Father William Sheridan, SW Side Native Who Grew Up in St. Nick's, Dies at 90

The Rev. William Harold Sheridan, a Southwest Side native, passed away on Friday,

The Rev. William Harold Sheridan

December 9, Archdiocesan officials have announced. He was 90 years old. For most of his priestly career, Father Sheridan was on the faculty of Quigley Preparatory Seminary North.

Father Sheridan was born in Chicago on November 9, 1926. He attended St. Nicholas of Tolentine School and Mount Carmel High School.

He went on to study at Quigley Preparatory Seminary North. He graduated from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in theology.

Father Sheridan completed his post-graduate studies at Notre Dame University in Indiana, receiving a master's degree in classics.

He was ordained into the priesthood on May 5, 1954, by Samuel Cardinal Stritch. He celebrated his first Solemn Mass at St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish on May 9, 1954.

Father Sheridan served in the Archdiocese in a number of different parochial roles. He served as assistant pastor of St. Bonaventure Parish on Diversey Parkway, closed in 2008 (1954-57).

He began teaching at Quigley Preparatory Seminary North in 1957, while residing at St. Philip Neri Parish, and served as a professor, spiritual director and athletic director. He continued to teach until his retirement in 1995. Father Sheridan also remained a resident of St. Philip Neri Parish, serving the parish community until his death.

In a 2011 interview with the Catholic New World, he reflected on the importance of his vocation, “I can say without a doubt, the greatest blessing of my life has been the gift of priesthood.”

The Rev. John Finnegan, a retired Archdiocesan priest, was a classmate of Father Sheridan. He said, “He was a dear, dear friend. We had known each other since our third year of high school in 1945. Later, we went to Notre Dame together because we were both Latin teachers at Quigley...Bill was always a builder...he built communities and he was the glue that held people together. We always had fun times together.”

Monsignor Dan Mayall, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Wilmette, taught at Quigley with Father Sheridan. He said, “In more than one way, he taught hundreds of us how to be a priest... he taught me when I was a sophomore, and later we taught together at Quigley. He was also the athletic director, and although I was never officially part of the department, he always included me! We were very good friends.”

Services were Saturday, Dec. 17 from St. Philip Neri Parish, 2132 E. 72nd St. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich was scheduled to be the main celebrant. Interment was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Alsip.

Fr. Sheridan is survived by his nieces and nephews.

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