Obituaries for January 2025
Let us pray for our dearly departed clergy and men and women religious whose Masses of Christian Burial were held in January.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Sister Kathleen Flanagan, SC
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on January 13 at Holy Family Chapel in Convent Station, NJ, for Sister Kathleen Flanagan, SC. A Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, she died on January 6 at Complete Care at Saint Vincent’s, Cedar Grove, NJ. Sister Kathleen was 82.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, she was the daughter of Andrew and Irene (Finley) Flanagan. She entered the Sisters of Charity in 1960 and was a member of the congregation for 64 years.
Sister Kathy graduated from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station, NJ, with a B.A. in History. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Historical Theology from Saint John’s University, Collegeville, MN, followed by a M.Phil in Theology and a Ph.D. degree in Theology with a specialty in Church History from Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan.
Her dissertation focused on the spirituality of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, foundress of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. Sister Kathy also studied at the American College of Louvain in Belgium and at Weston School of Theology, Boston, MA.
After several years of teaching at Saint Augustine School in Union City and Saint Cecilia High School in Englewood, Sister Kathy began ministry in higher education, primarily at Saint Elizabeth University and Barry University in Miami.
Sister Kathy served for almost thirty years at the College of Saint Elizabeth (later Saint Elizabeth University), eventually serving as a Professor of Theology, Chairperson of the Philosophy/Religious Studies Department, Director of the Master’s in Theology Program, and Director of Ministry Programs. With Dr. Harriet Sepinwall, she co-founded the school’s Holocaust Education Resource Center.
Sister Kathy also taught in the Permanent Diaconate programs in the Dioceses of Paterson and Metuchen, New Jersey.
At Barry University, Sister Kathy served as Assistant Professor of Religious Studies. During that time, she also served as an Adjunct Professor at Saint Vincent de Paul Seminary, Boynton Beach, Florida.
She actively participated in the Sisters of Charity Federation. Sister Kathy often presented talks on the life and spirituality of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, SC, and topics related to theology and spirituality.
Sister Kathy is survived by her sister Maureen Flanagan.
Sister Carol Hoban, SC
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on January 16 at the Holy Family Chapel in Convent Station, NJ, for Sister Carol Hoban, SC, formerly Sister Kathleen Theresa. A Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, she died on January 12 in Jersey City, NJ while visiting from North Carolina. Sister Carol was 83.
Born in Paterson, NJ, she was the daughter of Paul and Annabell (Dunfee) Hoban.
Sister Carol entered the Sisters of Charity in 1959 and was a member of the congregation for 65 years.
She graduated from The College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station with a B.A. in History, then attended the Hospital of Saint Raphael School of Nursing in New Haven, Connecticut, earning a diploma in Nursing. She also received an M.S.N. degree in Advanced Clinical Practice from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, followed by a post-graduate certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of North Carolina in Asheville.
Sister Carol served in the health care ministry for 57 years. As a Registered Nurse, she served as Staff Nurse and Head Nurse at the Hospital of Saint Raphael, New Haven, CT, and as a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Southern West Virginia Regional Health Council in Beckley, WV. While serving in leadership in the Northern Province of the Sisters of Charity as an Assistant Provincial and Provincial, Sister Carol was also a part-time Clinical Nurse Specialist/Cancer Detection Nurse in New York City.
Sister Carol later moved to North Carolina, where she cared for patients in a rural, underserved area for 30 years. During that period, she served as Clinical Nurse Specialist and Family Nurse Practitioner at Frances Warde Health Service in Rosman, NC, a new ministry sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. She continued to serve in the ministry when it was later relocated to Brevard, NC and renamed Frances Warde Family Health.
Sister Carol retired in 2020.
She was predeceased by her parents and her brother Robert. She is survived by her brother Paul and his wife Esther, sisters-in-law Barbara Vecchiarelli, Denise Hoban, and Sharon Hoban, along with many nieces, nephews, grandnephews, and cousins.
Sister Lois Kikkert, OP
A Mass of Christian Burial was held for Sister Lois Kikkert, a Sister of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, on January 17 at Saint Aloysius Church in Caldwell, NJ. She died at Saint Catherine of Siena Healthcare Center in Caldwell on January 10. Sister Lois was 88 years old.
She was born in Passaic, NJ, the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Hughes) Kikkert.
Sister Lois entered the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell in 1957, making her final profession in 1965. She was a member of the order for 67 years.
She earned an AB in English from Caldwell College, minoring in elementary education. Her MAT degree in English/Education was earned at Assumption College in Worchester, MA. Later, she received an MA degree in Pastoral/Parish Ministry and Church Leadership from Fordham University.
Teaching was her profession for the next 19 years. She served at Saint Boniface School in Jersey City; Blessed Sacrament School in Bridgeport, CT; Saint Ann School in Newark; Mount Saint Dominic Academy in Caldwell, NJ; and Saint Margaret School in Bayou La Batre, AL.
While in Alabama, she began serving the homebound. Her focus shifted and she returned to New Jersey to become a pastoral associate at Saint Raphael Parish in Livingston, and an editor and author at RENEW for the Archdiocese of Newark.
Sister Lois then served as an associate pastor at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Westover, WV, and as a pastoral associate at Saint Virgil Parish in Morris Plains, NJ. She spent the next 16 years in the Diocese of Springfield, IL where she was the parish administrator for three parishes that were merged to form Resurrection Parish in Illiopolis, IL. Returning to New Jersey, she was in the pastoral care ministry at Siena Village in Wayne.
