The Most Holy Redeemer Parish community in Evergreen Park is mourning the loss of Rev. Francis L. Schouten, a longtime priest remembered for his gentle spirit, deep faith, and years of dedicated ministry both abroad and at home. Schouten, a former member of the Society of the Divine Word and former associate pastor at St. Eugene Parish in Chicago, died Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. He was 96.
Born Jan. 4, 1929, in Chicago, Schouten’s life of service began early. He attended Divine Word Seminary in East Troy, Wisconsin, and went on to study philosophy and theology at the Divine Word Missionaries’ headquarters in Techny, Illinois. He was ordained on Aug. 15, 1955.
Shortly after, Schouten embarked on a decades-long missionary journey to Ghana, where he helped establish parishes, build schools and churches, and teach in a secondary school outside the capital city of Accra. The Chicago Catholic profiled him earlier this year, calling him “the archdiocese’s oldest priest” and highlighting his legacy of service that spanned continents.
When his health began to decline, Schouten returned to Chicago and found a new home at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Evergreen Park, where he assisted for many years. Parishioners there quickly came to know him for his humility, compassion, and quiet dedication to his calling.
“Fr. Schouten was well regarded by the people of Most Holy Redeemer,” said Rev. Michael G. Foley, vicar for priests for the Archdiocese of Chicago. “He was a gentle soul.”
In 1990, Schouten transitioned from religious order life to diocesan ministry with the blessing of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin and was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Chicago. He went on to serve as associate pastor at St. Eugene Parish on the Northwest Side until his retirement in 1999—but even after retiring, he continued to assist at Most Holy Redeemer until 2020.
Funeral services for Rev. Schouten will be held at Most Holy Redeemer Parish, 9525 S. Lawndale Ave., Evergreen Park. He will lie in state Monday, Nov. 17, from 3 to 7 p.m., and again Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 9 to 10 a.m. A funeral Mass will follow at 10 a.m., celebrated by Most Rev. Joseph N. Perry, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Chicago. Foley will deliver the homily. Interment will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsip.
Through decades of missionary and parish ministry, from the villages of Ghana to the pews of Evergreen Park, Rev. Francis Schouten leaves behind a legacy of quiet service and unwavering faith.
