Fr. Charles Skach, former pastor of Berwyn’s St. Odilo Parish, died at age 82 of heart failure on Wednesday, March 21, the 82nd anniversary of his baptism, at Resurrection Hospital in Chicago. Since 2003, he was residing at St. Benedict Home in Niles where he was recovering from two strokes and undergoing treatment for lung cancer.
A Berwyn native, Fr. Skach was born on March 12, 1925 and was baptized at Berwyn’s St. Mary of Celle Parish. He graduated from Berwyn’s St. Odilo School in June 1939, Quigley (North) Preparatory Seminary in June 1944 and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in June 1951. Fluent in four languages, Fr. Skach also enrolled in postgraduate studies at Mundelein Seminary in the early 1950’s and at the University of Chicago in the mid-1960’s.
Fr. Skach was ordained a priest on May 3, 1951, and three days later celebrated his first solemn Mass at St. Odilo Church. In November 1953, he was assigned as assistant pastor of Maywood’s St. Eulalia Parish, where he remained until July 1960. Fr. Skach then became assistant pastor of Chicago’s St. Symphorosa Parish, a position he held until June 1965.
Between 1966 and 1978, he served as chaplain of Lourdes High School (now De La Salle—Lourdes Hall Campus) on Chicago’s southwest side. In June 1978, Fr. Skach became pastor of St. Odilo Parish, a position he held until August 1990. From 1990 until 1997, Fr. Skach served as associate pastor at Mt. Prospect’s St. Raymond de Penafort parish. After his retirement in 1997, Fr. Skach served as senior priest at St. Raymond de Penafort until his hospitalization in 2003.