A new rector for St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria and a new chaplain for St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center serving Western Illinois University in Macomb were among changes affecting a dozen priests announced this week by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC.

In addition, plans to offer regular Spanish Masses at St. Mary’s Church in East Moline — where Masses have been suspended since June of 2009 — are being formed with the appointment of Father Franscio Trujillo as pastor. Father Trujillo will continue to serve as pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, Moline.

The complete list of appointments is found at the end of this report.

Stepping down from his duties as rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral as well as pastor of St. Bernard’s and St. Peter’s parishes in Peoria is Msgr. Paul Showalter, P.A., who will continue as vicar general of the Diocese of Peoria. Msgr. Showalter told The Catholic Post the change will allow him to devote more time to diocesan duties including long-range planning.
He had been pastor of St. Bernard’s since 2006. Two years later, he added duties at the cathedral and St. Peter’s.

Succeeding Msgr. Showalter as cathedral rector and as pastor of St. Bernard’s and St. Peter’s parishes will be Msgr. Stanley Deptula, director of the diocesan Office of Divine Worship. Msgr. Deptula will continue to head the worship office, as well as direct college campus ministry throughout the diocese.

Msgr. Deptula also serves as executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation. However, those duties have lessened since the Diocese of Peoria suspended its efforts on behalf of the beatification of Archbishop Sheen in November.

MACOMB NEWMAN CENTER
Father Luke Spannagel, chaplain and director of St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center in Macomb as well as administrator of St. Patrick’s Parish, Raritan, has accepted an assignment as parochial vicar of St. Patrick’s Church of Merna in Bloomington and St. Mary’s Parish, Downs. The move enables Father Spannagel — who will continue as episcopal vicar for rural life — to be nearer to an ill member of his family.

The leadership duties at the Newman Center will be assumed by Father Thomas Holloway, who has been named chaplain, with Deacon Robert Sondag as acting administrative director. Both Father Holloway and Deacon Sondag will retain their present assignments.

Also assisting with Masses at the Newman Center will be Father William C. Keebler, who is returning from assignment outside the diocese to become administrator of St. Rose Parish in Rushville.

Father R. Anthony Lee, also returning from assignment outside the diocese, has been named pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish in Atkinson. He succeeds Father Michael Monclova, who has been granted a leave of absence.

Administrators were named to parishes experiencing the loss of pastors in December.

Msgr. Thomas Mack will administrate St. Paul’s, Odell, and Sacred Heart, Campus, which were served by Father Michael Bies until his death on Dec. 16. Msgr. Mack will continue as pastor of churches in Cullom, Pontiac, and Flanagan.

Meanwhile, Father Patrick Fixsen, former parochial vicar at Epiphany Parish in Normal, has been named administrator of Holy Trinity Parish, Cherry, and St. Patrick’s Parish, Arlington. Those churches had been served by Father Paul Meismer, who has been been granted senior status.

EAST MOLINE CHANGES
In East Moline, Father Trujillo succeeds Father Keith Walder as pastor of St. Mary’s Parish. Father Walder continues as pastor of St. Anne’s, East Moline, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Silvis.

While the Spanish Mass scheduling plans were not known at Catholic Post press time, the move marks the second major change at St. Mary’s Parish in recent months.

In October, St. Mary’s School — which had been vacant since the 2005 consolidation with St. Anne’s School that led to the creation of Our Lady of Grace Academy — was sold to the Faith Walk Outreach Center. Now known as “The Oasis,” the former school (built in 1953) is serving as a place where needy people from the region can find free furniture, clothing, and household goods.

Several members of St. Mary’s Parish stepped forward to volunteer at the Oasis center, which Father Walder said honors the “hard work of all the people who built (the school) and have supported it for all these years.”

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OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS, DIOCESE OF PEORIA

Msgr. Thomas E. Mack, while remaining pastor, St. Mary’s Parish, Pontiac, St. Joseph’s Mission, Flanagan, and St. John’s Parish, Cullom, to administrator, St. Paul’s Parish, Odell, and Sacred Heart Parish, Campus

This appointment was effective Dec. 16, 2010

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Father Patrick Fixsen, from parochial vicar, Epiphany Parish, Normal, to administrator, Holy Trinity Parish, Cherry, and St. Patrick’s Parish, Arlington

Father Ryan Bredemeyer, from parochial vicar, St. Patrick’s Church of Merna, Bloomington, and St. Mary’s Parish, Downs, to temporary leave of absence pending reassignment

Father Patrick Fixsen, from parochial vicar, Epiphany Parish, Normal, to administrator, Holy Trinity Parish, Cherry, and St. Patrick’s Parish, Arlington

Father Thomas G. Holloway, while remaining pastor, St. Bernard’s Parish, Bushnell, and St. Augustine’s Parish, St. Augustine, to chaplain, St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center, Macomb

Father Luke A. Spannagel, while remaining episcopal vicar for rural life, from chaplain and director of St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center, Macomb, and administrator of St. Patrick’s Parish, Raritan, to parochial vicar, St. Patrick’s Church of Merna, Bloomington, and St. Mary’s Parish, Downs

Deacon Robert Sondag, while remaining vice chancellor, to acting administrative director, St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center, Macomb

Father Anthony J. Trosley, while remaining pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Nauvoo, Sacred Heart Mission, Dallas City, Immaculate Conception Parish, Carthage, Sacred Heart Parish, Warsaw, and St. Mary’s Mission, Hamilton, to administrator, St. Patrick’s Parish, Raritan

Father Franscio (Paco) Trujillo, while remaining pastor, St. Mary’s Parish, Moline, to pastor, St. Mary’s Parish, East Moline

These appointments were effective Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011

Msgr. Stanley Deptula, while remaining director of the Office of Divine Worship, diocesan director of campus ministry, and executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation with residence at St. Joseph’s Newman Center, to rector, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Peoria, and pastor, St. Bernard’s and St. Peter’s parishes, Peoria

Father William Keebler, from assignment outside the diocese, to administrator, St. Rose Parish, Rushville, and part-time help with Masses at St. Francis of Assisi Newman Center, Macomb

Father R. Anthony Lee, from assignment outside the diocese, to pastor, St. Anthony’s Parish, Atkinson

Father Michael Monclova, from pastor, St. Anthony’s Parish, Atkinson, to leave of absence

Msgr. Paul Showalter, while remaining vicar general with residence at St. Bernard’s, Peoria, resigning as rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral and pastor, St. Bernard’s and St. Peter’s parishes, Peoria