Deacon Leonard Olszak

MINISTERED IN JOLIET DIOCESE

Deacon Leonard “Len” Olszak, 68, died May 9. He was ordained to the permanent diaconate in 1979.

At the time of his death, Olszak lived in Crete and ministered at St. Liborius Parish in Steger, in the Diocese of Joliet.

He was an engineer and owner of M.C. Detailers Inc. in Merrillville, Ind.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; and his children Kevin, Michael and Denise; his sister, Mary Lou Cramer, and brother, Harry.

Sr. Margaret Irene Healy

EDUCATOR, ADMINISTRATOR

BVM Sister Margaret Irene Healy, 93, died May 8 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Born in Kansas, she entered the BVM congregation in 1935 and final vows in 1943.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Margaret taught sixth grade at St. Vincent de Paul (1938-45) and at Annunciation (1945-47).

She also taught secondary school in Kansas City, Mo.; Milwaukee; and Santa Ana, Calif.

She returned to Chicago in 1959, serving as teacher, administrator and director in various capacities at Mundelein College until 1991.

She remained at Wright Hall in Chicago until 2007, serving as volunteer and coordinator.

Sr. Helen Joseph Leffner

EDUCATOR

School Sister of Notre Dame Helen Joseph (Josephine Mary) Leffner, 84, died May 10 at Resurrection Life Center in Chicago.

A Chicago native, she attended St. Stanislaus Kostka elementary and high schools. In 1944, she entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Milwaukee and made her first vows in 1947.

Sister Helen Joseph came to the Academy of Our Lady School in Chicago in 1966 and spent more than 20 years there as a high school teacher and administrator.

She later moved to Leo High School in Chicago where she spent seven years as a counselor and guidance director.

After her retirement in 2002, Sister Helen Joseph continued as a volunteer tutoring English at Corazon a Corazon, an outreach program for Hispanic women and children in Chicago.

Most recently, she also was involved in the youth program at St. Helena of the Cross in Chicago.

Sister Helen Joseph is survived by her brother, Raymond.

Fr. Edward Wilhelm

CHICAGO NATIVE

Redemptorist Father Edward P. Wilhelm, 89, died May 18 in St. Louis.

Born in Chicago, he was baptized at St. Michael Church (Old Town) and grew up in the parochial school and parish of the Redemptorists.

Upon being ordained a Redemptorist priest in 1947, Father Ed was assigned to Brazil to work in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas.

He taught 12 years in the seminary and then spent the next six years traveling up and down the Amazon River, ministering to people living in small villages along the river’s edge, often living on a houseboat for months at a time.

While in Brazil, Father Ed also served as vicar general to Bishop William Murphy, a Redemptorist, in Juazeiro. His last 12 years in Brazil were spent as a pastor in the state of Bahia.

Father Ed returned to the states in 1978, first to Fargo, N.D.

Ten years later he was back in his beloved parish of St. Michael’s in Chicago, where he was since, serving in a variety of positions involving parish ministry.

Sr. Mary Helen Neenan

TEACHER, MISSIONARY

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Helen (Philomene) Neenan, 96, died May 17 in Sinsinawa, Wis.

A Missouri native, she made her first religious profession in 1935 and her final profession in 1938. She taught for 32 years and served as principal for six.

Sister Mary Helen led the first group of four Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where she ministered in religious education and music at Holy Cross Parish for seven years.

Sister Mary Helen served in Washington, D.C.; Illinois; Minnesota; South Carolina; Iowa; Wisconsin; Missouri; and Bolivia.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Mary Helen taught at St. Barnabas, 1936-1937, and St. Jarlath, 1967-1968.

She is survived by a brother, Thomas.

Sr. Joanne Evans

TEACHER, ACTIVITY DIRECTOR

Adrian Dominican Sister Joanne (Charles Catherine) Evans, 70, died May 18 in Adrian, Mich. An Ohio native, she spent 34 years ministering in education in Florida, Ohio and Illinois.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Clare of Montefalco (1964-67); Our Lady of Knock, Calumet City (1969-73); and Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1973-95).

She was also assistant activity director at Lincolnwood Place, Lincolnwood (1997-99).

Sister Joanne is survived by two brothers, Robert and Thomas, and two sisters, Linda Fleming and Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Catherine Evans.