Deacon Patrick Pierce Sheehan, 82, died Feb. 26. He was ordained in 2000 and ministered at St. James Parish, Arlington Heights, where he was an active member for more than 50 years.

Deacon Sheehan was born in Chicago and was a Chicago Public School teacher for more than 20 years, and he also worked for the Mount Prospect Park District for more than 25 years.

He enjoyed golf and was a member of the St. James Men’s Twilight League, as well as being a member of the Knights of Columbus Holy Rosary Council.

Deacon Sheehan is survived by his wife Margaret Sheehan; his daughters Rose Ann, Nancy and Margi Sheehan; and his grandchildren.

Divine Word Father Dennis Flynn, 90, died Feb. 25 in Techny. He was a missionary to the Philippines, where he was born, for 40 years.

His father died during the 1942 Bataan Death March, in which Japanese soldiers forced Filipino and American prisoners to walk 65 miles in torturous conditions. Before his death, his American father wrote to his Filipino mother, telling her that if something happened to him that he wanted their four children to be raised in the United States.

His mother was able to move the family to Portland, Oregon, in 1948, and then to New Jersey to be closer to their father’s family.

Father Flynn professed vows in 1954 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1961.

Tagalog was his first language, so his assignment to the Philippines was a natural choice. For the first 20 years of his priesthood, Father Flynn provided pastoral care for the indigenous Mangyan people in Mindoro in the Central Philippines.

In the early 1980s, Father Flynn worked with the indigenous population of Australia before being transferred back to the United States. He returned to the Philippines for the last 20 years of his missionary ministry before retiring to Techny in 2020.

Providence Sister Grace Marie Meehan, 93, died March 2 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

Born in Chicago, she attended St. Andrew and St. Sebastian schools. She entered the Sisters of Providence in 1948 and professed final vows in 1955. 

She ministered for 22 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma and California. In 1972, she became a member of the Congregation Renewal Team, and in 1976, she was appointed the administrator of the congregation infirmary.

After five years, she studied to become a registered nurse and then served in health care positions. After retiring in 2016, she served as a volunteer service in the Chicago area and in New Mexico.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she was a nurse (1986-2005) and coordinator of volunteers (2005-2016) at St. Francis Hospital, Evanston, and a volunteer at Alexian Brothers Hospital, Elk Grove Village (2017-2019).

Father Daniel A. Smilanic, 76, died Feb. 20. He was former judicial vicar and vicar for Canonical Services for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Born in Chicago, Father Smilanic attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, Xavier University in Cincinnati, Loyola University Chicago and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein before being ordained in 1973.

In addition to his master’s degree in divinity, Smilanic had a licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He served as assistant pastor of St. Gall Parish and associate pastor of Mary, Seat of Wisdom Parish, Park Ridge, and St. Wenceslaus Parish. He had served in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Chicago since 1984, first as a judge and later as vicar. Father Smilanic also served as the president of the Canon Law Society of America.

Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Grob, a former colleague, described Father Smilanic as a thoughtful canonist.

“He had a deep respect for canon law, especially when it came to the rights of individuals,” Bishop Grob said. “He was very respected throughout the United States.”

He added that Father Smilanic worked as an advocate for priests as a canonical advisor, and was very active in church leadership.

“He had a great laugh and a wonderful sense of humor. A good man,” Bishop Grob said.

Passionist Father Kenneth O’Malley, 87, died Jan. 23 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Father Kenneth entered the Passionist seminary after high school and was ordained in Louisville in 1964.

He taught and was librarian at the Passionist Preparatory Seminary in Warrenton, Missouri, before joining the library staff at Catholic Theological Union in 1969. He soon became head librarian, a post he held until 1999. During those years, he frequently assisted in nearby parishes on weekends, preached retreats as time permitted and served for 12 years as superior of the local Passionist community.

Father Kenneth then served as local superior of the Passionist community in Houston. In 2011, he moved to Louisville to join the senior members of his community.

Father Kenneth is survived by a brother, Dennis Anthony.