The Diocese of Peoria this week announced changes affecting the leadership of the St. Robert Bellarmine Newman Center serving Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan universities as well as Heartland Community College in Bloomington-Normal.

Father Antonio Dittmer, chaplain and director of the Newman Center since 2005, will become head spiritual director at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minn., one of the principal seminaries utilized by the Diocese of Peoria.

The appointment, which takes effect in early August, followed discussions regarding the needs of the seminary between Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, and Bishop John M. Quinn of Winona.

Meanwhile, Bishop Jenky has appointed Sister Sylvia Tarafa, SCTJM, as director of St. Robert Bellarmine Newman Center. Since last fall, Sister Sylvia — who has extensive campus ministry background in Florida — has been director of guest services at King’s House of Retreats in Henry.

The duties of chaplain at the Newman Center will be filled by priests of the area including Father David Whiteside, pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Bloomington who has served as assistant chaplain at St. Robert Bellarmine for two years.

Msgr. Stanley Deptula, diocesan director of campus ministry, explained to The Catholic Post that the diocese has maintained a distinction between “chaplain” and “director” duties at its Newman Centers, even though a priest usually has worn both hats.

The “reorganization” at St. Robert Bellarmine, he said, will be “a great use of this distinction” with benefits to students as well as the surrounding parishes.

“St. Robert Bellarmine is a very important Newman Center” that has enjoyed “great fruitfulness” under the direction of Father Dittmer and his predecessors, said Msgr. Deptula. During the coming school year, the Newman Center will complete a $3.2 million renovation project that will include a new 200-seat chapel.

Father Dittmer said he is excited to return to the seminary where he prepared for the priesthood two decades ago. But he called it a “bittersweet” feeling because “I absolutely love St. Robert Bellarmine and have had the most exciting time there these last four years.”

He said the Newman Center will be “in good hands with Sister Sylvia. She is fantastic.”