50 Years

Father Austin Albers, OFM

Father Austin Albers is celebrating 50 years as a priest of the Order of Friars Minor, Sacred Heart Province. He was ordained by Bishop Henry Ambrose Pinger, OFM, on Jan. 19, 1964 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Teutopolis.

The youngest of 10 children, Father Austin remembers that his late parents were farmers and laborers who were "very faithful to the church." So faithful, in fact, that three of their sons eventually became priests.

Father Austin and his brother Father Edwin Albers, OFM, (who is two years older and now lives in St. Louis) were ordained to the Friars and the late Father Roland Albers, MSF, was ordained as a member of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Family. "Only myself, Father Edwin and our sister Shirley are still living," Father Austin said.

Over the years Father Austin has served in a variety of places. He was parochial vicar at Our Lady of Angels in Cleveland early on and then moved to St. Francis Solanus Parish in Quincy, where he served from 1965 to 1973. He served first as parochial vicar and then pastor of St. Francis Assisi Parish in St. Louis from 1973 to 1985. From 1985 to 1990 he was pastor of St. Bonaventure Parish in Columbus, Neb. In 1990 he returned to Quincy to serve as pastor of St. Francis Solanus for 11 years. His last assignments were as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Teutopolis and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Montrose, where he served from 2001 to 2012.

Father Albers is now retired and lives at Holy Cross Friary in Quincy, along with 10 other priests. "Sometimes we have daily Mass here at the friary and sometimes we go over to the college," he said.

All jubilees of the Order of Friars Minor, Sacred Heart Province will be celebrated during the provincial Chapter in St. Louis in June.

Summing up 50 years of the priesthood he said, "It's just been a blessing in so many ways. I've met some wonderful people along the way. Most of all I appreciated celebrating the Eucharist with them and the sacraments. All of this has brought me even closer to God."

— By Diane Schlindwein

Father Robert Becker

Father Robert T. Becker, 83, is celebrating his golden jubilee. A native of Springfield, Father Becker retired in 2004, and lives at St. Joseph Home in Springfield, where he concelebrates Mass.

The son of the late Henry and Marietta Becker, he attended Ss. Peter and Paul School, Cathedral Boys High School, and after a year at Springfield Junior College, he entered the U.S. Air Force, and served as a cryptologist in Germany and England from 1952 to 1956.

When he returned home from the service, he studied for the priesthood at the diocesan Latin School, and was ordained by Bishop William A. O'Connor at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on May 23, 1964.

His first assignment was as an assistant at Ss. Peter and Paul, Collinsville, and from there he went on to serve as an assistant and parochial administrator at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Litchfield; Our Lady Queen of Peace, Bethalto; Mother of Perpetual Help, Maryville; Holy Ghost, Jerseyville; and St. Maurice, Morrisonville.

In the late 1960s, he served as an assistant at St. Patrick in Springfield, then as an assistant at St. Margaret Mary, Granite City. He then returned to Springfield to serve two years as an assistant at St. Agnes.

At that time, St. Agnes was still downtown, at its original site near the State Capitol, and had a young organist who worked part-time for the parish. "Father Becker saw something in him, and told us he encouraged him to seriously consider the priesthood," said his brother, Bill Becker. That young organist today is Bishop Kevin Vann, bishop of the Diocese of Orange Calif.

"I had been wrestling with the idea of a calling to the priesthood for some time," Bishop Vann said. "At the time I was working in the lab at St. John's Hospital, enjoying my work, but the calling of priestly ministry was simply not going away."

After a TEC weekend at the Franciscan Apostolic Center, and some time with his parish pastor on vacation in Ireland, Vann made an appointment to see Father Becker about becoming a priest.

"He said he was not surprised," Bishop Vann recalled. "Father Becker signed my application and sent it on to Father Olshefsky and Bishop McNicholas, who had just been appointed to Springfield.

"Father Becker would joke in later years about 'signing me up,'" Bishop Vann said. "He is one of a number of priests and religious whose dedication to their ministry, and love of their calling, inspired me and were part of the Lord's providential guidance, to show me the path that I needed to follow."

