Deacon Robert James Sullivan was born on March 19, 1950 — the Feast of Saint Joseph — in Chicago, Illinois, to William and Helen Sullivan. He was baptized at Saint Ignatius Parish on the North Side, where he would serve as an altar boy, a lector, and eventually a permanent deacon for the last twenty-eight years of his life. Robert earned a degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago in 1972 and spent his career as a caseworker and supervisor with Catholic Charities of Chicago, serving families in crisis for thirty-five years. He married Patricia Anne Connelly on August 15, 1974, at Saint Ignatius, and together they raised four children in the faith. In 2000, Robert was ordained a permanent deacon by Cardinal Francis George at Holy Name Cathedral. He served at Saint Ignatius Parish, where he preached, baptized, witnessed marriages, and presided at funerals for nearly three decades. He was particularly devoted to prison ministry at Cook County Jail, where he brought the sacraments and the Word to men who had few other visitors. Deacon Robert Sullivan was known for homilies that were honest, warm, and grounded in the struggles of ordinary life. He was a man of deep prayer, great humor, and tireless service. He entered eternal life on September 1, 2026, the Memorial of Saint Giles. He was 76 years old.

Hobbies & interests

Celebrating daily Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours; visiting inmates at Cook County Jail every Saturday; coaching youth basketball at the parish; reading theology and biography; gardening with Patricia; cheering for the Chicago Cubs with his grandchildren

Survived by

His wife of 52 years, Patricia Anne Sullivan (née Connelly); four children: Father William Sullivan, S.J. (Jesuit priest), Kathleen Sullivan-Brady (Michael) of Chicago, IL, James Robert Sullivan (Megan) of Evanston, IL, and Anne Sullivan-Kowalski (Thomas) of Milwaukee, WI; eleven grandchildren; and the parishioners of Saint Ignatius Parish, who called him their deacon for 26 years.

Preceded in death by

His parents, William and Helen Sullivan; his brother, Thomas Sullivan; and his granddaughter, Grace Helen Sullivan.