Former Infant Jesus Of Prague Pastor Dies At 97: Archdiocese

FLOSSMOOR, IL — Rev. William (“Bill”) J. Flaherty, pastor emeritus of Infant Jesus of Prague Parish in Flossmoor (now St. Veronica Parish), died Thursday, Jan. 4. He was 97 years old.

Flaherty was born on July 21, 1926, in Chicago. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in
Chicago, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein and Notre
Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. He also studied Shakespeare in England.

Flaherty was ordained to the priesthood on May 1, 1952, by Cardinal Samuel Stritch, and he
celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 4 of the same year at St. Philip Neri Parish in Chicago, according to a release from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

After ordination to the priesthood, Flaherty served as assistant pastor at St. Lawrence O'Toole
Parish in Matteson. He was a former faculty member at Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles
College and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He served as
associate pastor at St. Basil Parish on Garfield Boulevard and Sacred Heart Parish on May
Street both in Chicago, and St. Nicholas Parish in Evanston. He later became pastor of St.
Nicholas Parish and served the community in that role for 12 years. Later, Flaherty was
appointed as pastor of former Infant Jesus of Prague Parish and was bestowed the title of
pastor emeritus in 1996.

Rev. Martin O’Donovan, pastor at Saints Faith, Hope and Charity Catholic Parish in Winnetka
(where Flaherty resided for 20 years), remembered Flaherty as a great man of faith.

"He continued to read well into his 90s and was very curious about life."

O’Donovan mentioned that Flaherty was committed to social justice. "While he was a professor at Niles College, he was noted for saying ‘walk the talk’ very often."

Funeral services will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at Saints Faith, Hope and Charity
Catholic Parish, 191 Linden Street in Winnetka. Visitation hours will be from 9 to 11 a.m.
followed by the funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Rev. James Flaherty, S.J., will preside and O’Donovan
will be the homilist. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the funeral home website.

Interment will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsip.

A complete obituary is available online.