Rev. Simon P. Lefebvre passed away peacefully on Jan. 13, 2020 at the Viatorian Province Center in Arlington Heights. He was 92.
Fr. Lefebvre was born Aug. 21, 1927 in Marthe, Quebec, Canada. He was the son of Arthur and Alice (Seguin) Lefebvre, who preceded him in death along with his brothers, Raymond and Andre and his sisters, Loretta Lefebvre and Pauline McLeod. He is survived by his brothers Jean and Louis and his sisters Jean Coolins and Lena Baker.
He made his first profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1946 with the Congregation in Montreal, his final profession on March 19, 1956 in Arlington Heights, and was ordained on Aug. 15, 1956 in Chicago by Cardinal Samuel Stritch.
Fr. Lefebvre attended high school at Cornwall Collegiate High School in Ontario, Canada. He then attended Normal School in Rigaud, Quebec from 1947-1948. He received a B.A. degree in Education from the University of Ottawa, an M.A. in Romance Languages from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and an M.A. in Chinese from Fu-Ren University in Taipei, Taiwan. He completed his seminary studies at Catholic University of America and the Viatorian Seminary.
He taught for one year (1957-58) at Spalding Institute in Peoria. From 1958 to 1969 he taught at St. Viator High School in Taiwan before teaching Chinese studies at the University of Hong Kong (1970). He then spent one year (1971-72) teaching at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. From July of 1972 until June of 1975 he taught at College Bourget, Rigaud, Quebec, before being named Assistant Professor at Chung-Hsin National University and Providence College in Taiwan from 1975 to 1979. He served as Director of the Center for Religion and Life at the University of Nevada in Reno, from 1980 to 1984 and then as Professor of Chinese at the University of San Diego (1984-89). Between 1984 and 1991, Fr. Lefebvre was assigned as Parochial Vicar in three parishes in California: St. Rose of Lima Parish, Chula Vista (1984-85), St. Charles Borromeo Parish (1985-90) and Blessed Sacrament Parish (1990-91), both in San Diego. He served as Pastor of St. Richard Parish in Borrego Springs, CA from 1991-2004. He retired to Aguanga, CA in 2004 where he resided until moving to the Viatorian retirement residence in 2016.
A Mass of Christian burial took place Jan. 16 at the Viatorian Province Center, located at 1212 E. Euclid Ave. in Arlington Heights.