Priests in the Springfield diocese will gather with Bishop Thomas John Paprocki for their annual Priests Jubilee Celebration on Tuesday, May 3, at Villa Maria Catholic Life Center. Celebrating 25 years of priestly ministry are Fathers Charles Edwards and James Flach and Msgr. Carl Kemme, VG.
Father Victorian Haladus, OFM, is celebrating 50 years as a Franciscan priest and Father Sylvester Micek, OFM, will be recognized for celebrating the 60th anniversary of ordination.
The celebration will begin at 3 p.m. in Shively Hall, with a program featuring author and motivational speaker Lynn Lowder of Chicago; and Father Raymond J. Webb, vice president and academic dean, professor and chairperson of the Department of Pastoral Life and director of the Newly Ordained Program at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.
Solemn evening prayer will be held in the chapel at 5 p.m. followed by a social hour and dinner, when the silver jubilarians will present a reflection on their priestly lives.
Celebrating 60 Years
Father Sylvester Micek, OFM
Father Sylvester Micek, OFM, is celebrating 60 years as a priest. He was ordained on June 24, 1951 at age 26. He spent his first year at St. Francis Parish in Quincy, before becoming a chaplain at Blessed Sacrament Monastery.
He then moved fully into parish life as assistant at St. Francis Xavier in Petosky, Mich., for four years and St. Mary Parish in Madison, Wis., for 10 years before becoming pastor there for six more years. He was praeses at St. Mary Parish from 1963-1969. He was pastor and praeses at St. Boniface in Sioux City, Iowa from 1975-1982. He returned to Quincy as pastor and guardian at St. Francis Solonus from 1982-1984.
After leaving Quincy for a second time, Father Sylvester served as pastor of St. Anthony Parish in St. Louis from 1984 to 1988 and then spent 18 years in Michigan serving a total of six churches as pastor or vicar.
Father Sylvester worked in parishes until he was 81 years old. Now 86, he has been retired for five years and is living at Villa Health Care West, Our Lady of the Angels Friary in Sherman.
— By Diane Schlindwein
Celebrating 50 Years
Father Victorian Haladus, OFM
Father Victorian Haladus, OFM, is celebrating 50 years — his golden jubilee — as a priest this year. At age 27, he was ordained June 13, 1961 and spent two years in pastoral formation at St. Francis Parish in Quincy.
Following his initial formation, Father Victorian took what turned out to be the longest assignment of his priesthood. From 1963 to 1981 he was a teacher at Padua High School in Cleveland, Ohio. He remained in Cleveland for three more years, serving as a chaplain at Fairview Hospital.
Father Victorian took a one-year sabbatical in the mid 1980s before returning to his ministry as a hospital chaplain. He served at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet from 1985 to 1992 and then at Oak Forest Hospital from 1992-2000.
People who were patients or visitors to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield may remember Father Victorian for his last assignment as chaplain there from 2000-2003.
Retired for the past seven years, Father Victorian now resides at Villa Heath Care West, Our Lady of the Angels Friary in Sherman.
— By Diane Schlindwein
Celebrating 25 Years
Father Charles Edwards
Father Chuck Edwards, pastor of St. Paul, Highland, and St. Elizabeth, Marine, will celebrate his silver jubilee this spring. He was ordained May 10, 1986, by Bishop Daniel L. Ryan at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.
A Gillespie native, Father Edwards attended Ss. Simon and Jude Grade School, Gillespie High School and Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. “Certainly as a teenager, in college and the seminary, I was blessed to have as my pastor, Msgr. Paul Heinen. He inspired many vocations in parishes where he was at. Father Steve Pohlman, Sister Mary Haddag, a Mercy Sister in St. Louis — all three of us were in high school at the same time, but not in the same class.”
Father Edwards entered the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Springfield, in 1978, and in 1980 received his associate degree from Springfield College in Illinois. He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Cardinal Glennon College, St. Louis, and his theology degree from Kenrick Seminary, St. Louis.
While in the seminary, he served at St. Elizabeth Parish, Granite City for three summers; at Holy Family Parish, Mt. Sterling; at St. Paul Parish, Highland, and St. James Parish, St. Jacob. He also served at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Granite City; St. Joseph Hospital, Highland, and at Cass House Catholic Worker Home, St. Louis; and taught PSR at St. Justin the Martyr Parish in Sunset Hills, Mo.
“When I was in the seminary, where I worked in St. Louis, Father Richard Chiola really inspired me by his preaching. As I watched him and heard him preach, it inspired me,” said Father Edwards.
His first assignment as a priest was parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Parish, Granite City, from 1986-87. He went on to serve as a parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua, Effingham, for two years; then at St. Mary, Quincy, during which time he also served as spiritual director of Great River TEC (Teens Encounter Christ), and did part-time ministry at Quincy Notre Dame High School.
