Father August Joseph Sperl, who at the time of his death was the oldest diocesan priest for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, passed away Nov. 12 at the St. Francis Motherhouse. He was 94 and had been a priest for 60 years.
Father Sperl's early years were difficult. He was born prematurely May 4, 1920 in Springfield, the son of August Carl and Elizabeth Ellen (Beckman) Sperl. When he was 8 years old his mother died from tuberculosis. As she was dying, Elizabeth offered up her suffering that August might become a priest and that his sister, Bernadine, might become a religious sister. Neither of the siblings were aware of their mother's sacrifice; Father Sperl was not informed until just before his ordination. Bernadine later professed as a Hospital Sister of the Order of St. Francis, taking the name Sister Augusta.
During his mother's illness and after she died, young August and his two sisters (Lucille and Bernadine) lived in an orphanage, Alton's Children Home, for about five years. When his father remarried in 1931, the children returned home.
August attended Ss. Peter and Paul Grade School in Springfield and because he was discerning the priesthood, he attended and then graduated from St. Paul Mission House High School in Iowa in 1938. After high school he went to Sacred Heart Mission House in Girard, Pa., for two years, SVD Novitiate in Techny for two years and then spent two years in vows in Techny. August took a break from his priestly studies and worked at Allis-Chalmers in Springfield from June 1944 until 1950. During that time he attended night school at Springfield Junior College, studying business.
When he resumed his priestly studies he attended St. John's Home Missions Seminary in Little Rock, Ark., for four years. He was ordained at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on May 29, 1954 by Bishop William A. O'Connor. His first solemn Mass was on May 30 at Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Springfield.
His first assignment was as assistant of St. Mary Parish in Alton from 1954-1958; He went on to serve as an assistant at Sacred Heart Parish, Springfield; St. Boniface Parish, Quincy; and St. Patrick Parish, Pana. He was a pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Franklin; St. Sebastian Parish in Waverly; and Holy Rosary Parish in Palmyra from 1969-1983. He returned to Holy Rosary in Palmyra in 1995 and remained parochial administrator until 2003. He served Sacred Heart Parish in Virden as pastor and parochial administrator from 1983 until his retirement in 2009; also accepting the assignment of parochial administrator of St. Patrick Parish in Girard from 2008-2009. He retired at age 89.
Father Sperl was devoted to the promotion of Catholic education and set up a trust fund to aid children from Virden, Auburn and Girard to attend Catholic school.
In December 2013 Bishop Thomas John Paprocki presented Father Sperl with the prestigious James A. Griffin Award for his long and meritorious service to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
Father Sperl was actively involved with the Knights of Columbus. In the fall of 1944, he initiated into Council 364 in Springfield and from 1959 to 1962 he was chaplain of the council. In 1960 he was accepted into the Fourth Degree as a priest at Quincy for the Bishop Griffin Assembly. From 1983 to 2009, he was the chaplain of Virden Council 2321. From 2004 to 2009 he was chaplain of the Fourth Degree Bishop McNicholas Assembly 1985, Gillespie. Finally, on Oct. 23, 2010, he was inducted into the K.C. Hall of Fame in Hillsboro for his promotion of Catholic education.
Father Sperl was known for his humble dedication to his vocation as a priest, but also his enjoyment of genealogy research, playing the harmonica, skiing and riding motorcycles.
Father Sperl was preceded in death by his parents; sister Lucille Kuchar; half-sister Patricia Ratteree; and two half-brothers James and Robert Sperl.
He is survived by his sister, Sister Augusta Sperl, OSF, and many loving cousins.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki was the main celebrant at Father Sperl's funeral Mass at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Nov. 17. Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange in California and approximately 30 priests concelebrated the Mass. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Caruso-Sperl Trust, c/o Sacred Heart Church, 722 N. Springfield St., Virden, IL 62690. Funeral arrangements were through Kirlin-Egan & Butler Funeral Home in Springfield.