Father Becker went on to serve as parochial administrator at Holy Ghost, Jerseyville; pastor of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Illiopolis and of St. Ann, Niantic; pastor at St. Michael, Greenfield, and St. Catherine, Hagaman.

In 1986 he returned to Springfield and served as chaplain at Sacred Heart Academy, Ursuline Academy, Springfield College in Illinois, and Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, while serving as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. From 1991 to 1996 he served as pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, Mt. Zion, and then served as parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish in Springfield from 1996 until his retirement in 2004.

While Father Becker no longer drives and uses a wheel chair to get around, he does get out to various appointments, and to some events, thanks to his brother Bill, and his wife Karen, who customized a van to accommodate his wheel chair.

"He doesn't talk as much as he did when he was younger, but that doesn't mean he doesn't remember," Bill Becker said. "He was certainly well liked in the parishes where he served, and he loved the priesthood," Bill said.

Father Becker came to the 125th anniversary of St. Agnes Parish in Springfield last November, and many parishioners came over to talk with him, his brother said. "He pointed out Deacon Steve Arisman to us, who will be ordained in May," said Bill. "He said, 'I think I had something to do with his vocation. I encouraged him not to give up, to pursue his vocation."

Deacon Arisman said "I enjoyed working with Father Becker when I was a server in high school; I learned from him. He was a man that loved people and the priesthood. He was encouraging to me when I told him I wanted to be a priest.

Marty Smith, who will be ordained a transitional deacon on May 10, also shares good memories of Father Becker and another of this year's golden jubilarians, Father James O'Shea.

"Father Becker and Father O'Shea were both pastors at my parish, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, in Mt. Zion," said Smith. "I always remember him as such a joyful loving person."

His family will hold a reception in Father Becker's honor from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 18, at St. Joseph Home, 3306 S. Sixth St., Springfield. Family, friends and former parishioners are welcome.

— By Cathy Locher

Father James O'Shea

Father James O'Shea is celebrating his golden jubilee. A native of Springfield, Father O'Shea grew up in Blessed Sacrament Parish, attended the parish grade school, Cathedral Boys High School and spent a year at Springfield Junior College before transferring to the University of Illinois at Champaign, where he majored in engineering for a year.

He returned to Springfield to begin his studies for the priesthood at the diocesan Latin School, completed his studies at Our Lady of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, and was ordained a priest on May 23, 1964, by Bishop William A. O'Connor at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.

His first assignment was as an assistant at St. Matthew Parish, Alton for four years; and he went on to serve four years each as an assistant at St. Francis Cabrini, Springfield; St. Bernard, Wood River, and two years at Christ the King, Springfield.

He was pastor of Sacred Heart, Villa Grove, and parochial administrator of St. Michael, Hume, and St. Thomas, Brocton. He served as pastor at Holy Family, Mt. Sterling; St. Patrick, Decatur; and St. Aloysius, Springfield. He was parochial vicar at Holy Family, Decatur, and Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, Mt. Zion as well as St. Isidore, Bethany and St. Thomas the Apostle, Decatur. He was dean of the Decatur Deanery; priest moderator for St. James, Decatur; sacramental priest at St. James, Decatur. He retired from active ministry in 2008.

"I spent more time in the Decatur area, and fill in quite a bit for Masses and confessions since I have retired," Father O'Shea said.
He said the biggest change in his 50 years is hard to pinpoint, but "I would probably say it is the emphasis on the role of the laity in the liturgy, in visiting the sick and also participation in the forms of service."

Father O'Shea said, "I've been assigned to about 14 parishes, and probably served 18 parishes. I've found every parish is really beautiful, and has holy people.

"It has been a blessed time," he said.

On June 1 at 2 p.m., he will offer a Mass of Thanksgiving at Blessed Sacrament Church in Springfield, followed by a reception in his honor in the school gymnasium in Springfield. Friends and parishioners are invited to attend the reception.

