Born in Peoria, Father Radosevich attended St. Bernard School and Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree from Bradley University and a master’s of computer science degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and studied for the priesthood at Saint Mary’s College of Winona, Minnesota, and Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he earned a master’s of divinity degree.

Following ordination, Father Radosevich served as parochial vicar at St. Paul, Danville. He was named pastor at St. Patrick, Camp Grove, with duties at the diocesan Marriage Tribunal in 1992; St. Patrick, Havana, and Immaculate Conception, Manito, in 1995; St. John the Apostle, Woodhull, and St. John the Evangelist, Galva, in 2000, adding St. John Vianney, Cambridge, in 2003; St. Stephen, Streator, and St. Patrick, Ransom, in 2005; and St. Mary, Downs, in 2007.

He has been pastor of St. Luke, Eureka, and director and chaplain of the Salve Regina Newman Center at Eureka College since 2008, and has served as assistant director of the diocesan Office of Evangelization.

Father Radosevich will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, at St. Luke Church. A reception will follow and the public is welcome.
Mail may be sent to the Salve Regina Newman Center, 108 E. College Ave., Eureka, IL 61530.

What drew you to the priesthood?
The Holy Spirit drew me to the priesthood as a result of people praying for more vocations to the priesthood.

How did you know you were being called?
At first I didn’t know that I was being called. I think that there was a similar question on one of the Diocesan Seminarian Registration Forms which asked “Why do you want to be a priest?” and my answer was something like “I’m not sure that I want to be a priest today, but I know that I have to try and live in the environment where I can seriously find out if being a priest is what God wants me to do.” Spending one year earning a pre-theology degree and then four more years in a major seminary to earn a master’s degree in theology gave me ample time to discern God’s call. It took a good five years for me to discern the call to the priesthood.

Who has been the biggest influence on your vocation and why?
Certainly the Holy Spirit has been the biggest influence on my vocation, second only to the prayers that the people of God pray for seminarians and then for their priests.

How are you a different priest today than you were 25 years ago and why?
When I was younger, I was more concerned about that other people thought of me as a priest; now I hope that I am more concerned about what God thinks of me as a priest. When I was younger I was more focused on how to do ministry the “right way”; now I am more concerned about doing ministry in such a way as to never screw up what the Holy Spirit wants done! I’ve come to discern that the Holy Spirit’s way is the right way!

What has given you the most joy in your priesthood?
Perhaps the greatest joy in priesthood is being able to reconcile a soul to Christ after they have been away from the sacraments for many years. Like helping them to finally get their marriage blessed in the Catholic Church or hearing someone’s confession after they have been away from the sacraments, for say, 20 years or more, and then dispensing God’s mercy to them with sacramental absolution and seeing them refreshed with God’s Spirit once again.