Father Edwards was pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Carrollton, from 1992-1997, and from 1993-1997 was also parochial administrator of All Saints, White Hall. He was director of Christian Formation at QND from 1997-2002, while serving as parochial administrator of St. Rose of Lima, Quincy, from 1997-1998; St. Mary, Pittsfield, and Holy Redeemer, Barry, 1999; and pastor of St. Brigid, Liberty, and St. Thomas the Apostle, Camp Point, from 1999-2002.
“My love for youth ministry led me to teach. I was inspired by Father Tony Tamulis. He was loved by the youth of the Litchfield Deanery. Our deanery had no Catholic high school. He was such an inspiration, one of the priests who influenced my choice to go into the priesthood.
“I was at Quincy Notre Dame High School for eight years. It was a privilege to come to know and to do Catholic formation for so many wonderful faith-filled teenagers there. (QND Principal) Ray Heilman is a great example of living the sacramental life.
“My grandmother, Frances Crouser, was probably the inspiration for me of a person who chose to live her life. I know she prayed for me all the time I was in the seminary.
“I got to meet Pope John Paul, and I got to meet and spend time with Mother Teresa. She sent me a letter when I was ordained. I will always value those memories.”
Father Edwards was pastor of Little Flower, Springfield, from 2002-2007, and DCCW Springfield Deanery moderator from 2005-2007.
“Probably working in Cursillo, TEC and Koinonia have been some of my most memorable experiences. I’ve been blessed to have shared in over 50 renewal retreat weekends for adults and teens. I’ve seen the blessings those weekends have given adults and teens — strengthening our parishes, helping lay people join us in leadership with their gifts, evangelizing the parishes, strengthening the parish families. “
Father Edwards will celebrate his silver jubilee with a Mass at 3 p.m. May 15 at St. Paul’s in Highland.
— By Cathy Locher
Father James Flach
When May 10 comes around this year, Father James Flach will be celebrating 25 years as a priest for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. Becoming a priest is a calling that he has always been grateful for, he says.
Father Flach was born in 1952 and grew up as the fourth child in a family that included 13 children — a rarity these days, he says. He is the only one in the family that joined the religious life.
“I grew up in Effingham at St. Anthony Parish. We only lived one block from the church and we were there all the time,” he says. “We were always serving at Mass — especially for funerals. They only had to make one call, to our house. With eight boys they usually got all the servers they needed.”
Father Flach says he grew up expecting that he would enter the priesthood. “People sometime ask me, ‘Where did you get the idea that you wanted to be a priest?’ Well, I somehow just always knew,” he says. “My father had studied to be a priest. I just knew from what I learned from my parents growing up in the faith. They were both overjoyed when I was ordained.”
His parents are both deceased, but they lived long enough to meet their many grandchildren. “I still have all my brothers and sisters, thank goodness,” Father Flach says. “Of course, I have a lot of nieces, nephews and now great-nieces and great-nephews.”
Father Flach was in his mid-20s before he entered the seminary. By that time he had graduated from Quincy University with a bachelor’s degree in religious education and had taught religion for three years at Quincy Notre Dame High School. He also became involved in St. Boniface Parish in Quincy by teaching and conducting the CCD (now called PSR) program for the parish and participated in Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) and Cursillo programs at Quincy.
He entered the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield in 1981 and went on to Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. While at the seminary in Springfield, he continued to teach CCD religion at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield and St. Jude Parish in Rochester. He worked in hospital ministry at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Granite City while studying in St. Louis. As a deacon, he served at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Decatur and at St. Kevin Parish in East Alton.
Following ordination by Bishop Daniel Ryan at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Father Flach served as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart in Granite City, Ss. Peter and Paul in Alton, St. Mary in Taylorville and Holy Trinity in Stonington.
He was parochial administrator of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Bethalto from 1990-1996 and then pastor of three parishes — St. Elizabeth, Marine; St. Gertrude, Grantfork; and St. James, St. Jacob — from 1996-2007, before becoming pastor at Holy Angels in Wood River in 2007.
Now that he is heading into his fifth year at Holy Angels Parish in Wood River, Father Flach is enjoying his assignment as pastor to the 700 families there. Because he is interested in the liturgical environment at Holy Angels, Father Flach takes charge of changing the look of his church for the various liturgical seasons. “I like to do that, decorate the church,” he says. “I have the vision of what it will look like and some of the parishioners help me out.”
Father Flach also tends to several flower beds on the parish property and always looks forward to the spring and summer gardening months. “We have some annuals and some perennials,” he says. “The parishioners help with those flower beds, too. I am happy spring is here, especially after this terrible winter that we’ve had.”
