Fr. Gerard Weber

CATECHETICAL WRITER

Father Gerald Weber, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a prolific writer of religious education texts, died Dec. 22 in Los Angeles. He was 91 years old.

Father Weber last served in Chicago from 1968-72 as pastor of St. Columbanus Parish on Chicago’s South Side.

Father Weber served as assistant pastor at St. Carthage Parish from 1958-68, where he mentored Wilton Gregory, a non-Catholic, African-American student attending St. Carthage School, who later was ordained a priest, served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago and is the current Archbishop of Atlanta.

In 1949, he founded Apostolate, a magazine for chaplains in the specialized Catholic Action movements, and edited this publication until 1954. In 1952, Father Weber co-authored with James Killgallon a manual for chaplains in the popular Christian Family Movement and in 1958 the two co-authored the adult instruction book, “Life in Christ,” which solidified their reputation as best-selling catechetical writers.

During the 1960s, Father Weber co-authored a book for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Liturgical Press that outlined sermons, many of which were later reprinted by other religious publishers. He coauthored “Beyond the Commandments” for Herder and Herder with Kilgallon. He also created the series “Word and Worship” with Killgallon and Sister Mary Michael O’Shaunessey that included eight texts and teacher’s manuals used in archdiocesan elementary schools and parish religious education classes.

During that same period, he coauthored or edited four books for children and parents on preparing for the sacraments for the Catholic educational publisher Benzinger, and in the early 1970s, he co-authored that company’s book on the religious program “The Word is Life.” By 1972, Father Weber was working full time as a writer of religious education texts.

Father Weber was the founder of ACTA Foundation, an organization created to serve anyone who wanted to contribute to the catechetical writings of the Catholic Church. ACTA Foundation was eventually sold to a Catholic publisher and is now ACTA Publications.

Father Weber was a Chicago native and a graduate of the Chicago public school system, Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. Ordained in 1943, he served as assistant pastor for the next seven years at St. Nicholas Parish, Evanston, then as assistant pastor at Immaculate Conception (1950-52) and St. Francis Xavier (1952-58).

Father Weber is survived by a brother, Donald, and a sister, Rose.

Fr. William J. Kelly

PASTOR EMERITUS

Father William J. Kelly, a pastor and assistant pastor in Oak Park parishes for nearly 30 years, died Dec. 28. He was 89 years old and retired from active ministry in 1987.

He was living with a niece in Cicero at the time of his death.

A Chicago native, Father Kelly attended Catholic elementary schools in Chicago and graduated from Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained in 1948.

His first assignment was as assistant pastor at Nativity of Our Lord Parish, where he served for six years. For nine years beginning in 1954, Father Kelly was the assistant pastor at St. Edmund Parish in Oak Park. He also served as assistant pastor at St. Charles Borromeo Parish on West Roosevelt (1963-68) and St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Oak Park (1968-75).

In 1975, Father Kelly was named pastor of St. Edmund Parish, and remained there until his retirement, when he was named pastor emeritus.

Sr. Elizabeth Mary Meyer

PORTRESS, PRINTER

Benedictine Sister Elizabeth Mary (Mary Dymphna) Meyer, 91, died Dec. 5 in Clyde, Mo.

Sister Elizabeth Mary was born in Carlyle, Ill., and entered the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in 1939. During her ministry, she lived in a monastery in Mundelein, working with many seminarians — a duty that fulfilled her lifelong dedication to praying for seminarians and priests. She also served in Kansas City, Mo., and San Diego as a portress and in a printery, altar bread department, sacristies and sewing rooms.

Sr. Mary Roman Wagner

TEACHER, PARISH MINISTER

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Roman Wagner, 77, died Dec. 10 in Sun City, Ariz.

A Wisconsin native, Sister Mary Roman entered the congregation in 1952. She taught students in the primary and intermediate grades for 25 years. She then spent 27 years serving in parishes. Sister Mary Roman served in Illinois; Alabama; Washington, D.C.; and Missouri. After retiring, she lived in Peoria and Sun City, Ariz.

