Tribute to Joseph (“Joe”) Burke, November 4, 1941 — September 29, 2025

Obituary

Joseph Burke, Joe, was born Nov. 4, 1941, and was called home to eternal life on September 29, 2025. Mary (nee Schoultz) and Joe were married on April 12, 1969, and shared over 56 years of love and caring. He was the proud father of Tom (Kathy) and David (Jordan) and grandfather of precious Lola. Joe was a lover of Photography. His talents pleased so many folks. He loved to engage in many deep theological discussions and was a firm believer of connectivity, how we are all connected. Joe has gifted us with his passion for pursuit of growing wisdom and understanding within and around us.

Services will be held on November 5, 2025, with visitation starting at 10am and a service at 11am at: Wilson Commons Community Room, 1400 W. Sonata Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53221. In lieu of flowers, please remember Joe with donations to: Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi on the Lake.  Enter Joe’s name in the box, ‘In Memory of’ or Amyloid Foundation.

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Today, on the Solemnity of All Saints, Joe’s gentle spirit comes to mind as I read the words of the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). I had the pleasure of interacting with Joe several times over the past few years and found him to be an earnest and relentless seeker; one who sought from the mind and heart.  He had a purity about him and a relentless appetite for spiritual growth and connection.  

In the weeks that followed Joe’s passing I received several tributes to him from our Christophany Group facilitators and his Midwest Christophany Group members, who remembered him fondly and with admiration.  Their words of remembrance reveal the impact that the work of Ilia Delio and the Center for Christogenesis had on Joe’s life.  I am delighted to be able to share them with you below.

Mary Burke, Joe’s wife:  Joseph Burke was a complicated individual who believed in interconnectedness. His love of photography started when his dad did home movies and documented family vacations and celebrations. Joe’s photography path took him from selling cameras, to medical photography, to retouching and restoring many photos. So many were appreciative of their lovely rendition from a damaged photo.

His/our love of spiritual rituals, especially sharing the Eucharist, led to organizing small communities in Upstate New York, Richmond, VA as well in our hometown of Milwaukee, WI. They also supported the female priest movement. The Cosmic House Church has been thriving for twelve years, many liturgies were in our home.

As Joe’s health diminished, he maintained connections with many groups especially the Christophany gatherings. He had a special bond with a small group of ten from different states.

His love for the cosmos and God in us, was a challenge to many but he was steadfast in his belief and patient with the growth of the individual.

This earthly life will miss him but his legacy continues in his spirit as it lives on in his sayings “all is good.” and the “God within me greets the God within you.”

Marilyn Mayry: Joe Burke has been a strong presence in our Christophany group from the beginning.  His passing from this realm doesn’t change that Joe, a devoted follower of Ilia Delio, meshed beautifully with her vision.  Joe loved to talk about Ilia’s ideas and share her podcasts, books, and articles with our group, always emphasizing her prophetic vision. We are all entangled in all ways and always. Because Joe was such a passionate photographer, he would often share amazing pictures of galaxies, stars and space and make us think about the swirling connection between us all. When Joe passed recently, it did not feel like he was gone but present in a deep way of a cosmic connection.  We feel his presence as strongly now.  He is with us and with all that is.  We have no doubt.  Thank you, Joe and Ilia, for bringing us together in this way. Now and always.  Peace and love, Joe.  Marilyn

Mary Anne Bunkers: The seeds of this group were found in Ilia’s The Unbearable Wholeness of Being.  Seven or eight yeas ago Joe Burke and I were in a “Spirituality book club” reading Ilia’s The Unbearable Wholeness of Being.   We became aware that the Christogenesis Center was forming Christophany groups.  Joe knew Midge Miles and contacted her to help us form a group.  It was during Covid that we contacted Midge.  She is our organizer.  Since it was during Covid, we were on Zoom and hence members from six states and Winnipeg, Canada. … The bonding of our group has been an extremely important part of each of our lives.  Our meetings on Zoom the first and third Tuesdays of the month for one and a half hours has become a priority for all of us.  A highlight of our group was September of 2024 when we met in person at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison,WI  …for a weekend.  It was a thrill to meet everyone in the flesh after having established such a close relationship on line. We thank you so much at the Christogenesis Center for providing this life-changing spiritual experience.

Joe Oster:  Burke was a founding father of our group and always brought us back to our genesis – Christogenesis, science, evolution, Teilhard and Ilia. He handled our technology, brought us beautiful photos of space and nature, and usually waited until the others had shared before he brought forth his unique perspectives and salient points on the topic for that week.  At first, I thought he didn’t like me. But as time went on, I realized he cared deeply about the group dynamic, the topics, and yes, about me as well. His insights and his love will be with me forever. And I expect they will continue to grow and evolve within me and our group as well. 

Janet Sterk:  Ah my dear friend Joe B. Forever, I will remember you. You left a trail of stardust everywhere you went. It wasn’t always the soft sparkly kind. It was often challenging and insightful, as you encouraged me to take a step back and be curious. As long as I have known you in this earthly phase of life, you seemed to have one foot, or your heart or your soul, in the cosmos. A time traveler of sorts, your appreciation of the cosmos, not just its beauty, but its tangible influence on our lives was always part of your message. You often had a childlike giggle as you found appreciation in the surprise beauty in our day to day. I will never forget your trip to the Ghost Ranch when you were able to hold a dinosaur bone in your hands. You got it! The foreverness of our entanglement. You are/were a child of the universe. Can’t wait to find out where you will show up next. I will miss you dear one. Thanks for sharing a chapter of your earth life with me. Love, Janet

Terese Burk – I wanted to take a moment to share how deeply grateful I am to have had the pleasure of knowing Joe and walking this faith journey.  Joe’s vision in starting our Christophany group has been such a gift – a gathering place where faith and awareness have come alive in new ways. Through our time together, I have felt my own spirit evolving in awareness – learning to see and experience how Christ is the heart of all things drawing us closer in union. Joe’s gentle presence and his devotion to experience an evolution in faith have touched me deeply. I know Joe will always be near; for “Death ends a life, not a relationship. …”  

Christophany Group Facilitators

~ I met Joe a few times online.  A very dedicated seeker.  Sending comforting angels to his family and the Midwestern Christophany group. (Bernice Marie-Daly, Omega Café and Southern Group))

~ … His legacy of being involved till the last is brilliant inspiration, not unlike Jane Goodall who apparently passed whilst on speaking tour at 91. (Veronica Spassoaro, Australia1 Group)

~ … He seemed like such a gentle soul. I’m holding him in the light. May he be drawn ever deeper into the wholeness of divine love. (Patty Quinn, Colorado Group)

In closing, Midwest Christophany Group member Terese Burk shared a Closing Prayer from Teilhard de Chardin: A Book of Hours, which reminds her of Joe.  I invite you to pray together:

“Lord Jesus, You are the center toward which all things are moving: if it be possible, make a place for us all in the company of those elect and holy ones whom Your loving care has liberated one by one from the chaos of our present existence and who now are being slowly incorporated into You in the unity of the new earth.”¹

Amen! Alleluia!

1. Deignan, Kathleen, CND; Osgood, Libby, CND. Teilhard de Chardin: A Book of Hours (pp. 242-243). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition. ↩︎

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