Deacon Lee Benson, who ministered in Harford County, dies at 73 February 3, 2026By Kurt Jensen Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: deacons, Feature, Local News, News, Obituaries Deacon Lee Ashby Benson III, who served St. Ignatius Parish in Hickory as an influential, joyful figure for nearly two decades, died Jan. 23.
Jesuit Father Vincent de Paul Alagia dies at 99 January 30, 2026By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Obituaries In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Father Alagia served as a retreat director at Manresa-on-Severn in Annapolis and led many Marriage Encounter retreats through 1977. He served in pastoral ministry while residing at the St. Claude La Colombière Jesuit Community in Baltimore (2011–16), where he returned in 2025.
Sister Sigrid Simlik, former teacher in Baltimore, dies at 97 January 29, 2026By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Consecrated Life, Local News, News, Obituaries A funeral Mass will be offered Feb. 12 in Wisconsin for Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa Sigrid Simlik, who died Jan. 23. Sister Sigrid, a former teacher at St. Rose of Lima School in Brookland, was 97.
A silent life behind three popes: Farewell to Angelo Gugel, the iconic papal butler January 22, 2026By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Obituaries, Vatican, World News Five cardinals bid their farewell Jan. 17 to Angelo Gugel, the pontifical butler and witness to modern papal history, who stood silently behind St. John Paul II for nearly three decades, and contributed to saving the pope on the day of the assasination attempt.
John L. Allen Jr.: A Man for All Seasons, at a Roman Table January 22, 2026By Ines San Martin OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, Journalism, Obituaries John Allen never believed journalism was about winning arguments or pleasing audiences. He believed it was about fidelity — to facts, to sources, to context and ultimately to readers.
Crux editor, veteran Vatican journalist John Allen loses battle with cancer January 22, 2026By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Journalism, News, Obituaries, Vatican, World News John Allen, the editor-in-chief of Crux whose decades-long career in journalism defined him as one of the authoritative voices on the Vatican and the Catholic Church, has died at the age of 61.
Father Zanardini, top missionary anthropologist among Indigenous groups, dies in Paraguay at 83 January 21, 2026By Eduardo Campos Lima OSV News Filed Under: Missions, News, Obituaries, World News Salesian Father Giuseppe Zanardini, an Italian-born priest and scholar who profoundly shaped the study of Indigenous anthropology in Paraguay, died on Jan. 19 at age 83, the South American country’s Salesian congregation announced.
Sister Christina Christie, former Anglican nun who led her community into the Catholic Church, dies at 94 January 15, 2026By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Consecrated Life, Feature, Local News, News, Obituaries Sister Christina Christie, a former Anglican nun who played a pivotal role in guiding her Catonsville-based women’s religious community into full communion with the Catholic Church, died Dec. 5. She was 94 and had been a member of the Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor for 59 years.
Hundreds bid ‘adieu’ to Brigitte Bardot at funeral in Saint-Tropez January 8, 2026By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews, News, Obituaries, World News Crowds gathered in the French coastal town of Saint-Tropez to bid a final farewell to actress Brigitte Bardot.
Beloved pastor who endured paralysis dies at 77 January 8, 2026By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Obituaries Redemptorist Father John Murray, a visionary former pastor of St. Wenceslaus in Baltimore and St. Mary in Annapolis whose courage in the face of long-term paralysis inspired many, died Dec. 30. He was 77.
Sister Catherine Horan, S.N.D.deN., dies at 86 January 7, 2026By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Local News, News, Obituaries A former teacher at Trinity School in Ilchester, she also served in the Archdiocese of Washington and Kenya, where she worked with children with disabilities and helped people start small businesses.
Russell Shaw remembered as ‘giant of the Church’ for contribution to Catholic communications January 7, 2026By Maria Wiering OSV News Filed Under: Journalism, News, Obituaries, World News Russell Shaw, a veteran Catholic journalist who led communications for the U.S. bishops and Knights of Columbus and authored numerous articles and books, died Jan. 6 at the age of 90 in Silver Spring.