After her retirement, Sister Lois continued to minister to sisters at Saint Catherine Convent with care and compassion. She defined this period as “time to allow the God within to quiet the mind and massage the heart.”
She was predeceased by her parents, four brothers, and three sisters-in-law. Sister Lois is survived by her sisters-in-law Maria and June, and by many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
Father Thomas Petrillo
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on January 18 at Saint Joseph Church in Tom’s River, NJ for Father Thomas Petrillo. He died peacefully on January 8. He was 90.
Father Petrillo was born in 1934, to John and Jeanette (Salvo) Petrillo. His parents brought him and his two brothers up in the Catholic faith, and he was ordained to the priesthood in 1959. He served the People of God in both the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Trenton for more than 64 years.
Known as Fr. Tom to his parishioners, over his many years he served at the following churches in various capacities: Epiphany in Cliffside Park; Saint Anthony of Padua in Union City; Sacred Heart in Newark (Vailsburg); Saint Francis Xavier in Newark; Saint Joseph in East Orange; Saint Mary-Star of the Sea in Bayonne, Saint James in Newark; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Montclair. He was a Chaplain at Holy Rosary Academy in Union City and Jersey City State College.
Father Petrillo worked for 16 years with Catholic Community Services, reaching out to those needing addictive rehabilitation services. They were rewarding years that also informed his compassion and care for parishioners. He was the first priest in New Jersey to be assigned as Vocation Director for the National Council of Alcoholism.
Upon retiring from the Newark Archdiocese, Father Petrillo made his way to the Jersey Shore in Toms River and stayed active by helping the pastors of the parishes of Saint Monica in Jackson, Saint Luke’s in Toms River and Saint Joseph/Saint Gertrude in Toms River and Island Heights. He also found great joy in serving as Chaplain to the Knights of Columbus at Saint Monica’s and as the moderator of a “Coffee Clutch” at the local senior center in Toms River.
Father Petrillo is survived by his brother, Frank Petrillo, along with his nephew and two nieces, and two grandnephews and a grandniece.
Sister Elise Redmerski, OP
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on January 6 at Saint Aloysius Church in Caldwell, NJ for Sister Elise Redmerski, OP. A member of the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, she died on December 29 at Saint Catherine of Siena Healthcare Center in Caldwell. Sister Elise was 87.
The daughter of Joseph and Veronica (Rutkowski) Redmerski, she was born in Jersey City, NJ. Entering the Sisters of Saint Dominic in 1955, Sister Elise made her final profession in 1963.
After earning an AB degree in French with a minor in English from Caldwell College, she received a master’s degree in religious studies from Villanova University. Sister Elise later pursued further study in French at the University of Notre Dame.
A dedicated and creative teacher, Sister Elise served at a number of schools, including Our Lady of the Lake School in Verona; Saint Mary School in Rahway; Saint Ann School in Newark; and Paul VI High School in Clifton. She was also an administrator at her beloved alma mater, Saint John the Baptist School in Jersey City.
For five years, Sister Elise was also a councilor on the leadership team for her congregation.
Later, Sister Elise served as a pastoral associate at Our Lady of Sorrow’s Parish. She considered the post a privilege and joy, serving there for 37 years. She was responsible for faith formation, the parish youth group, and the liturgy.
Sister Elise also co-founded the Center of Concern for neighborhood people and helped raise funds for the hospice program run by the sisters with whom she lived. During her time in the parish, thirteen of the parishioners became Dominican associates. In 2024, Sister Elise was instrumental in starting an ESL program involving fourteen retired sister volunteers.
She was known for her deep compassion and profound reflections on scripture, as well as for being a gifted preacher.
Sister Elise was predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Veronica, her brother Thomas H. Redmerski, and sister-in-law Edith Scheibe Redmerski. She is survived by numerous nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces, great-grandnephews, and cousins.
Father James J. Reilly
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on January 17 at Saint Mary’s Church in Rutherford, NJ, for Father James J. Reilly. He died on January 11 at Saint Clair’s Dover Hospital. Father Reilly was 82.
Born in 1942, at the Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, he was the son of Charles and Mary Reilly. He and his five siblings were part of a loving, extended Irish American family.
He attended Seton Hall University and Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, where he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology. Father Reilly would go on to earn two master’s degrees during his career.
Following his ordination in 1968, Father Reilly dedicated his life to the service of God and the Church. His ministry included assignments at Our Lady of the Valley in Orange, Notre Dame in North Caldwell, Saint Mary’s in Bayonne, and Holy Cross in Harrison, where he served as Parochial Vicar. Father Reilly later became the Pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Kearny.
In addition to his pastoral work, Father Reilly also served in campus ministry, including as Chaplain at Kean University, Union County College, Bloomfield College, Upsala College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, as well as at Saint Joseph’s Home.
Throughout his life, Father Reilly was deeply committed to the Archdiocese of Newark and held numerous leadership positions. He served as Director of the U.S. Bishops’ Fund for the Catholic University of America, Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus, and as a member of the New Jersey Governor’s Advisory Council for Community Service and Volunteerism.
In retirement, he continued to serve the Church from his home at the Saint John Vianney Residence.
Father Reilly was predeceased by his parents and his siblings, Bonnie Scala, Denis Reilly, and Elizabeth Reilly. He is survived by his sister, Kitty Reilly and his brother, Charlie Reilly, along with a nephew and two nieces, and a grandnephew and grandniece.
