Father Paul J. Wolfer, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for 63 years, died Oct. 6 in Cincinnati. He was 89 years old

CT FILE PHOTO

Father Paul Wolfer

A native of Cincinnati, Father Wolfer attended then-St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary of the West. He was ordained on Feb. 24, 1945 by Archbishop John T. McNicholas at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Norwood, Ohio.

His first assignment following ordination was as assistant pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dayton. He also served as assistant pastor at St. Patrick Parish, Fayetteville (1945-1947); St. John Parish, Deer Park (1947-1950); St. Boniface Parish, Cincinnati (1950-1952); St. Matthew Parish, Norwood (1952-1953); Holy Angels Parish, Sidney (1953-1958); St. Peter in Chains Parish, Hamilton (1958-1960); Assumption Parish, Cincinnati (1960-1963); and St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Parish, Springfield (1963-1965).

In 1965, Father Wolfer became pastor of St. Mary Parish, Bethel, and administrator of Mother of Good Counsel Parish, Felicity. In 1968, he became pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, Withamsville. In 1976, Father Wolfer was appointed co-pastor of St. Mary Parish in Piqua, and 12 years later he became its pastor emeritus.

In retirement, Father Wolfer served the faithful of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for many years.

In addition to his ministry in parishes, he also served on the faculty of then-Purcell High School in Cincinnati and Central Catholic High School in Springfield.

He was chaplain of St. Aloysius Military Academy in Fayetteville, and chaplain for the St. Martin Deanery’s St. Vincent de Paul Conference. He served as spiritual director of the Sidney Curia of the Legion of Mary, and assistant (priest-moderator) to the Cincinnati chapter of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.

Father Wolfer is survived by his brother, Father Robert Wolfer, of Cincinnati.

Sister Regina Welza

A memorial Mass was held for Ursuline Sister Regina Magdalen Welza Oct. 16 at Sacred Heart Chapel in St. Martin, Ohio. Sister Regina, 89, died on Oct. 2 at the Mount Notre Dame Health Care Center.

A native of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Sister Regina served as a clerk typist in Washington, D.C., during World War II. She entered the Ursulines of Brown County in 1946 and made her first profession in 1949.

A graduate of Our Lady of Cincinnati College, she taught at the School of the Brown County Ursulines, Ursuline Academy, St. Vivian, and St. Louis School in Owensville, where she served as principal.

After receiving a master’s degree in library science, Sister Regina served as librarian at Chatfield College, the former Marian High School and Mount Notre Dame High School. She also taught religion classes at Holy Name in Blanchester; St. Martin in St. Martin; St. Elizabeth in Sardinia; and St. Mary in Arnheim.

Sister Regina is survived by two sisters, Marion and Victoria Welza of Wilkes-Barre.

Sister Lynne Hannum

Sister Lynne Hannum died Oct. 8 in Grosse Pointe, Mich. She was 64 years of age and in the 42nd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Lynne, a native of Michigan, spent 18 years in the medical field. She was a nurse at hospitals in Michigan and served at St. Theresa Home and Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati from 1975-1980.

She is survived by a sister, Catherine Whiteacre of Newberry, Florida.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Oct. 10 in Michigan, where interment also took place.