Obituaries

Obituary | Deacon Howard J. VanBooven

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:29:17 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 8 at Assumption Church in O'Fallon for Deacon Howard J. VanBooven, who served at the O'Fallon parish and in hospice chaplaincy.

Deacon VanBooven, 71, died May 3. Born in Rhineland, Mo., he married the former Susan C. Black in 1964. He served his country in the U.S. Army and received an honorable discharge.

Obituary | Sr. Sophia Majewski, OSF

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:55:39 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 11 at Mother of Perpetual Help Residence in Shrewsbury for Sister Sophia Majewski, a retired educator.

Sister Sophia, 96, died May 8.

Born in St. Louis, she entered the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in 1930, made first vows in 1933 and finals vows in 1936. She received a bachelor's degree from St. Louis University and a master's degree from Creighton University in Omaha.

Obituary | Fr. Pierre Babin, French media pioneer

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:55:13 +0000

Catholic News Service

LYON, France -- Oblate Father Pierre Babin, who pioneered the use of new forms of media in communicating tenets of the Catholic faith especially to young audiences, died May 9. He was 87.

The French priest established a reputation as an innovator in the use of various communications forms, particularly group media, and was an expert in educational psychology, a writer and an essayist.

Obituary | Sr. Shirley Kemper, SSND

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:47:38 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 12 for Sister Shirley Kemper, SSND, in the School Sisters of Notre Dame Theresa Center chapel in south St. Louis County.

Sister Shirley (formerly known as Sister Assunta) died May 9 at Anna House at The Sarah Community in Bridgeton, from coronary artery disease. She was 87 and a former teacher, coordinator for religious education and caregiver for the elderly.

Obituary |Deacon Howard J. VanBoovan

barbwatkins — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:22:19 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 8 at Assumption Church in O’Fallon for Deacon Howard J. VanBooven, who served at the O’Fallon parish and in hospice chaplaincy.

Deacon VanBooven, 71, died May 3. Born in Rhineland, Mo., he married the former Susan C. Black in 1964. He served his country in the U.S. Army and received an honorable discharge.

Obituary | Deacon Edward J. Auer

barbwatkins — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:12:23 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 9 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in south St. Louis for Deacon Edward J. Auer, a longtime educator at St. Francis de Sales and St. John the Baptist high schools.

Deacon Auer, 89, died May 5. Born in St. Louis, he served his country in the U.S. Marines from 1943-46 and received an honorable discharge. He received a degree in education from St. Louis University.

Obituary | Sr. Susan Swain, SL

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:03:07 +0000

A memorial Mass was celebrated May 9 in Englewood, Colo., for Sister Susan (formerly Susan Mary) Swain, a longtime educator serving in Colorado and Missouri. Sister Susan died in Denver April 27 of cancer. She was 66 and a member of the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross for 48 years.

Obituary | Sr. Patricia Callahan, SSND

Wed, 09 May 2012 20:52:19 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 8 for Sister Patricia Callahan in the School Sisters of Notre Dame Theresa Center chapel in south St. Louis County.

Sister Patricia (formerly known as Sister Stephen Ann) died May 4 at Anna House at The Sarah Community in Bridgeton from pulmonary fibrosis. She was 83 and a former teacher, principal and associate superintendent.

Obituary | Sr. Eileen Smits, CSJ

Wed, 09 May 2012 20:52:19 +0000

A memorial Mass was celebrated April 28 at Nazareth Living Center Chapel for Sister Eileen Smits, a former educator and later a pastoral minister in Chile. Sister Eileen died April 22 of cancer at Nazareth. She was 77 and a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet for 58 years.

Born in De Pere, Wis., Sister Eileen entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1953, making her final profession in 1961. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Fontbonne College in 1966 and a master's degree in organic chemistry from the University of Kansas in 1970.

Obituary | Sr. Patricia Mueller, SSND

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:39:14 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated May 1 for Sister Patricia Mueller at the Theresa Center chapel on the School Sisters of Notre Dame campus in south St. Louis County.

Sister Patricia (formerly known as Sister Miriam Patrice) died April 25 at Theresa Center from cancer. She was 64 and a former teacher and registered nurse.

The funeral Mass was held May 1 at the Theresa Center chapel.

Obituary | Sr. Lois Douglass, DC

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:38:39 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated April 16 at Seton Chapel in Evansville, Ind., for Sister Lois Douglass, whose varied service included ministering as provincial secretary for the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis.

Sister Lois, 90, died April 13 at St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville.

Obituary | Sr. Marie Therese Merlet, CP

Thu, 03 May 2012 19:04:02 +0000

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A funeral Mass was celebrated May 1 for Sister Marie Therese of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Merlet, a Passionist nun at the Passionist Monastery in Ellisville.

Sister Marie Therese died April 28 after a brief illness. She was 78.

A native of Beloit, Wis., she entered the Passionist Nuns in St. Louis in 1959 and made her profession in 1961. Prior to her entrance, she earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and taught in elementary schools in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Obituary | George Doty, Catholic philanthropist

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:35:58 +0000

Catholic News Service

RYE, N.Y. -- Catholic philanthropist George Doty, a member of the Knights of Malta, died April 24 in New York at age 94. No cause of death was given. His funeral was scheduled for April 30 at Church of the Resurrection in Rye.

Obituary | Sr. Joan Maura Reily, RSM

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:34:00 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated April 12 for Sister of Mercy Joan Maura Reily in the chapel of the Sisters of Mercy's Catherine's Residence in west St. Louis County. Sister Joan Maura, a religious for 73 years, died April 7. She was 92.

Obituary | Sr. Vincent Walz, DC

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:21:00 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated April 9 at Seton Chapel in Evansville, Ind., for Sister Vincent (Phyllis Marie) Walz, a St. Louis native who taught on the grade school, high school, college and seminary levels.

Sister Vincent, 83, died April 5 at Seton Residence in Evansville.

A graduate of St. Joseph's Academy, she joined the Daughters of Charity in 1945, earned a bachelor's degree in education from Fontbonne University in 1951 and completed a doctorate in English from St. Louis University in 1968.