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Msgr. Paschal L. Acquavia
Msgr. Paschal L. Acquavia, 80, died on March 25, 2002, in the Brothers of Mercy Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center, Clarence.
Msgr. Acquavia was born in Dunkirk to the late Rocco and Angeline (Rado) Acquavia.
He attended Dunkirk Junior High School and the former Diocesan Seminary of St. Joseph and the Little Flower, Buffalo. He received a bachelor's degree from St. Bonaventure University and Christ the King Seminary. He was ordained by Cardinal John O'Hara on May 22, 1948 in St. Joseph's Cathedral, Buffalo.
He served one year with the Missionary Apostolate at St. Mary's Parish, Cattaraugus. Other early ministerial assignments were at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Batavia, and Our Lady of Loretto, Buffalo. He served at St. James Parish, Jamestown, from 1951-1955, and Nativity of our Blessed Virgin Mary for four years.
Msgr. Acquavia came to St. Anthony's Parish as an administrator in 1959 and was appointed pastor in 1965. He served there until his retirement in 1997.
He was named monsignor in 1984. He has served as a member of the diocesan liturgical commission, the marriage counseling program of Catholic Charities and the diocesan Personnel Review Board and Confraternity of Catholic Clergy.
Msgr. Acquavia is survived by five sisters, Carmel Leone, Rose Skelly, both of Ohio, Nancy St. George of Sheridan, Helen Pantano of Fredonia, and Janey Adamczak of Dunkirk.
Bishop Henry J. Mansell was celebrant at the funeral Mass on March 27, 2002, in St. Anthony's Church, Batavia. Committal was in Holy Trinity Church, Dunkirk, on March 28. Burial was in the parish cemetery.
Sister Mary Esther Rellinger, SSMN
Sister Mary Esther Rellinger, 86, died March 14 in Annunciation Convent Infirmary, Buffalo.
Sister Mary Esther entered the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur in 1931 at age 16 and pronounced her perpetual vows in 1940. She graduated from Mount St. Mary's High School and received a bachelor's degree in education from Mount St. Joseph's College in 1965 and a master's degree in library science from Villanova University in 1970.
She taught in Catholic schools in Buffalo, Kenmore and the Lockport area and was a member of the Legion of Mary and the Catholic Library Association.
A funeral Mass was held in Annunciation Catholic Church. Burial was in the Mount Olivet Cemetery, Tonawanda.
Sister Margaret Mary Shea, OSF
Sister Margaret Mary Shea, 81, died on March 2, 2002, in Olean General Hospital.
Sister Margaret Mary was born in Somerville, Mass., to Denis and Bridget Shea. She received a bachelor's degree in social science from Boston College and master's degrees from St. Bonaventure University in education administration and theology.
Sister Margaret Mary was received into the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters, Allegany, at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse on Aug. 15, 1953, and professed her final vows on Aug. 16, 1960.
As an educator, she taught at St. Clare's School, Buffalo, and St. Elizabeth's School, Croghan. Throughout her 37 years of ministry, she also taught at various elementary schools in the West Indies, Jamaica, Florida, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
She served her order as Region One Councilor and as a member of the committee to rewrite and update the Constitutions of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.
She retired in 1991 to St. Raphael's Convent, West Medford, Mass., and moved to the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse in 2002.
Sister Margaret Mary is survived by her sister, Mary A. Shea, and her brother, Paul J. Shea.
A funeral Mass was held in the chapel of St. Elizabeth Motherhouse. Burial was in St. Bonaventure Cemetery.
Msgr. Edward J. Walker
Msgr. Edward J. Walker, 95, died on Feb. 28, 2002, in Mercy Hospital, Buffalo.
Msgr. Walker was born in Buffalo to the late Frank A. and Isabel (O'Hara) Walker. He attended South Park High School and Canisius College, Buffalo, and Christ the King Seminary at St. Bonaventure University. He was ordained in St. Joseph's New Cathedral by Bishop William Turner on June 6, 1936.