— By Cathy Locher

Msgr. John Ossola

Msgr. John Ossola, pastor of Little Flower Parish in Springfield, was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1964 by Bishop William A. O'Connor at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The only child of the late John L. and Mildred Ossola, he grew up in Collinsville. As a boy he attended Ss. Peter and Paul School and then graduated from Collinsville High School. He attended the Diocesan Latin School and completed his studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary.

As a newly-ordained priest the then-Father Ossola first served as assistant of Cathedral Parish from 1964 to 1968. "When I was at Cathedral (the late) Father Mitz (Martin) Mangan was chancellor and lived at Cathedral," said Msgr. Ossola. "He was my mentor as a young priest."

He later served as assistant at St. Paul Parish in Highland, where he also taught two religion classes and Latin. "That was what got me involved working with high school kids," he said

Then, still a young priest, he came back to Springfield, to Little Flower Parish and then Blessed Sacrament Parish. While he was assistant at those parishes he was also director of the CYO, DCCW, Family Life and Pro-Life ministries for the diocese.

He was first a pastor at St. Mary Parish in New Berlin from 1981 to 1985. He was the final rector of the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception during the 1985-1986 school year. From 1986 to 2007, he was pastor of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. He was also parochial administrator of St. Patrick and Sacred Heart parishes for a short period of time. After those two parishes merged to become St. Katharine Drexel Parish he again served as parochial administrator and then priest moderator and sacramental priest for a few years.

Msgr. Ossola was procurator/advocate and pro-synodal judge for the Office of the Tribunal from 1981 to 1986. He served on the diocesan board of Catholic education from 1986 to 1989 and was a member of the priests' personnel board from 1994 to 2001. He was also director of the curial Office for Lay Organizations.

In 2002, he received the papal honor, Chaplain to His Holiness or Monsignor — although he still prefers to be called "Father Ossola."

Also in Springfield he taught at Sacred Heart Academy (now known as Sacred Heart-Griffin High School) and then spent years teaching religion at the now-closed Ursuline Academy. "I loved it there," he said, remembering how he appreciated the small school atmosphere and how he and other chaperones took students to Europe and made many mission trips to the southern states.

"I went with Roy Lanham from the Newman Center at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, to Haiti. When I came back I was showing the pictures to the kids in class and they started saying, 'We want to do that. Can we do that?' That work was so fulfilling," he said.

No matter what school he has been associated with, Msgr. Ossola has always made a point of supporting extracurricular activities and sports teams. When Ursuline closed, he celebrated a final Mass and then helped the students adjust to changing schools. He also helped to run a diocesan Family Camp each summer for more than 10 years.

Since 2007, Msgr. Ossola has been pastor of Little Flower Parish. In December he'll become known as pastor emeritus, but will remain living at the rectory. He'll still be celebrating Masses at the parish and looks forward to remaining involved with Little Flower School. "It means you are retired from being a pastor but you still do pastoral activities," he said. "So you are not just sitting around. I couldn't handle that!"

Outside of his parish duties, Msgr. Ossola celebrates Sunday evening Mass for the Young Adult Ministry (YAM) and is the long-time spiritual advisor for Springfield DCCW. He is often invited to celebrate the marriages of his former students and is asked to baptize their children. He also likes to visit with his priest friends, especially Father James O'Shea and Msgr. Virgil Mank of the Springfield diocese and his former classmate Father Dennis Voss of the Belleville diocese.

"I feel like I've been very fortunate and I've made so many friends," he said. "It's been a good life."

Msgr. Ossola will celebrate his golden jubilee at Little Flower Church on Sunday, May 25 with a Mass at 10 a.m. A reception will follow.

— By Diane Schlindwein

Father Robert Porter

On May 23, Father Robert Porter will be celebrating his golden jubilee as a priest for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. He was ordained by Bishop William A. O'Connor at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Born in Decatur, he first attended St. Thomas Grade School in that city and then Illiopolis Grade School. After his graduation from Illiopolis High School in 1955 he entered the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield and went on to study at St. John's Home Missionary Seminary in Little Rock.

