Martin Stepanich

Father Martin Stepanich, 97, passed away November 18, 2012, at 2130 p.m. at his residence. Traditional Requiem Mass was said by the Reverend Francis Miller, OFM, at St. Hugh Chapel in Milwaukee. Interment St. Mary's Seminary Cemetery, Lemont, IL. Father Martin, son of Joe and Agnes Stepanich, was born Frank Vincent Stepanich, at Neodesha on 12 November, 1915. He grew up on the Joe and Agnes Stepanich farm, 7 miles southeast of Neodesha. He attended elementary school at Brooks School which was one fourth mile from the farm home, and attended freshman high school year at Neodesha High School. In 1930, he entered St. Joseph's Minor Seminary in Mayslake, IL, and then later transferred to St. Mary's Seminary, Lemont, IL, to study, and become a Roman Catholic Franciscan priest, with designation Fr. Martin Stepanich, OFM, Order of Friar Minor, of the Franciscan Order. His final Vow was on 3 September 1938, and he was ordained on 14 May 1941 at St. Mary's Seminary, Lemont, IL. His first Solemn High Mass was at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Neodesha on 15 June 1941. After his ordination he continued study Catholic University in Washington DC, completing studies in 1948 with a degree of STD, or Doctor of Sacred Theology. After completing study at Catholic University, he was assigned to a Franciscan Parish in Johnstown, PA. After about 5 months in Johnstown, he returned to St. Mary's Seminary, Lemont, IL, where he taught at colleges and schools, and said Mass in the Lemont area for many years. He also tended the garden and constructed various monuments while at St. Mary's Seminary. For his annual one month vacations, he would drive the 700 miles to Neodesha to spend the month at the farm, where he grew up, and to be with the rest of the family. Although the Traditional Catholic Mass was altered with the Catican Council II after 1962, Fr. Martin continued saying the Traditional Latin Mass for as long as he was able, up to October 2010, when he was 95 years old. In that 69 years of saying Mass, he said the Traditional Latin Mass more than 26,000 times. Although Fr. Martin was completely dedicated to the duties of the priesthood, he was very fond of planting vegetables in the garden, and raising outstandingly attractive flowers. At St. Mary's Seminary, he planted a very large garden providing the tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, sweet corn, beans, etc. as consumed at the seminary. People seeing his flower plants, marveled at how attractive his lilies and other flowers were. He also constructed various monuments at St. Marys' Seminary, one of which was a rosary along a small ravine, with small statues and evergreen bushes for the rosary beads, which was quite a work of art. Fr. Martin was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Agnes Stepanich, and six brothers and sisters; Joe, Ann, Sr. Susanne, Henry, Edward and Mary. He is survived by two brothers, John and Fred. Arrangements by Markiewicz Funeral Home, P.C., Lemont. Info: 630-257-6363 or www.markiewiczfh.com