Rev. John “Jack" O’Malley was born on October 12, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois to John and Elizabeth O’Malley. He was baptized at St. Pascal Church and attended St. Mel High School in Chicago in 1945. He transferred to Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1946, graduating in 1950.
After two years at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa (1950-52), he entered the Dominican Novitiate where he took the religious name Kilian. He professed first vows and began his bachelor’s degree in philosophy at the Aquinas Institute in River Forest, Illinois in 1953. When the Institute relocated to Dubuque, Iowa, he continued his theology studies there, professing solemn vows in 1956. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1959 and completed his theological studies in 1960.
Following his studies, Father Jack first ministered in higher education. He served as an instructor in Philosophy and Theology at the University of Dallas from 1960-63. He then returned to Chicago to teach philosophy at DePaul University from 1963-64 before joining Fenwick High School as the Dean of Discipline for two years.
In 1966, Father Jack was commissioned as a chaplain in the United States Air Force. He served three tours of duty, ministering at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana (1966-67), Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska (1968), and Norton Air Force Base in San Bernadino, California (1968-70). After completing his active-duty service, he continued as a chaplain with the Illinois Air National Guard, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal in 1984 and retiring in 1989 with the rank of Colonel.
Returning to Fenwick High School in 1970, he taught theology for sixteen years. During this time, he took a year-long sabbatical to study scripture at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkely, California in 1981 and was elected Prior of St. Dominic and St. Thomas Priory in River Forest from 1975-82.
After concluding his teaching career, Father Jack served at the Catholic Chaplains office in Washington, D.C. (1987-88) and as chaplain to the Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove, Illinois (1989-91). His dedication to chaplaincy also extended to the Military and Hospitaler Order of the Knights of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, where he was a senior chaplain. In 1992, Father Jack embraced a new ministry as a traveling preacher, first for Food for the Poor from 1992-2002 and later with Catholic Cross Outreach from 2003-19.
In 2019, he retired to St. Pius V Priory in Chicago. He gradually lost his eyesight and moved to Resurrection Village. Jack dealt with his condition of blindness with immense patience and docility, not losing his sense of humor, prayerfulness, and studiousness despite the difficult condition. In fact, after his eyesight had worsened to the point of legal blindness, Jack stayed intellectually and theologically engaged until the end of his life, often having friars or other friends read theological books to him. It was impressive how much he was able to retain without the ability to re-read or easily return to a passage. Fr. Jack was a devoted son of the late John and Elizabeth, a fond brother of Rev. Mr. James O'Malley and Annamae O'Malley, and a loving uncle of five nieces and nephews.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, September 17, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, 1530 Jackson Ave, River Forest, Illinois, preceded by Office of the Dead at 10:00 a.m. Interment at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Memorial donations to the Dominican Friars, 1910 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60608-2904 or at https://www.opcentral.org/donate/online, are greatly appreciated.
