OP_033017

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the orland park prairie | March 30, 2017 | 21
In Memoriam
Richard P. Kooy
Richard P.
Kooy, 88, of Orland
Park, died March 15.
He was a retired teacher who
worked at Trinity Christian
College and Chicago Christian
High School. He also
was a United States Army
Veteran who served from
1951-1956. He is survived
by his children, Annette
Goris, Peter (Shellie), John
(Tammy), Gwendolyn (Ray)
Jendra and Mary (Glenn)
Pniewski; 12 grandchildren;
12 great-grandchildren;
sister, Johanna (Jack)
VanManen; brother-in-law,
Edward Smilde; and many
nieces and nephews. Visitation
was held at Colonial
Chapel. Funeral services
were held at Palos Heights
Christian Reformed Church.
A committal service with
military honors was held at
Abraham Lincoln National
Cemetery in Elwood. Memorials
to Trinity Christian
College, www.trnty.edu, or
Palos Christian Reformed
Church, www.paloschurch.
org, preferred.
Andrew J. Malito
Andrew J.
Malito, 73, of
Orland Park, died March
22. He was a United States
Faith
From Page 20
mats. For more information,
contact Elizabeth Kolada at
elleof67@att.net.
Hope Covenant Church (14401 West Ave.,
Orland Park)
Services
10 a.m. Sundays
Junior High Youth Group
Noon-2 p.m. every other
Sunday. This is an active
group of kids from fourth
to seventh grade. It meets
every other Sunday for a
lesson, activity, games,
treats and fellowship.
Army veteran who served
in Korea. He also worked as
an engineer for the Chicago
Fire Department and was
owner of M&M Graphics
in Frankfort. He also was a
dealer for Empress Casino in
Joliet. He is survived by his
wife, Geraldine; children,
Paul (Melissa), Anthony
(Cindy) and Michael (Jennifer);
sister, Roberta (Henry)
Johnson; grandchildren,
Michelle, Christine, Lauren,
Paul Jr., Hailey, Joey and
Katelyn; and many nieces
and nephews. Visitation and
funeral services were held
at Kurtz Memorial Chapel.
Interment at Pleasant Hill
Cemetery in Frankfort. In
lieu of flowers, the family
is asking for donations
in his name be made to the
National Multiple Sclerosis
Society, nationalmssociety.
org/Donate.
Jeffery D. Olson
Jeffery D. Olson, 55, of
Orland Park, died March
18. He worked at Elim
Workshop for more than 25
years and loved working
there. He is survived by his
parents, David and Carol;
his siblings, Daniel (Kim),
David (Brenda) and Laura
(Brian) Atrill; nieces, McKenna
and Madelyn; nephew,
Cafe
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
All are invited to share
refreshments, fellowship
and conversation after most
Sunday morning services.
Men’s Bible Study
7:30-8:30 p.m. The onehour
session includes coffee
and conversation.
Living Word Lutheran Church (16301 S.
Wolf Road, Orland Park)
PUSH Prayer
9:30 a.m. Tuesdays. All
are welcome to take part in
person or take 10-15 minutes
to pray for the country,
church, community and
individual needs. Meetings
Connor; aunts, Barbara Gall
and Janet Golob; and uncle,
“Rick” Schinske. Visitation
was held at Colonial Chapel.
Funeral services were held
at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Interment at Bethania Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials
to Trinity Lutheran
Church, Good Samaritan
Fund, 6850 W. 159th St.,
Tinley Park, IL, 60477,
would be appreciated.
Paul L. O’Toole Jr.
Paul L. O’Toole Jr., 75, of
Orland Park, died March 20.
He is survived by his wife,
Deanne; children, Paul III
(Melissa), Dennis (Angela)
and Peggy (Adam) Lavelle;
grandchildren, Maggie, Patrick,
Fiona Lavelle, Kevin
Lavelle and Charlie Lavelle;
siblings, Mary Ann (Tom)
McKenna; and many nieces
and nephews. Visitation
was held at Curley Funeral
Home. A funeral service
was held at Our Lady of
the Woods Church. Interment
private. In lieu of flowers,
donations to the Syrian
American Medical Society,
www.sams-usa.net, would
be appreciated.
Geraldine A. Walker
Geraldine A. Walker (nee
Cassidy), 88, of Orland
take place the second
Tuesday of the month.
