Father Richard Kolczaski, 82, a native of Peru and a senior priest of the Diocese of Peoria, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, at St. Joseph’s Nursing Home in Lacon.

He is a former pastor of parishes in Loretto, Fairbury, Marseilles, Princeton, Monticello, Oglesby, Spring Valley, and Peru, and a former vicar of the Kewanee vicariate.

A funeral Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. Friday, March 2, at St. Bede Abbey, 24 W. U.S. Highway 6, in Peru, with burial to follow at St. Hyacinth Cemetery in LaSalle.

Visitation is planned from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at Mueller Funeral Home, 909 Pike St., Peru. The rosary will be recited at 5 p.m.

Born Aug. 16, 1929, in Peru to John and Cecilia (Urbanski) Kolczaski, Father Kolczaski attended St. Valentine’s Grade School and St. Bede Academy and Junior College, all in Peru. He completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

He was ordained on May 29, 1955, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria by Bishop William E. Cousins.

He served as parochial vicar at parishes including Sacred Heart, Moline (1955-1956); St. Catherine’s, Aledo (1956-1959); Immaculate Conception, Streator (1959-1964) and St. Mary’s, East Moline (1964-1967).

Father Kolczaski received his first assignment as pastor in 1967 at St. Mary’s Parish in Loretto, where he served for three years.

He then served as pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Fairbury for three years and as co-pastor of St. Joseph’s, Marseilles, for two. From 1975 to 1988, he was pastor of St. Louis Parish in Princeton and its missions in Wyanet and Bureau. During that time he was vicar of the Kewanee vicariate.

In 1988, Father Kolczaski was named pastor of St. Philomena’s Parish in Monticello and administrator of St. Michael’s, Bement. He also became administrator of St. Patrick’s, Ransom, in 1991.

From 1992 to 1994 he was pastor of Holy Family, Oglesby, after which he briefly guided St. Anthony’s and Sts. Peter and Paul parishes in Spring Valley before returning to his hometown of Peru in 1995 as pastor of St. Mary’s Parish. He was named pastor emeritus upon his retirement in 2001, and returned to active priesthood the following year to briefly administer St. Hyacinth’s, LaSalle.

In a 2005 interview with The Catholic Post on the occasion of his golden anniversary of ordination, Father Kolczaski said celebrating the Eucharist, hearing confessions, and visiting the sick were among the highlights of his priestly service. “Really, many pages could be written on the joy the Lord let me experience because I answered his call,” he said.

(Editor’s Note: This obituary will be updated as family information is provided.)