Following his ordination Father Porter was, over the years, an associate at Little Flower Parish in Springfield, St. Bernard Parish in Wood River and St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Springfield. For a short time he was parochial administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Decatur and chaplain of St. Anthony's Hospital in Alton.

In 1977 he was named pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Coffeen and Sacred Heart Parish, Panama. From 1980 to 1989 he was both pastor of Mother of Dolors Parish in Vandalia and chaplain of the Vandalia Correctional Center. He went on to serve as pastor of various other parishes: St. Thomas the Apostle, Decatur; St. Mary, Bunker Hill; Holy Cross, Wilsonville; St. Denis, Shipman; St. Mary, Farmersville and St. Patrick, Girard. Additionally, he was parochial administrator of Ss. Mary and Joseph in Carlinville from 1995 to 1996.

For more than seven years early on his priesthood, Father Porter was a member of the Sangamon County Rescue Squad in Springfield, acting as a chaplain. "It was something I volunteered for and we came upon so many things. It was often a case of 'you do what you have to do' and the grace of God was always there," he said. "I think very highly of police officers and others who are faced with those challenging situations."

Although he officially retired in 2006, Father Porter still serves at parishes all over the diocese and has also spent several months filling in at a parish in Florida. "They call people like me supply priests and some even say 'rent-a-priest' but I enjoy helping out and I'm busy nearly every weekend." For a while he lived on Lake Catatoga in Litchfield, but now resides in town.

Because he knows priests are in short supply, Father Porter said, "I think we need more priests, but they have to be people who are open to the Holy Spirit — and sometimes the Holy Spirit will take them where they do not wish to go. I pray for our seminarians every day. I know they go through enough training that they should be able to handle everything."

As for his time in the priesthood, Father Porter is grateful. "My life as a priest is a blessing," he said. "But it is not about me. It centers around what God has been able to do with me and sometimes in spite of me. I also know that so much has centered around the people. Priests can't do what needs to be done without the support of the people in parishes."

Father Porter will celebrate his years in the priest on Sunday, May 25 at a 2:30 p.m. Mass with refreshments following at Holy Family Parish in Litchfield.

— By Diane Schlindwein

Father Andre Schludecker, OFM

On Jan. 19, 1964 Father Andre Schludecker was ordained a priest for the Order of the Friars Minor, Sacred Heart Province, by Bishop Henry Ambrose Pinger, OFM, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Teutopolis.

"I was in parish work for about 40 years and I really enjoyed it," said Father Andre, adding that he especially enjoyed working with Native Americans. "I worked with the Athabascan Tribe in Alaska and the Ojibwe Tribe in Northern Wisconsin," he said. "The Athabascans were Jesuit trained and we helped them, but we were up there with the Ojibwe Tribe for more than 130 years."

A native of Indianapolis, he has also been in parochial ministry in various parishes in Joliet, New Lenox, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, Petoskey, Mich., and Oakville, Mo.

Father Andre has been living in the Springfield area for about 10 years. He served as a chaplain for Villa West in Sherman from 2004 to 2009 and has been chaplain for the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis for the last decade; a ministry he now shares with Father John Sullivan, OFM. He also helps out at a few other nursing homes.

"There are five of us who live in this friary but there are four different religious communities who all live out in this area. We are here with the Friars, the Brothers of the Holy Cross, the Franciscan Sisters and the Ursuline Sisters. We come together for Mass every day. It's a neat thing."

Father Andre said he has chosen the right path in life. "You know, I was bitten by the spirit of St. Francis, as it were, as a little boy. I am grateful for the journey of the priesthood and grateful that I got this far," he said. "Not a whole lot of priests get to celebrate 50 years."

Father Andre will celebrate his jubilee at his home parish of Sacred Heart in Indianapolis on Sunday, July 13. "That also happens to be my (78th) birthday, so that works out well," he said. He'll also be celebrating at the Franciscan Motherhouse with a Mass on Sunday, Oct. 5.

