Simeon, Bellwood; St. Maria Goretti, Schiller Park; and Sacred Heart, Melrose Park. He was pastor of the former St. Joseph, Homewood, for nearly 17 years before retiring in 2015.

In a 2012 interview with the archdiocesan newspaper, Kozak mentioned that he lost sight in one eye a month before being ordained. He said, “I’m convinced it deepened my spiritual vision of the Lord even though I lost physical vision. It happened on St. Joseph’s Day, March 19, 1967. I look back on my life and say, ‘Well Lord, I guess you had a plan for me.’”

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Joan (Ternan) McCann, 85, died April 9 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Born in Chicago, she professed vows with the Sinsinawa Dominicans in 1961. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, a master’s in the teaching of mathematics and a master’s in education management and supervision.

Sister Joan’s ministry was dedicated to education, administration and consultancy. She taught at schools in Washington, D.C.; Freeport, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin; and Baltimore Maryland; as well as at St. Mary School, Evanston, and Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity School, Winnetka.

She was an assistant superintendent in the Office of Education of the Archdiocese of Atlanta before joining with Adrian Dominican Sister Mary-beth Beres to found Leadership Systems, a nonprofit consulting ministry serving religious congregations, social service organizations and schools.

Following that ministry, Sr. Joan served the Sinsinawa Dominican congregation as vicaress provincial of the Southern Province before becoming vicar for consecrated life for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Sister Joan retired in 2010 and volunteered in the Oak Lawn area until 2024, when she moved to Stair Crest, a senior living community in Muskego, Wisconsin.

She is survived by three sisters: Marjorie Kayser, Alice McCann, and Nancy Tegtmeyer.  

School Sister of Notre Dame Catherine (David Maureen) Sarther, 83, died April 10 at Ascension Resurrection Life Center.

A member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 63 years, she taught high school at Academy of Our Lady and taught in elementary schools in Chicago and Milwaukee. She also assisted international students at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park, was a researcher for Chicago Public Schools, and served her community as a provincial councilor in Chicago and a general councilor in Rome.

She is survived by her siblings: David Sarther, James Sarther, Margaret Fox and William Sarther.