Irene De Fauw Friend
December 26, 1930-May 2, 2020
Irene DeFauw Friend, Age 89, Born into Eternal Life on May 2, 2020.
Beloved wife of the late Richard A. Friend.
Loving mother of Christine, Patrick (Sherry), and Michael (Karin) Friend.
Proud “Grammy Irene” to Danny (Allison), Katie, Ryan, Michael, Jr., and Joseph.
Fond cousin of Ron Cornelis, the late Don and the late Roger Cornelis, and Jackie Bauer of South Bend, IN.
Devoted sister-in-law of Louise Myers.
Dear friend of the late Rev. William Greener of Sabula, IA.
Former Coordinator of Youth Apostolate under John Cardinal Cody, former Director of Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and Longtime D.R.E. of Christ the King Parish.
Irene is fondly remembered by her colleagues as “The Mother of Youth Ministry in the United States.” It’s not just a nickname, Irene, a mother of three, worked 12-14 hours a day for nearly 40 years to earn it. A native of South Bend, Irene moved to Chicago in the late 1960s from Iowa and Wisconsin where she was involved in the training and formation of adults. She started as a volunteer CCD teacher and youth minister. Within a few years, she was working full time for the Archdiocese as coordinator of education and faith formation. Cardinal Cody established the Office of the Coordinator of Youth Apostolate in June of 1977. The Cardinal appointed Irene Friend as the “Coordinator of the Youth Apostolate” setting a historical precedent in lay ministry with the appointment by the Cardinal of a lay woman to a significant position of leadership in the Archdiocese.
She later became the 1st Director of Youth Ministry. While in that position, Irene created dozens of youth ministry programs-many the first of their kind. Her contributions include: the Youth Minister Certification Program, “Youth Day” and Teen Service Week, just to mention a few. Irene served 14 years as an elected representative to the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and received numerous awards for her commitment to youth. In 2003, NFYCM presented its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Irene when she retired from the Archdiocese. She served on the National Catholic Youth Foundation and the Accreditation and Service Committee of the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry. She received the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Common Ground Award on February 19, 2012.
Interment was held at St. Peters Cemetery, Sabula, IA in May 2020.
A memorial mass celebrating Irene’s life will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 1:00pm at Christ the King Church, 9235 S. Hamilton Ave., Chicago, IL 60643.
Memorials to Christ the King Parish, 9235 S. Hamilton Ave., Chicago, IL 60643 or Morgan Park Catholic Youth Ministry Center, 1825 W. Monterey Ave., Chicago, IL 60643 are most appreciated.
April 30, 2022 – 1:00 pm cst
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