AMDG
Our parents gave the future deacon the middle name of Victor because they could only think of victory after America entered World War II upon the attack of Pearl Harbor three weeks before his birth as the Great Generation greeted the new year of 1942. The son of Hungarian/Ruthenian immigrants and grandson of Fr. Vladimir Mihalich, a Byzantine Catholic priest, he had achieved the American dream and generously gave back to the Church and the community of his time, talent, and treasure.
Still in his prime as a successful investment banker in Chicago, he took early retirement to become a man of the cloth and was ordained a deacon in 2003 after a few years (part-time) of study. Kathleen gave him the required espousal permission and continued to faithfully be at his side during their 57 years of marriage. John served as a deacon at his home parish of St. Isaac Jogues Church in Hinsdale, Illinois and for the winter at St. John the Evangelist Church in Naples, Florida where he had a condo.
Deacon John took his new vocation seriously. He normally got up at dawn or before to say the scriptural prayers of the Lectio Divina (i.e. the breviary - read, pray, meditate, contemplate) as customary for religious and Catholic clergy and recommended for laity too.
Deacon John and his family spent
several weekends in Rio Grande. Fr.
William Myers, of happy memory, was so gracious as to allow him to participate
as a server at Mass and give the homily.
We all were thrilled, our mother especially, to hear him give these
excellent homilies.
Around 2015 Deacon John’s rheumatoid arthritis was in remission and he continued serving in both parishes. In the last two or three years, however, he became incapacitated with one ailment after another in an out of his local hospital. While fighting a blood disease that required 25 transfusions, his doctors discovered colon cancer and that meant surgery.
Since the treatment with chemo destroyed his immune system, a whole series of diseases followed……laryngitis, a severe ear infection that made communication by phone impossible, a bad cough, and more. Overcoming one sickness, he would be inflicted with another while Kathleen was fighting an ailment of her own. Deacon John valiantly fought every ailment with a saintly attitude of faith and courage. Michelle rallied to her father’s side with her mother and John Victor II handled the tax returns.
Deacon
John and his lovely wife, Kathleen faithfully at
his side in Rome
During one of our phone conversations, his nurse came in and
asked: “How are you doing? The deacon’s answer was “Blessed”. He was grateful to the Lord despite it all
and did not complain. When I said, “John,
it’s sort of not fair. You have all this
suffering and your older brother (me) just has a few old age aches and
pains.” His answer astonished me. “WHY NOT ME?”
Our Dad would often repeat, “Every man has his cross to bear” on his journey
to eternity and Deacon John had a heavy one.
Life is only a preparation for eternity.
Deacon John believed in Redemptive Suffering.
That is, every one of us has the opportunity to make his cross a prayer for
others. “I offer up my sufferings to God
in reparation for my sins and for my children”. One of Mary’s most important
messages at Fatima was to pray for and offer up one’s crosses for the
conversion of sinners. In that way the
mystery of suffering becomes meaningful and productive. Otherwise, it is misery. He repeated more than once: “Thy will be
done”. As cousin Fr. Thomas Loya noted,
“he gave his best homilies from his sick bed”.
Deacon John is at the
lectern and Cardinal Francis George is on the right. The venue is Cardinal George's pastoral church
in Rome, the Basilica of St. Bartholomew the Apostle.
He went on a pilgrimage with the great Cardinal Francis George
and served at one of his Masses. Among
those who visited him in the hospital were Bishop Conlin, Bishop Hicks, and of
course cousin Fr. Loya and pastor Fr. Burke Masters who is also the Catholic
Chaplain for the Chicago Cubs.
His funeral Mass at St. Isaac Jogues Church was full. A large group of fellow deacons and Knights of the Holy Sepulcher attended in full regalia. Deacon John was nominated for this prestigious group by Bishop Conlin in appreciation of his work in straightening out the Diocese of Joliet-IL pension plan for the priests and employees.
Relatives came from all over the country……his
nephew John Paul's family of four plus one on the way flew in from Irving-TX, his niece Stephanie’s family of four
drove from four Front Royal-Virginia, his niece Naomi’s family of three flew in from Durham-NC,
and his nephew Joseph flew in from Atlanta-Georgia. Deacon Greg and his wife came from Cleveland, Tim Loya from Jefferson-OH, and Michael Foley from New York City. Fr.
Thomas Loya, our cousin, concelebrated, was the homilist, led prayers at
the wake, and officiated the burial at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. Deacon Greg assisted and read the Gospel. His daughter Michelle and son Mark gave eulogies.
Lt. John Sebastian Company Commander in Orleans, France
Taps were played at the burial site by a group of Army veterans
in a touching ceremony that left me (also a veteran) in tears as I
saluted. The flag, which draped the
coffin crafted by Trappist Monks, was presented to his wife, Kathleen. Deacon John certainly deserved the
honor. Although only a lieutenant, he
was made commander of an important engineering company in Orleans, France in
the midst of the Cold War in the 1960s.
Later in the reserves he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
Let me close with a bit of humor. In the Boy Scouts we sang a stupid lyric: “If I get to heaven before you do, I’ll drill a hole and spit on you”. Well, Deacon John certainly is getting to heaven before me, his older brother. And I know one thing. He’s sending down a shower of prayers for his loved ones.
We can confide that John has received the ultimate prize......."Well done good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23). May we all do as well.
May we all imitate his faithfulness to God and the teachings of His Church, especially
his dear ones……John & Nicole, Christian, Justin, and soon to be Dr. Allison Peeney PhD; John Victor II & Ann, Kate, Mary, and John Victor Sebastian
III; Shawn & Michelle, Isabella, Emilia, and Maria Gleason; Mark &
Lauren, Mark II, and Valentino Sebastian.
Nothing would make him happier for you now and later to embrace you in
Heaven. Don't forget; you have a cheerleader up there cheering you on.
Your wife, two daughters, two sons, 11 grandchildren, numerous relatives and friends will miss you very much, John. We can take solace in the thought that we will all be together again in Heaven for a joyful reunion. Let’s make sure that we all get there by being always faithful to Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church. Good-bye my brother until we meet again. We love you.
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John Sebastian Obituary
Obituary published on Legacy.com by Sullivan Family Funeral
Homes & Cremation Service - Hinsdale on Jun. 2, 2025.
