BETHEL PARK, Pa. — Father Edward J. Vilkauskas, a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, died Jan. 9, 2021, at St. Clair Hospital from complications from COVID-19. He was 74.
Father Vilkauskas was born Aug. 6, 1946, in Danville, Pa., and was baptized and nourished in the faith at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Mt. Carmel, Pa. He professed his vows as a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit on Aug. 22, 1965, at the Holy Ghost Novitiate in Ridgefield, Conn., and was ordained to the priesthood June 2, 1973, at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
After ordination, Father Vilkauskas was first appointed to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Pittsburgh as assistant pastor. In 1975, he went to Catholic University to complete a master’s degree in liturgical studies. In 1976, he was assigned to be the Director of Vocations and Liturgical Animation of the Eastern Province of the Congregation. He later was appointed as Director of Collegiate Seminarians at Duquesne University.
In 1982, he became Director of Theologians at CTU in Chicago and then pursued additional studies at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. He took a position as a lecturer in liturgy at the Mission Institute of London in 1985. He was then appointed in 1988 as Director of Evangelization for the Diocese of Charlotte as well as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe, where he served until 2000.
In 2001, he was assigned as temporary administrator of St. Mary Magdalene in Chicago. He was appointed pastor of Old St. Mary’s in Detroit in 2002. At Old St. Mary’s, he worked hard to bring the Spiritan charism to the area and established a program to feed the poor and homeless people every first Monday of the month. In 2013, after a sabbatical, he took a position as chaplain for the Sisters of Christian Charity at the Holy Family Convent in Danville, Pa., until 2018 when they closed the convent. He then retired at Libermann Hall in Bethel Park.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent and Wanda Gardocki Vilkauskas. He is survived by his brother, Vince Vilkauskas (wife Carol) of Whitehall, Pa.; and two nieces and nephew: Cheryl and Chris Dorschutz and children Wyatt and Sierra of Coplay, Pa., Denise and Jeffrey Vilkauskas and son Zachery of Northampton, Pa., and Cynthia Vilkauskas of Northampton.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, funeral arrangements will be limited to close family. The viewing will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. For those not able to attend, the funeral Mass will be live-streamed on the U.S. Spiritans’ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/spiritans.
There will be another Mass at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Holy Ghost Prep, 2429 Bristol Pike in Bensalem, Pa., followed by burial in the community cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit designated for retirement or for the education of future Holy Spirit Fathers and Brothers, 6230 Brush Run Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102.
— Catholic News Herald
Pictured: Pastors all: Father Vilkauskas, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe from 1988 to 2000, stands with Bishop Peter Jugis, also a former pastor of the parish, and current pastor Father Benjamin Roberts, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes 2018. (Photo provided by Father Benjamin Roberts)
SINSINAWA, Wis. — Dominican Sister Florence Gavin died Dec. 8, 2020, at St. Dominic Villa in Hazel Green, Wis. Her religious name was Sister Petra.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at the Dominican motherhouse in Sinsinawa on Dec. 18, 2020, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.
Sister Florence made her first profession as a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa on Aug. 5, 1950, and her perpetual profession on Aug. 5, 1953. She taught for 30 years and served as director of religious education for four years, nurse aid for two years, and pastoral care person for seven years. Sister Florence guided people who wanted to grow in their spiritual lives for five years. She was generous to all in her gentle attention to God’s path as each life unfolded in her presence.
In the Diocese of Charlotte, Sister Florence guided people in their spiritual lives at St. Jude Parish in Sapphire Valley and Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Highlands from 1990-1991.
Besides North Carolina, Sister Florence served in Illinois, the District of Columbia, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, California, Iowa, Alabama, South Carolina, Hawaii and Tennessee, as well as Cochabamba, Bolivia.
She was born May 13, 1929, in Lake Geneva, Wis., the daughter of Paul and Blanche (Robinson) Gavin.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Helena Gavin; and four brothers, Robert Gavin, G. Thomas Gavin, Paul Gavin and A. Peter Gavin.
She is survived by nieces, nephews and her Dominican Sisters with whom she shared 70 years of religious life.
Memorials may be made to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI, 53824-9701 or at www.sinsinawa.org/donate online.
A repeat broadcast of the funeral for Sister Florence is available online at www.sinsinawa.org/live. Click on the “on demand” tab.
— Catholic News Herald