Former St. Martha's Pastor Passes Away

Rev. Eugene Faucher, who spent two decades, from 1975 to 1995, as pastor of St. Martha Catholic Church in Morton Grove, has died. 

A funeral Mass will be said today at 2 p.m.at St. Edna Church, 2525 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights. 

The Archdiocese of Chicago released the following information in a statement on its website:  

Rev. Eugene J. Faucher, pastor emeritus of St. Martha Parish in Morton Grove, died Sunday, July 15, at St. Edna rectory in Arlington Heights, where he was a senior priest in residence.  He was 86 years old and a priest of the Archdiocese for 61 years.

Fr. Faucher was an active senior priest during his retirement years at St. Edna.  “He was the happiest, most loving priest,” noted St. Edna’s pastor, Fr. Jerome Jacob.  “He loved being a priest, he loved saying Mass and he loved ministry and preaching. One of the signs of his personal happiness and dedication was reflected in the fact that Fr. Faucher had few possessions and he gave a lot of his money away,” said Fr. Jacob.

A Chicago native, Fr. Faucher graduated from Catholic elementary school in Chicago, Quigley Preparatory Seminary and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary.  He was ordained by Cardinal Stritch in 1951.

He was the assistant pastor of St. Mark Parish in Chicago from 1951 to 1955, when he was assigned to the faculty of Quigley Seminary.  He taught at Quigley until 1966.  From 1955 to 1960, and from 1963 to 1968, Fr. Faucher studied at Loyola University, earning master’s degrees in classical languages and religious education.

From 1967 to 1973, Fr. Faucher was the assistant pastor at St. Colette in Rolling Meadows, before taking on the same assignment for the next two years at St. Bernardine in Forest Park. 

He was named pastor of St. Martha in Morton Grove in 1975 and remained there until his retirement from active ministry in 1995, when he was named pastor emeritus.

“Fr. Faucher was a very grateful man, whose consistent message to parishioners was that we are all gifted and we are all blessed.  He made people feel valued and respected,” noted Fr. Jacob.

Visitation for Fr. Faucher will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at St. Edna Church, 2525 North Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights.  Auxiliary Bishop George Rassas will be the principal celebrant at a funeral Mass for Fr. Faucher at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 20 at St. Edna.

Interment will be private at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside.  Fr. Faucher is survived by a sister, Jane Ryan, and several nieces and nephews.

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