DIOCESE—Appointments announced by the chancery May 5 included several priests who are becoming pastors in the Rockford Diocese. They are: Father Burt Absalon, Father Jonathan Bakkelund, Father Steven Clarke, Father Christopher DiTomo, Father Antoni Kretowicz, Father Bernard Sehr, Father Zdzislaw Francis Wawryszuk and Father Slawomir Zimodro.             

Father Burt Absalon

Father Burt Absalon becomes pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Hartland in addition to his service as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Woodstock.

Born in the Philippines to Jaena and Marianita (Herrera) Absalon, he attended Dona Montserat Lopez High School in Silay, Philippines, and Xavier University in Ateneo DeManila. He completed his studies

for the priesthood at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 2000. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 19, 2001.

His first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. John Neumann Parish in St. Charles (2001-2004), serving also as a part-time religious teacher at St. Edward Central Catholic High School. He became administrator of St. Mary Parish in Freeport (2004-2007), was assistant principal at Aquin Central Catholic High School there (2004-2008). Also in Freeport, he became pastor of St. Joseph Parish (2006-2008) and of St. Mary Parish (2007-2008). He then became pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Loves Park (2008-2013). He has served as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Woodstock since February 2013.

Father Jonathan Bakkelund

Father Jonathan Bakkelund, S.T.L., became pastor of St. Peter Parish in Geneva on May 2.

Born to Gary and Pam (May) Bakkelund, the St. Bridget, Loves Park, parishioner attended Harlem High School in Machesney Parish and college at Marquette University in Milwaukee. He completed his studies for the priesthood at Pontifical North American College in Rome, an S.T.B. (2009) and an M.Div. in Dogma at Gregorian University in Rome (2011), and earned an S.T.L. at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein in 2015.

He was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 21, 2011.

He began service as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Huntley (2011-2015), teaching part-time at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock (2011-2013), serving as associate master of ceremonies for the diocese (2012-2014), with part-time studies at Mundelein from 2013-2016.

He became diocesan director of Divine Worship and master of ceremonies in 2014, and continues in that position. From 2015-2016, he assisted at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crystal Lake. He became administrator at St. Peter Parish in Geneva in June of last year.

Father Steven Clarke

Father Steven Clarke became pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Harvard on May 2.

As a member of the Legionaries of Christ, he studied at Pontifical Gregorian University and Legionary University in Rome and was ordained to the priesthood there on Dec. 24, 1998.

He began his service in the Rockford Diocese as parochial vicar in St. Mary Parish, Woodstock (2012-2013), beginning as administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Harvard mid-2013. He also served as associate master of ceremonies for the diocese from 2012-2013.

Father Clarke was incardinated into the Diocese of Rockford on Aug. 25, 2016.

Father Christopher DiTomo

Father Christopher DiTomo became pastor of St. Gall Parish in Elburn on May 2.

He was born in Beach Grove, Ind. to Paul and Margaret (Reif) DiTomo. He attended Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois Wesleyan University, the University of Illinois in Urbana, St. Louis University in Missouri, and Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. He studied also at Pontifical University in Rome and at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 21, 2011.

He served as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crystal Lake (2011-2013) and at St. Bridget Parish in Loves Park (2013-2016) before becoming administrator at St. Gall Parish in Elburn in June 2016.

Father Antoni Kretowicz

Father Antoni Kretowicz becomes pastor of St. Catherine Parish in Prophetstown and St. Ambrose Parish in Erie on June 1.

Born in Poland to Antoni and Wanda Kretowicz, he attended Technical High School there and Catholic Academy in Warsaw and College Major Seminary in Bialystok, Poland. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Edward Kisiel on May 5, 1987.

He was incardinated into the Diocese of Rockford in 2006.

He served in this diocese as  parochial vicar at Our Lady parochial vicar at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Aurora (2003-2006) and at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin (2006-2008), before becoming administrator of St. James Parish in Lee (2008-2009).

He was pastor of St. Peter Parish in Aurora (2009-2012), very briefly named pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Elgin (2012) and has served as pastor at St. Anne Parish in Dixon since July 2013.

Father Bernard Sehr

Father Bernard Sehr becomes pastor of St. Paul Parish in Sandwich on June 1.

Born in Chicago, he is the son of Bernard and Mary Catherine (Silvers) Sehr. He attended Kolbe Academy Home School and attended college at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, Neb. He completed his priesthood studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, earning an STB there also in 2010.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 22, 2010.

He began his priestly service as parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Rockford (2010-2011), teaching religion at Boylan Central Catholic High School that year, and serving also as Knights of Columbus chaplain at Holy Family (2011-2014).

He then served as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crystal Lake (2011-2012) and taught religion at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock. He became administrator of St. Patrick Parish in Dixon in 2012, and was made its pastor in 2014.

Father Zdzislaw Francis Wawryszuk

Father Zdzislaw Francis Wawryszuk becomes pastor of St. Catherine of Genoa Parish in Genoa on June 1.

Born in Dubienka, Poland, to Waclaw and Anna (Petruk) Wawryszuk, he attending high school there, and college as a novitiate of the Missionaries of the Holy Family. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1985, by Missionary of the Holy Family Bishop Kazimierz in Bablin, Poland.

He was incardinated into the diocese of Rockford on April 1, 2004, from a diocese in Canada. He served as parochial vicar at St. Peter Parish in South Beloit (2001-2004), as pastor of St. Catherine, Prophetstown and St. Ambrose, Erie from 2004 to the present. He also has served as administrator of St. Patrick Parish, Albany and Immaculate Conception Parish in Fulton since June 2016.

Father Slawomir Zimodro

Father Slawomir Zimodro became pastor of St. Mary Parish in Morrison on May 2, and becomes parochial administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, Fulton, and St. Patrick Parish, Albany, on June 1.

He was born in Gdansk, Poland, to Tadeusz and Malgorzata (Kawko) Zimodro. He was ordained by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 24, 2008.

He served as parochial vicar at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin (2008-2010) and parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles (2010-2013). During most of that time, he was a part-time chaplain at the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock. He later served as parochial vicar at St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Aurora (2013-2014), then at St. Peter Parish in Geneva (2014-2016).

He has been administrator at St. Mary Parish in Morrison since June 2016.