— By Diane Schlindwein

Father Paul Skelton

Father Paul Skelton is celebrating 50 years in the diocesan priesthood later this month.

A native of Oakland, he attended elementary school and high school there, worked for four years at the U.O. Colson Company in Paris, Ill., and then in 1952, he entered the United States Army. When he completed his military duty he studied at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, earning a bachelor's degree in business and education.

After teaching high school in Oak Lawn for a short while, he began his studies for the priesthood, first at the Diocesan Latin School in Springfield and then at St. John's Home Mission Seminary in Little Rock, Ark.

Father Skelton was ordained by Bishop William A. O'Connor at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on May 23, 1964. As a new priest his first assignment was as an assistant at St. Paul Parish in Highland from 1964 to 1969.

He went on to serve as an assistant at Our Saviour Parish in Jacksonville from 1969 to 1973 and then at St. Patrick in Decatur for about a year. He was pastor at St. Mark Parish in Winchester and St. Patrick Parish in Bluffs from 1974 to 1979 and at St. Mary Parish in Taylorville from 1979 to 1987.

In 1987 Father Skelton moved to his current parishes of Sacred Heart in Villa Grove and St. Michael in Hume, where he was pastor and is now parochial administrator. He also served as pastor at St. Thomas in Brocton from 1987 until it closed in 2001.

Because Father Skelton was an only child, he has no immediate family. His father, George Skelton, died when he was a young boy and his mother, Alice Carroll Skelton, passed away when he was a very young man. "I have some cousins, but that is it," he said.

Over the years, however, Father Skelton has naturally become very close to the folks in the small parishes he still serves, celebrating weekday and weekend Masses, sometimes having dinners at their homes — and always "taking care" of his parishioners.

"My health is still pretty good," said Father Skelton. "I have really enjoyed my years in the priesthood and yes, time has gone by quickly. Mostly I've enjoyed meeting and taking care of the people."

Father Skelton will be celebrating his jubilee with his parishioners and other well-wishers on Sunday, June 8 at Sacred Heart Church in Villa Grove with a 1 p.m. Mass followed by a parish dinner. The very next day, June 9, he'll celebrate another milestone — his 85th birthday.

— By Diane Schlindwein

25 Years

Father John Titus

Father John Titus is celebrating his silver jubilee. The pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Charleston and chaplain at Eastern Illinois University Newman Center, Father Titus said, "I love being a priest. I've been so blessed. In every parish where I have been, the people who come to daily Mass have inspired me. They are the ones in season and out of season who have inspired me. The talents and generosity of people I've witnessed has been wonderful.

"God provides," said Father Titus.

He was ordained May 20, 1989, by Bishop Daniel L. Ryan at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. As an "older seminarian," he already had his bachelor's degree in business from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, and had worked six years as an assistant manager at Walgreens, when he felt called to be a priest; Bishop Ryan sent him to study at (just renamed) Pope St. John XXIII Seminary in Boston.

"The years have gone very fast," said Father Titus. "I remember being there at the Cathedral for the chrism Mass, then Bishop Ryan had a family dinner for us the night before the ordination." His parents, Russell Titus and Pat Titus Lindsay of Mattoon, are now deceased, as is his stepfather, Bernard Lindsay.

"One of the things I remember most is when Bishop George Lucas called to me, as we were walking into the rectory and he asked me to be the diocesan vocations director. It was the last thing I expected. My first thought was 'I am too old for this job.' But I said, 'If you want me to do it, I'll do it. If in six months you want me to step down, I'll understand.'"

He served as director of the Office for Vocations from 2003 to 2008.

Other parishes where he served include: pastor, St. Michael the Archangel, Sigel; St. Mary of the Assumption, Neoga, and St. Aloysius, Springfield; parochial administrator: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Springfield; in residence: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Springfield; St. Patrick, Decatur; and chaplain: Saint Anthony's Health Center, Alton.

— By Cathy Locher