In the archdiocese, Sister Mary Roman taught at Visitation (1952-57, 1970-71); Ss. Faith, Hope and Charity, Winnetka (1957-65); St. Thomas of Villanova, Palatine (1971-73); and St. Basil (1990-91). She served as a member of the development staff at Visitation High School (1978-79), and as pastoral minister at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (1979-84) and the Parish Co-op of South Chicago (1984-90). She served as pastoral associate at St. Fabian, Bridgeview, (1991-2004).

She is survived by a sister, Mary Cogan, and a brother, Roman.

Fr. Joel Schevers

TEACHER, PASTOR

Carmelite Father Joel (James) Schevers, 91, died Dec. 14 in Venice, Fla.

A Chicago native, he attended St. Martin, St. Dorothy and St. Kilian schools. He entered the Carmelites in 1935 and was ordained a priest in 1942.

He served in the Diocese of Joliet from 1943-47, before returning to Mount Carmel Preparatory Seminary to teach. Other assignments in Texas and Canada followed, before he went to Austria to serve as part of the original core group at the Carmelite Contemplative Hermitage (1956-57). He then returned to Chicago for three years as part of the Carmelite retreat and mission band. He then served in New Jersey and Florida.

He is survived by his brother Richard and by his sisters Dorothy Cooper and Betty Hamer.

Sr. Mary Ellen Dolan

TEACHER OF HEARING IMPAIRED

BVM Sister Mary Ellen (Thomaselle), Dolan, 81, died Dec. 20 in Dubuque, Iowa. A Wyoming native, she entered the congregation in 1954.

Sister Mary Ellen was a teacher of the hearing impaired in Chicago parochial and public schools for more than 25 years.

She is survived by a brother, Leo.

Sr. Jeanelle Bergen

EDUCATOR

BVM Sister Jeanelle Bergen, 97, died Dec. 26 in Dubuque, Iowa.

A Chicago native, she professed to the BVM congregation in 1940.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Jeanelle served at Immaculata High School, St. Ferdinand and St. Dorothy parish schools from 1935-42. She was on the faculty at Mundelein College in Chicago from 1942-85. She also served as assistant archivist for Mundelein and Loyola colleges from 1987-99.

Sr. Helen C. Flynn

NURSE

BVM Sister Helen (Alberta) Flynn, 94, died Dec. 20 in Iowa.

In the archdiocese, Sister Helen was a nurse at various hospitals in the city, including Michael Reese, Mount Sinai and Lake Shore, from 1972-82.

An Oklahoma native, she was a Sister of the Third Order of St. Francis, Maryville, Mo. She professed to the BVM congregation in 1973.

Sr. Rosemary Powers

PRINCIPAL

Providence Sister Rosemary (Mary Gilbert) Powers, 92, died Dec. 16 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

An Indiana native, she entered the Sisters of Providence in 1935. In her 74 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 47 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.

In the archdiocese, she served as principal at St. Francis Xavier, Wilmette (1946-53), and Immaculate Conception (1962-68).

Sr. Annette Cecile Holmes

MUSIC EDUCATOR

Providence Sister Annette Cecile (Anna Mary) Holmes, 82, died Dec. 28 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

A Maryland native, she entered the congregation in 1946. Of her 63 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as music educator for 48 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Oklahoma, Florida and Washington.

In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Athanasius, Evanston (1948-50); St. Francis Borgia (1953-56); and Mother Theodore Guerin High School, River Grove (1988-90).

She is survived by a sister, Helen E. Dmytrow.

Sr. Adele Mann

TEACHER, CHAPLAIN

Providence Sister Adele (Mary Ida) Mann, 83, died Jan. 4 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

An Indianapolis native, she entered the congregation in 1946. She ministered in education for 24 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and North Carolina, before moving from teaching to chaplaincy. In the archdiocese she taught at St. Andrew (1948-49).

She is survived by a sister, Sue Kosegi.