Fr. Gery W. Stefanski

HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN

Father Gery W. Stefanski, 58, died at his home Dec. 21, after a lengthy illness.

A Chicago native, he attended St. Casimir School and graduated from Quigley South Preparatory Seminary, Niles College of Loyola University and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary before being ordained in 1979.

From 1979 to 1997, Father Stefanski served as associate pastor at a number of archdiocesan parishes including St. Mary, Evanston; St. Mary Star of the Sea; St. Luke, River Forest; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

From 1984, Father Stefanski also served as associate director for the Archdiocesan Health Program for Priests and Religious, was an adjunct professor at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

For a time, he served as chaplain at St. Francis Hospital/ Resurrection Health Care in Evanston.

Father Stefanski is survived by his mother, Jane, and a brother, Gregory.

Sr. Mary Brigid Mattingly

HOMEMAKER, DRIVER

School Sister of Notre Dame Mary Brigid (Catherine Theresa) Mattingly, 92, died Dec. 17 at Resurrection Hospital.

An Ohio native, she graduated from public high school and worked in several jobs — including waitressing, factory work, cosmetology and the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps — before entering the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1950. She made her first vows in 1952.

Sister Brigid’s early service to the congregation was in housekeeping and food service. In Chicago, she served at St. Ambrose (1954-1961, 1968-1971), Academy of Our Lady (1961- 1962, 1973-1976), St. Margaret of Scotland (1964-1968) and Holy Rosary (1971-1973).

In 1976 she became a driver for the congregation, assisting sisters at Sacred Heart School and Convent in Hubbard Woods, Ill., until 1982, when she moved once again to Academy of Our Lady Convent.

In 2001, Sister Brigid retired to prayer and presence at Resurrection Life Center in Chicago.

Fr. Thomas Gannon

ADMINISTRATOR, PROFESSOR

Jesuit Father Thomas M. Gannon, 75, died Dec. 19 in Pontiac, Mich.

A Chicago native, Father Gannon joined the Society of Jesus in 1954 after graduating from Loyola A c a d e m y . During his Jesuit formation, Father Gannon taught at Loyola Academy (1961-1962), where he also led the Glee Club.

He took on many administrative roles in the Province Office. Father Gannon also spent 10 years at Loyola University Chicago, where he served as chairman of the sociology department. He also served as the administrator of Holy Family Parish.

Most recently, he was the director of the Heartland Center in East Chicago, Ind., and the director of Peace and Social Justice in the Diocese of Gary, Ind.

Sr. Nan Ross

EDUCATOR, ADMINISTRATOR

BVM Sister Nan (John William) Ross, 83, died Dec. 19 in Dubuque, Iowa.

An Iowa native, she entered the Sisters of Charity, BVM congregation in 1947 and professed final vows in 1954.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Nan taught at Holy Cross (1949-1952), St. Bridget (1957-1959) and at Our Lady of Lourdes (1959-1960). She also ministered in California, Iowa and Alaska.

Fr. George Francis Lundy

EDUCATOR

Jesuit Father George Francis Lundy, 64, died Dec. 20 in New Orleans.

A Chicago native, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1966. He was ordained a priest at St. Ignatius Church in 1978.

He served as a member of the New Orleans Province staff from 1973-1975 and at Loyola University New Orleans from 1980- 1992. Afterward, he returned to Chicago on a Ford Fellowship to earn his doctorate in education from the University of Chicago, and he also assisted at St. Columba Parish.

He then served at universities in Michigan, West Virginia and Louisiana before returning to Loyola New Orleans, where he worked to gain support from the medical community to ban capital punishment. He was author and co-author of a number of publications on the subjects of education, race relations, the labor movement, homelessness and the death penalty.

He is survived by his mother, Mary Lundy, and three sisters Noreen Osterlein, Barbara Lundy and Mary Semela.

Sr. M. Jeanette Golojuch

WORKED ON SAINTHOOD CAUSE

Franciscan Sister of Chicago M. Jeanette Golojuch, 87, died Dec. 22.

A Pennsylvania native, she entered the congregation in 1939. She made final vows in 1948.

After entering the order, she studied at DePaul and Loyola universities in Chicago. She began her ministry caring for the needs of the elderly at St. Joseph Home in Chicago, then taught mostly primary grades from 1947-1966. In Chicago, she taught at Five Holy Martyrs and St. Pancratius.

She moved to the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago motherhouse in Lemont in 1966 to work on the beatification cause of the Venerable Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik, the order’s foundress.

She retired in 2002.