Jesuit Father Jaime Rasura
SAN DIEGO — Jesuit Father Jaime Rasura, who ministered to the faithful of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Barrio Logan for five decades, died of natural causes Jan. 15 at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos. He was 96. Born in El Paso, Texas, he was ordained a priest of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, on June 15, 1956, at St. Mary’s in San Francisco. In the Diocese of San Diego, he served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish from 1958-1988. He left the diocese in October 2010. Father Rasura was to be cremated, with a simple funeral Mass celebrated at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. “Together again”; that’s what Adela Garcia, a longtime member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, said of Father Rasura and Jesuit Father Richard Brown, the beloved former pastor who died last May, in a Facebook tribute. Garcia said the two priests had become “instant friends” at the parish and, according to Father Brown, had never had an argument in their years of ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe. A memorial service will be livestreamed from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 29. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the service will be closed to the public.
Msgr. Anthony Chylewski
SAN DIEGO — Msgr. Anthony Chylewski, a retired priest of the Diocese of San Diego, died on Jan. 1. He was nine days shy of celebrating his 93rd birthday. Born in Chicago, he was ordained to the priesthood on Feb. 2, 1952, by the San Diego Diocese’s founding bishop, Charles F. Buddy. Msgr. Chylewski served the diocese as associate pastor at St. Rita Parish and as chaplain for Mercy Hospital; as spiritual director at Immaculate Heart Seminary; as parish administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Barstow; as assistant director for the Propagation of the Faith (Office for the Missions); and as director of the Propagation of the Faith from 1977 until his retirement from active ministry in 1997. He was made a monsignor in July 1983. Msgr. Lloyd Bourgeois, who delivered the homily at the funeral Mass, said his late friend was “a genius” at raising funds for those in developing countries, noting that he brought in “a whopping $75 million for the missions” during his 20 years heading the office. Msgr. Bourgeois was two years behind Msgr. Chylewski in the seminary, served as master of ceremonies at the latter’s ordination and had him as a spiritual director for a few years. Msgr. Chylewski was also “a deeply spiritual man,” Msgr. Bourgeois said. Msgr. Chylewski lived in Ramona, where he served at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, before spending his last years at Nazareth House in San Diego. His funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 7 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, with Bishop Robert McElroy presiding.
Msgr. Jeremiah O’Sullivan
SAN DIEGO — Msgr. Jeremiah O’Sullivan, a retired priest of the Diocese of San Diego, died Jan. 5 due to complications of COVID-19. He was 95. Born in County Kerry, Ireland, he grew up on a dairy farm and joined the Dublin Police at age 20. Four years later, he and one of his 14 siblings emigrated to the United States. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Diego on March 19, 1958, by San Diego’s founding Bishop Charles F. Buddy. Msgr. O’Sullivan served at several parishes, including as associate pastor at St. James Parish in Solana Beach, Immaculate Conception in Colton, St. Pius X in Chula Vista and St. Vincent de Paul, and as pastor of The Immaculata, St. James in Perris, Holy Family and St. James in Solana Beach. He was a hospital chaplain before returning as co-pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Coronado in 1991. “Msgr. O’Sullivan was a gentle Irishman with a wonderful sense of humor,” said Father Michael F. Murphy, current pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and the homilist at Msgr. O’Sullivan’s funeral Mass. Father Murphy had known the late monsignor for 43 years; his first priestly assignment was as associate pastor during the senior priest’s tenure as pastor of St. James in Solana Beach and he succeeded him as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. “He was a priest who loved his priesthood,” said Father Murphy. “He possessed a deep devotion to the Eucharist as well as [being] a wonderful confessor.” Msgr. O’Sullivan retired in 1996. He lived at Nazareth House from 2011 until his death. Bishop Robert McElroy presided at his funeral Mass Jan. 15 at Sacred Heart Parish in Coronado.
Sister Ellen Marie Ryan
SAN DIEGO — Sister Ellen Marie Ryan, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, died Dec. 19 at Scripps Mercy Hospital. She was 88. Born in San Diego, she attended the Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP), both the high school and its now defunct elementary school. OLP was founded and administered by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Sister Ryan entered the congregation in 1950 and, after pronouncing first vows in 1953, began a long career of teaching and administration in elementary and high schools, many in the Los Angeles area. Her assignments included her own alma mater, OLP, where she was an elementary school principal and high school teacher. Sister Ryan also worked as a grant writer for Father Joe’s Villages from 1986-2001. Sister Ryan is survived by her sister, Nancy Ryan, former principal at St. Martin of Tours School in La Mesa, and many cousins.
