Father Dusan Anthony Okorn, 88

In the hope of the Resurrection, Father Dusan Anthony Okorn, 88, died on Jan. 10, 2010, at home at The Sycamore Tree Contemplative Prayer Center in Swan Lake. He was born on March 5, 1921, in Maribor, Slovenia. He was ordained a priest in Rome on April 6, 1947. From 1947 to 1949, he served in Italy in Torino, Mondovi and Genoa, prior to emigrating to Montana in 1949. For the next 60 years he served as a priest in the Diocese of Helena: as chaplain at the St. Joseph Home in Helena, as assistant pastor at St. Peter s in Anaconda, St. Joseph in Butte, St. Michael in Conrad and St. Richard s in Columbia Falls. He was the first pastor at St. Catherine in Bigfork (1963-1971) and pastor of St. Mary s in Stevensville (1971-1978). In 1978-1979, he spent a sabbatical year at The Sycamore Tree and began the retreat apostolate. He was assigned as pastor of Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission from 1979 to 2006, with Seeley Lake from 1980 to 1990. A prayer vigil was held at Our Lady of Swan Valley Mission on Jan. 11. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. today, Jan. 12, at Our Lady of Swan Valley. Burial will be at the private cemetery at The Sycamore Tree. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Sycamore Tree for landscaping the cemetery, a project which he had hoped to complete before his death. Father Okorn is survived by his sister, Rozka Dretnik, who lives in Borovnica, Slovenija; cousins, Bertie and Roger Bisson of Clancy, and Dr. Louis and Dorothy Smith of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; a nephew, Jany Dretnik, of London, and other nephews in Slovenija.