Deacon John Martin, who served many years at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Baynesville, died March 25. He was known for his compassion and warmth.

That commitment to fostering community, even in challenging circumstances, defined Father Frank Brauer’s priesthood. He died March 30 in Florida after a short time in hospice care. He was 79.

A funeral Mass for Daughter of Charity Sister Mary (Mary Helena) Sheehan was offered March 27 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg. Sister Mary died March 22. She was 86. 

The “faithful service” of retired Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, who died March 26 at age 85, “leaves a lasting legacy on Long Island and throughout the universal Church,” said Bishop John O. Barres, the diocese’s current shepherd.

A funeral Mass for Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Kathleen Patricia Haughey was offered March 3 at Our Lady Queen Chapel in Ipswich, Mass. Sister Kathleen died Feb. 22. She was 94.

One by one, inside the University of Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart March 16, a flock of priests gently patted the pall atop the casket as they descended from the altar following the funeral Mass for legendary football coach Lou Holtz.

Josephite Father William Norvel, a forceful voice for Black Catholic identity who spent more than six decades challenging the institutional church to live up to its claim of being universal, died March 8. He was 90.

The word “presence” defined the way Deacon Daniel Stretmater ministered, living a life to evoke Christ’s presence through everything he did in his 101 years of life, including actively serving for a quarter-century at St. Louis in Clarksville.

On March 4, Lou Holtz died in Orlando, Fla., at the age of 89, surrounded by his family. Forever etched in Fighting Irish lore for leading Notre Dame to the 1988 National Championship, Holtz leaves behind not just a decorated football resume but a legacy of shaping young men and inspiring people to live virtuously.

Catholic theologian and prolific writer Thomas “Paul” Thigpen died Feb. 24 at the age of 71. A resident of Kennesaw, Georgia, he wrote more than 60 books and hundreds of articles on religion and faith.