Msgr. Walker's first appointments were as assistant at Annunciation Parish, Buffalo, where he also was on the faculty of Annunciation High School in 1936. He served at Immaculate Conception and St. Nicholas parishes, Buffalo. He was appointed assistant at St. Mark's Parish, Buffalo and served as secretary to Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Burke, 1942 to 1952.
He was pastor of St. Joseph's Parish, Fredonia, dean of the Northern Catholic Clergy of Chautauqua County, chaplain of the Newman Club of the State University of New York at Fredonia and named papal chamberlain in 1951. In 1972, he was named prelate of honor. He served as pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Buffalo, for 15 years until his retirement in 1981.
A funeral Mass was held on March 4, 2002, in St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Buffalo, with Bishop Henry J. Mansell as celebrant. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Lackawanna.
Sister Mary Laurentia Tokarski, FSSJ
Sister Mary Laurentia Tokarski, 86, died Feb. 22, 2002, in Colette Hilbert Health Center, Hamburg.
Sister Mary Laurentia was born to the late John and Anna (Sitek) Tokarski in Milwaukee, Wis. She received a bachelor's degree from St. John's University and a master's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She entered the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Josaphat's Parish in Milwaukee on August 11, 1936, and professed her final vows on July 17, 1941.
Sister Mary Laurentia began her ministry as a teacher at St. Hedwig's School, Detroit, Mich. She then spent 36 years in the health care ministry as director of medical records and medical records librarian at St. Mary's Hospital, Brooklyn, and at St. Joseph's Hospital, Cheektowaga. She was an instructor at St. Mary's Hospital School for Medical Record Librarians. Sister also served as an archivist for the congregation.
Sister Mary Laurentia is survived by her sisters, Florence Opiela and Alice (Richard) Cibulka.
A funeral Mass was held in Immaculate Conception Convent Chapel, Hamburg. Burial was at St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Cheektowaga.
Sister Veronica M. Weber, OSF
Sister Veronica M. Weber, 90, died Feb. 21, 2002, in the health center of St. Mary of the Angels Convent, Williamsville.
The former Sister Mary Claver was born in Hamburg. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis of the Third Order Regular in August 1929 and professed her final vows on Aug. 20, 1935.
Her first assignment was at the original Holy Family Home, Williamsville. She later served in convents at St. Gerard's, St. Anne's, Holy Name of Jesus and St. Bartholomew's, Buffalo. She was also at St. Mary's, Lancaster; Our Lady Help of Christians, Cheektowaga, and the German Roman Catholic orphan asylum.
In 1969, Sister Veronica came to St. Mary of the Angels Motherhouse where she worked in the dietary department of the convent infirmary.
A funeral Mass was held on Feb. 27, 2002, in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels Motherhouse. Burial was in Gethsemane Cemetery, Williamsville.
Sister M. Paschal Antonucci, OSF
Sister M. Paschal Antonucci, 90, died Feb. 20, 2002, in the health center of St. Mary of the Angels Motherhouse, Williamsville.
Sister Paschal was the eldest of seven children born to the late Pasquale and Dalinda Antonucci. She earned her diploma from Mount St. Mary's Nursing School, Niagara Falls, in 1936. She was granted a fellowship in the baccalaureate program at St. Louis University where she earned a bachelor's degree in nursing education. She joined the Sisters of St. Francis of the Third Order Regular in Williamsville in 1931. After pronouncing temporary vows, she began her ministry in nursing.
Sister Paschal devoted her religious life to health care covering general and specialized nursing, supervision, teaching and hospital administration at Mount St. Mary's Hospital in both Niagara Falls and Lewiston, St. Francis Hospital, Buffalo, and St. Francis Home, Williamsville.
She was awarded the honorary degree of doctor of laws from Niagara University in 1964. From 1969 to 1986 she held administrative positions at St. Francis Hospital, Buffalo, and in her later years she devoted her ministry to pastoral care at the hospital. She retired to St. Mary of the Angels Motherhouse.
Sister Paschal is survived by three sisters, Petrina (William) Chiesi, Frances (Andrew) Fisher and Anna (Louis) DeBergalis.
A funeral Mass was held in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels Motherhouse. Burial was in Gethsemane Cemetery, Williamsville.
