Photo Caption: Bishop Jenky blesses the chalices and patens of the four men who ordained on May 25.

By: By Jennifer Willems

As they begin their ministry, the four newest priests of the Diocese of Peoria are leaning on the holy men and women who have gone before them, as well as the people who have supported them throughout their discernment and formation.

The chalices now being used by Father Thomas Otto, Father Scott Potthoff and Father Jacob Rose have strong ties to the priests and faith communities of central Illinois. For Father Jeremy Freehill that connection came unexpectedly when he was permitted to borrow a gold chasuble from the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation for his first Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Pekin.

Each said it was an honor to use these vessels and vestments to continue the work started long before they were born.

SHEEN CONNECTIONS
Father Freehill said he was only joking with Msgr. Stanley Deptula, executive director of the Sheen Foundation and diocesan Office of Divine Worship, when he asked about borrowing one of the vestments that had once been worn by the El Paso native and candidate for sainthood.

“Msgr. Deptula had been wearing Fulton Sheen’s vestment at a Mass in Texas,” Father Freehill told The Catholic Post. “He said I obviously wouldn’t want to wear the green one (he had used), but he had a gold one.”

Once he had recovered from the shock of being allowed to borrow the chasuble, Father Freehill found out that it had come from the former St. Patrick’s Church in Peoria and would have been used during the time Archbishop Sheen had been assigned there as a young parochial vicar.

“It belonged to one of our parishes a long time ago, but was also worn by a saintly man,” he said. “It was a great honor and privilege to have that as part of a very special day for me.”

The chalice that now rests in Father Otto’s hands at Mass also brings him a little closer to Venerable Sheen, since it was once used at St. Mary’s Church in El Paso.

“I contacted Msgr. Deptula before I was ordained and said I was looking for a chalice. I told him I wanted one that had some history in our diocese and had been used by a priest of our diocese for a long time. I asked if he had any from parishes that had closed or that our priests had passed on,” Father Otto said.

“Yes,” Msgr. Deptula told him. “I have something in front of me right now.”
While there is no way of knowing definitively if was ever used while Fulton Sheen and his family belonged to the parish, the chalice had come from El Paso and was being kept in storage by diocesan officials.

“It has three images around the bottom — the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Crucifixion. That the Nativity is on the chalice is uncommon,” Father Otto explained. “The spirituality of Christmas has always been big for me in my prayer life over the years. It’s wonderful to celebrate Mass with.”

The chalice needed to be replated and his parents, Donald and Charlene Otto, took care of that.

“It’s a gift from the diocese and my parents at the same time,” the new priest said.

Adding another layer of meaning to his first Mass was that it took place on his parents’ 29th wedding anniversary. Father Otto offered them a blessing at the luncheon that followed.

“IT FOUND ME”
Father Rose’s chalice came to him from another Illinois Valley native — Father Valentine Liss. Born in LaSalle, he had served for many years in LaSalle and Spring Valley before retiring in 1994.

When Father Liss died his housekeeper, Julia Chorzempa, was instructed to keep the chalice in a safe place by his brother, who was also a priest. Father Rose said she had received permission to give it to a future priest.
One day she got into a conversation with Father Rose’s father, Gary, and it wasn’t long before she knew who that priest would be.

“I didn’t even find the chalice — it found me,” Father Rose said.

“As time would allow the story of God’s providence to unfold, the priest I didn’t know and his family ended up being close friends to my great-grandmother, Agnes Wujek,” he told The Post. “The Olstynski/Wujek and the Liss families met weekly as friends to share their heritage and faith, as well as to barter goods from the farm (sausage and cleaned chickens) with goods from the city (nuts and dried fruit).”

Father Liss’ chalice had a simple cross in the base and when it was refinished by Father Rose’s family they added three diamonds to represent the Crucifixion with Mary and the beloved disciple John standing nearby. The gems are from the wedding rings of his mother, Rose of Peterstown; and his grandmothers, Darlene Rose and Mary Catherine Wujek, both of Mendota.

“These three diamonds draw all of my family into my prayers as I celebrate Holy Mass today and forever,” according to Father Rose.

Father Potthoff’s chalice has a special connection to his home parish, St. Benedict’s in Ladd. It was given to him by Father Robert Rayson, who was serving as administrator then and is now the pastor of St. Matthew’s in Champaign and St. Boniface in Seymour.

“It’s a beautiful chalice,” Father Potthoff said. “He also offered to have it cleaned and replated.”

A new box to hold the chalice was provided by Father David Kipfer, pastor of St. Columba’s in Ottawa and St. Mary’s in Grand Ridge. Father Potthoff served the parishes last summer during his break from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary.

“It was something I could take from my home parish and use at Mass regularly. It’s a great gift,” Father Potthoff said.

The chalices and patens were consecrated with chrism and blessed by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, at the Vigil of Ordination that took place on Friday, May 24. The Holy Hour included exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary and Benediction.