Sister Mary Charitas Gajdzinski

TEACHER, MUSICIAN

Franciscan Sister of Chicago Mary Charitas (Helen Antoinette) Gajdzinski, 92, died Oct. 8.

A Cleveland, Ohio, native, Sister Charitas entered the congregation in 1931. She studied at De- Paul University, St. Xavier College and Loyola University in Chicago, among other institutions, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and certificates in music and theology.

In Chicago, Sister Charitas taught at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr School, St. Pancratius School, Five Holy Martyrs School, and Madonna High School, where she also served as chair of the English department. She also taught at St. Louise de Marillac School in La Grange Park. Other assignments were in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

She also taught piano and played piano and organ at her various schools and parishes.

In 1985, she left education and began serving as a medical librarian at St. Anthony Medical Center. In 2002, she retired to Our Lady of Victory Convent, the congregation’s motherhouse, and last year joined the St. Clare infirmary community.

Sister M. Teresita Kuczmarski

TEACHER, HEALTH CARE WORKER

Franciscan Sister of Chicago Mary Teresita (Mary) Kuczmarski, 102, died Nov. 18.

A Cleveland, Ohio, native, she was educated by the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago and worked to help support her family at a grocery store, wool mill and men’s suit company. She entered the congregation in 1927, when she was 19 years old.

Sister Teresita spent 53 years in education as teacher and principal. In the Archdiocese of Chiciago she taught at St. Pancratius School, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr School and Five Holy Martyrs. She also taught in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio before taking up a health care ministry in Ohio in 1981. She returned to the motherhouse in Lemont in 1997.

Sister M. Deofilia Piaskowy

TEACHER

Franciscan Sister of Chicago Mary Deofilia (Frances JoAnn) Piaskowy, 90, died Nov. 28.

A Chicago native, she was baptized at St. Florian Church and entered the community in 1936.

Sister ministered in education from 1937-87, including assignments at Five Holy Martyrs School, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr School and St. Pancratius in Chicago, as well as in other dioceses in Illinois and Indiana. She spent more than 30 years serving her congregation as local secretary and minister in many convents where she lived.

Sister Deofilia began her ministry at Our Lady of Victory Convent in Lemont in 1987 as director of the motherhouse gift shop and as a receptionist.

She is survived by her sister, Gladys Piaskowy.

Father Edward Norton

MISSIONARY, ADMINISTRATOR

Divine Word Father Edward Norton, 90, died Dec. 31 in Techny.

A Massachusetts native, Father Norton entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1940. After earning his master’s degree, he was sent to China in 1947. When all Catholic missionaries were expelled less than a year later, he went to the Philippines.

Father Norton worked as an administrator at the University of San Carlos, Cebu, and founded an all-girls secondary school. He returned to the United States in 1953 and completed a doctorate in educational administration at the University of Chicago.

Father Norton’s roles included rector of the Divine Word Seminary in Duxbury, Mass., 1961-67; rector of Divine Word College in Washington, D.C., 1976-85; and Chicago Province director of education, recruitment and formation 1985 until his retirement in 1991.

Sister Irene Jacobs

EDUCATOR

School Sister of St. Francis Irene (Andrew) Jacobs, 98, died Jan. 6 in Milwaukee.

A Wisconsin native, she entered the congregation in 1928.

Sister Irene lived her religious ministry as a teacher, principal and sacristan. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Irene served as teacher at St. Clara School (1929-1934).

Sister Irene is survived by her sister, Sister Mary Basil Jacobs.

Sister Rita Benz

EDUCATOR, COMMUNICATOR

BVM Sister Rita (Borgia) Benz, 87, died Jan. 10 in Dubuque, Iowa.

A Chicago native, Sister Rita was professed in 1952.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served in public relations and communications in many areas: from the National Association of Women Religious and St. Francis Hospital in Evanston; to assistant editor at ACTA Publishing. She was associate public relations director at Mundelein College from 1985- 88. She also served on the editorial advisory board of The Chicago Catholic newspaper.

From 1962-69, Sister was teacher of novices and postulants at Mount Carmel and director of communications for the BVM congregation at Mount Carmel.

Born on Chicago’s Southeast Side, in St. Bride Parish, her father was a celebrated pitcher for the White Sox, Joe “Butcher Boy” Benz. Sister Rita and her late brother Joe Jr., threw out the first ball at a celebration at old Comisky Park in 1990 just before the new stadium opened in Chicago.