Obituaries
Pope sends condolences following death of Hong Kong bishop
Pope Francis has sent condolences and a blessing to the Hong Kong Diocese following the Jan. 3 death of Bishop Yeung Ming-cheung, 73, of liver failure.
Jesuit Father Rayan dies; pioneered theology with an Asian perspective
Jesuit Father Samuel Rayan, a pioneer of theology with an Asian perspective that colleagues and church leaders considered a "radical interpretation of the Bible," died at age 98.
Sister Wendy Beckett, art critic and British TV star, dies at age 88
Sister Wendy Beckett, who gained fame in the 1990s for television shows and books explaining art, died Dec. 26 in Norfolk, England, at the age of 88.
Sister Honora Fraties, Philadelphia native and teacher, dies at 86
The Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary taught in archdiocesan elementary schools and served at Villa Maria House of Studies.
Sister Marita, longtime nurse for infirmed sisters, dies at 85
Sister Marita Helen Harrington, I.H.M., spent 20 years teaching before becoming a school counselor and then 22 years as a caregiver at Camilla Hall, the residence for elderly sisters at Immaculata.
Longest serving priest-teacher in high schools dies at 94
Father Joseph T. Murphy taught at St. Thomas More and Cardinal Dougherty high schools before teaching at Roman Catholic, which gave him its Thomas Cahill Award. He also served for many years at St. Luke, Glenside.
Trappist Father Keating, leading figure in centering prayer, dies at 95
With the encouragement of St. Paul VI to rediscover the contemplative tradition, Father Keating helped found Contemplative Outreach for centering prayer -- a technique of praying silently to God without words -- in 1984.
Father James Melle, native of Norristown, dies at 74
A parish priest and teacher at four Catholic high schools in the archdiocese, the priest ordained in 1972 will be laid to rest Oct. 31 in the presence of two bishops and other priest friends, who remember him fondly.
Sister Agnes Marie Gunn dies at 90; served in Phila., N.J. dioceses
The Sister of St. Joseph entered religious life from St. Anthony Parish in Ambler in 1949. Over her 69 years of ministry she served in the archdioceses of Philadelphia and Washington, and in Camden and Trenton.
Sister Joan Carroll, I.H.M., teacher and school principal, dies at 80
The Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary entered religious life from St. Patrick Parish in Norristown in 1956. She would go on to serve in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and in two other dioceses.