As his 25th anniversary of ordination approaches, Father Flach looks back on his priesthood with fondness and looks forward to the future. “It is a privilege and a blessing to serve in the priesthood for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois,” he says. “The priesthood is a good opportunity for me to grow in my own spiritual development and to serve God’s people sacramentally as a priest.”
Father Flach will celebrate his anniversary with his parishioners during a reception Sunday, May 15 following 10:30 a.m. Mass.
— By Diane Schlindwein
Monsignor Carl Kemme, VG
Along with Father Edwards and Father Flach, Msgr. Carl Kemme is celebrating 25 years as a diocesan priest in May. His jubilee comes almost nine years to the day since he was appointed vicar general and moderator of the curia by then-Bishop George Lucas on May 7, 2002. He received the papal honor, Prelate of Honor to His Holiness — “Monsignor” — a few months later, on Aug. 23, 2002.
Msgr. Kemme says that he was humbled and honored by Bishop Lucas’ appointment to serve as his immediate assistant and is happy to remain as Bishop Thomas John Paprocki’s vicar general. From the time Bishop Lucas was named Archbishop of the Diocese of Omaha until Bishop Paprocki was ordained the Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, Msgr. Kemme held the position of diocesan administrator.
Msgr. Kemme grew up in Shumway on the family farm with four brothers and a sister. He attended public schools until his sophomore year in high school when he transferred to St. Henry’s Minor Seminary in Belleville, which is now closed. He studied at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, and was ordained on May 10, 1986 by Bishop Daniel Ryan at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.
Following his ordination the then-Father Kemme served as parochial vicar at St. Patrick, Decatur; Ss. Peter and Paul, Collinsville; and Blessed Sacrament, Springfield. From 1992 to 1996 he served as pastor at three parishes in Calhoun County: St. Mary’s, Brussels, St. Joseph, Meppen; and St. Barbara, Batchtown.
He then spent a half-dozen more years in the Decatur area as pastor of Holy Family in Decatur from 1996 to 2002, parochial administrator of Holy Spirit Parish in Mt. Zion in 1996 and 1997. He was Dean of the Decatur Deanery from 2001-2002 and also served for two years as priest-moderator of St. James Parish in Decatur.
After accepting his assignment as vicar general and moderator of the curia, he was moved to a smaller parish and was pastor of St. Peter Parish in Petersburg from 2002 to 2005. For the past six years Msgr. Kemme has been happily serving as pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Sherman.
“I’m certainly aware of how fast time goes,” he says. “It’s been a wonderful 25 years and there have been many twists and turns in those years that I would have never expected. When I was first ordained, I really only wanted to be a parish priest and thankfully I’ve been able to do that in different parts of the diocese, different parishes — from the downtown parish of St. Patrick to the rural parishes in Calhoun and all kinds of parishes in between.”
Even before Msgr. Kemme was named to his current parish, he was devoted to and inspired by St. John Vianney, the patron saint of all priests. “I find it very consoling, encouraging and inspiring to be at the only parish in the diocese under his patronage. I was able in 1999 to visit the town in France where he served as a priest for over 40 years. Little did I know that six years later I was going to be pastoring the only parish in the diocese that was under his intercession.
“I think about him a lot,” he says. “I’ve read a number of his biographies and we have a little statue of him in the church. I ask that he will help me to be like him and as ardent and holy as he was. I’ll never be what he was, but (I strive) to be a good confessor and a good pastor.”
Msgr. Kemme says, of course, that he has asked God’s assistance in handling all phases of his priesthood. “I never dreamt that the bishop would ask me to come to work for him in administration as the vicar general; that’s been nine years now and one of those years I was the administrator of the diocese. But that has had its own blessings as well as challenges, mostly blessings. There were some difficult times in that as the church went through the sex abuse crisis in the early 2000s, but I was just grateful for the opportunity to help in any way that I could.
“My greatest joy as a priest is helping people come closer to God. Those people have brought me closer to God by their faith and by the living of their faith in a very ordinary way, in family life — ordinary good people who are just trying to find their way to heaven, like I am.”
Msgr. Kemme will celebrate his anniversary with his parishioners on May 14 and he’ll have a celebration that’s open to friends and former parishioners on June 5. He adds that he and his parents are looking forward to a family celebration that’s planned for Mother’s Day weekend.
“I’m going home to my home parish in Shumway, where I was baptized and had all my sacraments and celebrated my first Mass and I’m taking the parish Masses there (at Annunciation Parish) that weekend,” he says. ”We have a big family and we are going to gather on Saturday night for an open house. My mom and dad are really excited about that.”
— By Diane Schlindwein