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Archdiocesan Priest, Monsignor Richard B. Saudis, Dies

Saudis was a retired archdiocesan priest and former associate vicar for Canonical Services

Chicago (March 30, 2021) – Monsignor Richard B. Saudis, former associate vicar for Canonical Services, passed away Saturday, March 27, 2021, at the age of 91.

Saudis was born on Feb. 17, 1930, in Chicago. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

Saudis was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1955, by Cardinal Samuel Stritch, and celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 7 of the same year at Immaculate Conception Parish on 44th Street in Chicago.

After ordination, Saudis served as assistant pastor at All Saints Parish on South State Street in Chicago, as pastor at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Northfield, and as associate pastor at Nativity, BVM Parish on Washtenaw Street in Chicago and St. Odilo Parish in Berwyn. Saudis also taught at Quigley Preparatory Seminary and Niles College. Additionally, he served as military secretary, vice chancellor and associate vicar for Canonical Services, a service he continued to perform even after retirement.

Rev. William Gubbins, retired archdiocesan priest, remembered how self-effacing, generous and quiet his classmate was, but also how totally dedicated he was to both parish ministry and the canonical services of the archdiocese.

Most Rev. Jeffrey Grob, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, first met Saudis when he was invited to work part-time in the Chancellor's Office of the archdiocese in May 1994 by then Rev. Thomas Paprocki (now Bishop Paprocki). “I recall Msgr. Saudis' great patience in ‘showing me the ropes.’ He was always kind and had a wonderful dry sense of humor,” Bishop Grob said. He remembered Saudis as a hardworking priest and dedicated to whatever he set his mind. “He did his work whatever that might have been without complaining and, although he
wore many hats over the years of his priestly service, he did so with a humble spirit,” Bishop Grob added.

Visitation hours will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, during which a vigil service presided by Bishop Joseph Perry will be held at 7:30 p.m. The funeral Mass will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 31, and will be celebrated by Bishop Grob. All funeral services will be held at St. Odilo Parish, 2244 East Avenue in Berwyn. Interment will follow at St. Casimir Cemetery. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the parish website:
https://parish.saintodilo.org/.