Retired Priest With Ties To Queen of Martyrs, Albert The Great Dies

CHICAGO — Rev. John J. Doyle, who served south suburban parishes in Evergreen Park, Burbank, Tinley Park and Lemont died Tuesday, Feb. 6. He was 79 years old.

He was most recently the former associate pastor of Infant Jesus of Prague Parish.

Doyle was born on Feb. 21, 1944, in Evergreen Park. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, Niles College and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 13, 1970, by Cardinal John Cody, and celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 17 of the same year at Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church in Evergreen Park.

Doyle served the Archdiocese of Chicago as assistant pastor at St. Margaret Mary Parish on Chase Avenue in Chicago and as associate pastor at the following parishes: Queen of Martyrs Parish in Evergreen Park, St. Albert the Great Parish in Burbank, St. George Parish in Tinley Park, St. Alphonsus Parish in Lemont and Infant Jesus of Prague Parish in Flossmoor. He retired as pastor in 2014.

Rev. James Kehoe, pastor emeritus at St. Joan of Arc in Skokie, and classmate, had been friends with Doyle for more than 60 years. “He was a wonderful priest, always caring and concerned about other people even when he had health issues.”

Rev. Robert Burnell, pastor emeritus of St. Hugh Parish in Lyons (now closed), had not seen Doyle in many years “but we have been classmates from Quigley to Niles to Mundelein Seminary to ordination.” Burnell remembers him as a kind and a good friend, highly regarded as a great priest.

Rev. Thomas Franzman, retired priest and classmate, remembered Doyle as a very nice person, devoted to the people he served. “I remember when John was assigned to St. Margaret Mary Parish, my home parish, my mom was still a parishioner there,” Franzman said. “She enjoyed speaking to him after Mass and had fond interactions with him. She knew he was my classmate, and she could tell he had a genuine love for the people in his parish.”

Visitation hours will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 10, followed by the funeral Mass at noon. All funeral services will be held at the Alexine Chapel of the Sisters of the Congregation of St. Joseph, 1515 W. Ogden Avenue, La Grange Park.

Kehoe will be the main celebrant and homilist of the funeral Mass. Interment will be held at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Alsip.