Presbyterian Church in Orland Park
(13401 S. Wolf Road, Orland Park)
Little Free Library
Located on the southeast
corner of the parking lot. The
Little Free Library welcomes
all to use it, and the library is
operated on the take a book,
leave a book premise. For
more information, call (708)
448-8142.
Zion Luteran Church (17100 S. 69th Ave.,
Tinley Park)
Southwest Suburban
Widow/Widowers Social
Club
7-9 p.m. Friday, April 7.
Park, died March 19. She
is survived by her husband,
Carl; children, Dolores (Jerome)
Fishback and Mary;
grandchildren, Lisa (Dan),
Rich, Kevin (Nichole),
Daniel (Marlo), Jay (Rachel),
Michael (Niki), Tim,
Ryan (Amy), Matthew and
Elizabeth; great-grandchildren,
Jake, Kaitlyn, Nick,
Connor, Sydney, Noah,
Jack, Colin, Jaxon, Brooklyn,
Grayson, Maddy, Scarlett,
Maeve and Savannah;
siblings, Dolores (Paul)
Lemrise, James Cassidy,
Timothy (Dorothy) and Eileen
Wren; and many nieces
and nephews. Visitation
was held at the Vandenberg
Funeral Home. A funeral
Mass was held at St. George
Church. Interment at St.
Mary Cemetery. In lieu of
flowers, donations to St.
Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, www.stjude.org,
or National Kidney Foundation
of Illinois, www.nkfi.
org, would be appreciated.
Have someone’s life you’d
like to honor? Email Assistant
Editor Brittany Kapa at
b.kapa@22ndcenturymedia.
com with information about a
loved one who was a part of the
Orland Park community.
This caring and friendly
group is opening it’s doors to
Orland Park residents. This
group meets once a month.
Beverages and snacks will
be served. Most months
include entertainment. For
more information, call Bill
Dolehide (708) 342-6820.
Have something for Faith
Briefs? Contact Assistant
Editor Brittany Kapa at
b.kapa@22ndcenturymedia.
com or call (708) 326-9170 ext.
11. Information is due by noon
on Thursdays one week prior to
publication.
Pastor Column
The Ministry
of Presence
Imam Kifah Mustapha
Prayer Center of Orland Park
Weakness and
vulnerability are
characteristics
of all human beings. Aside
from our unique God-given
coping abilities, we could
never survive hardships in
life alone. We tend to look
for support to help us cope
with tests and trials we
encounter in life.
A person of faith will
always feel the companionship
of his Lord in knowledge,
compassion, mercy
and kindness. But such
companionship was meant
to be demonstrated in the
presence of people around
you in a status called the
Ministry of Presence.
In the Islamic tradition,
such understanding was
clearly stated by God to one
of his servants, “O son of
Adam, I was ill but you did
not visit Me!”
The servant would say,
“O Lord, how could I visit
You and You are the Lord of
the worlds?”
God would say, “Did you
not know that so and so was
a servant of Mine and was ill
but you did not visit him? Did
you not realize that if you had
visited him you would have
found Me with him?”
The idea that God likened
the pain of illness in His
servant to Himself, and that
through the compassion
of another human being,
visiting the bedside in
support, the servant would
have found God there. It
is indeed a very powerful
message for those truly
seeking to find God and be
with Him. Humanity owes
one another support in times
of calamities and hardships,
if they claim they are truly
seekers of God.
With such understanding
of the power of the Ministry
of Presence, each one of us
can become a blessed person.
A mother caring for her
baby in the middle of the
night, an older sibling helping
his younger sibling with
homework, a youth volunteering
at a senior home,
a family hosting refugees
from areas ravaged by war
or a friend visiting another
friend during illness are all
on that path of finding God.
During my tenure in chaplaincy,
I learned in clinical
pastoral education about the
Ministry of Presence and its
importance in being next to
people, offering them comfort
during moments of grief. But
I truly believe a ministry of
being present is not limited
to an individual level during
moments of hardships or loss.
It extends to communities
and nations, as well.
These days, when communities
are being attacked
because of race, creed or
religion, isn’t it time to
practice the Ministry of
Presence so that God will be
there for us?
The opinions of this column are
those of the writer. They do not
necessarily reflect those of The
Orland Park Prairie.