Seven Priests Celebrate Silver Jubilees in 2022
June 16, 2022
Father Michael Fuller
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Father Michael J.K. Fuller celebrates 25 years of priesthood this year.
Born in Des Plaines, he attended Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock, graduating in 1985. He then attended Loras College in Dubuque from 1985-1989, and then joined the Peace Corps, teaching physics, chemistry and mathematics for more than two years at a high school in the southern African country of Swaziland.
He did priesthood studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, graduating in 1997. He earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from St. Mary of the Lake in 2000, and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) at the Angelicum in Rome.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran at the Cathedral of St. Peter on May 17, 1997.
Father Fuller served as parochial vicar at St. Bridget Parish in Loves Park from June 1997-June 2000, and taught part-time at Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford from June 1997-April 1998. He then taught health care ethics at St. Anthony School of Nursing in Rockford until June 2000.
He taught at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein from June 2000-August 2016, serving as chair and assistant professor of the Department of Christian Life, 2002-2011, then as chair and associate instructor of the Department of Spiritual Theology, 2011-2016. He served as spiritual director for the Permanent Diaconate in the Rockford Diocese from November 2006-August 2016, and also was an instructor for the Diaconate Formation Program of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He served as editor of the Chicago Studies Theological Journal. Additionally, he taught at the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha from 2004-2008. He has authored books and articles in scholarly publications.
Father Fuller then was assigned to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington, D.C., serving as executive director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs from August 2016-November 2020. He served as Associate General Secretary of the USCCB from November 2020-November 2021, becoming General Secretary of the USCCB in November 2021.
Father Andrew Hernandez
CRYSTAL LAKE—Father Andrew Hernandez celebrates 25 years of priesthood this year.
Born in Manila, he attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Seminary in Sariaya Quezon, Philippines and St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary in Lipa City, Philippines. He studied theology at St. Alphonsus Regional Seminary in Lucena City, Quezon.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Emilio Z. Marquez at St. Ferdinand Cathedral in Lucena City on Sept. 8, 1997.
His priestly service in the Philippines includes as parochial vicar at San Pedro Bautista Parish in Candelaria Quezon, 1997-1998; as procurator of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Seminary in Lucena City, 1998-2002; after a year of study at St. Louis University in Baguio City, he served as parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Sariaya Quezon, 2003-2006.
Father Hernandez was parochial vicar at St. Ferdinand Cathedral Parish in Lucena City, 2006-2009; a parish priest at Holy Cross Parish in Padre Burgos, Quezon, 2009-2015; spiritual director at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Seminary in Lucban Quezon, 2015-2017; parochial vicar at Our Lady of Penafrancia Parish and diocesan shrine in Lucena City, 2017-2018. He then served as a full-time school chaplain for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Community and for Sacred Heart College in Lucena City. During his service at parishes, he was chaplain at four colleges and was the school director at Child Jesus of Nazareth School in Padre Burgos Quezon, 2009-2015.
Father Hernandez came to the Diocese of Rockford in 2018, serving first as parochial vicar at Holy Angels Parish in Aurora from November 2018-January 2019, then as parochial vicar at Church of Holy Apostles in McHenry from January 2019-June 2021. He now serves as parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Crystal Lake, since June 2021.
Father Edilberto Jarapa
ELGIN—Father Edilberto Jarapa celebrates 25 years of priesthood this year.
Born in Lucban, Quezon, Philippines, he attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Seminary in Sariaya, Quezon; Alphonsus Regional Seminary in Lucena, Quezon; and from 2006-2009 the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas/Angelicum in Rome where he earned a Licentiate in Philosophy. He did post graduate work at St. Paul University in Manila in 2018.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Emilio S. Marquez at St. Ferdinand Cathedral in Lucena City on Sept. 8, 1997.
He served in the Philippines until recently. He was spiritual director at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Seminary in Sariaya, Quezon, 1997-2003, also serving then as assistant director of the commission on vocation and as moderator for Lucena Seminarians’ Organization.
From 2003-2005, Father Jarapa served as a parish priest at Holy Cross Parish in Padre Burgos, Quezon; as assistant director of the Commission on Social Communication; and as assistant superintendent at Lucena Diocesan Catholic Schools Association. From 2005-2006, he was the prefect of discipline for Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Seminary in Lucban, Quezon. He took a leave for study in Rome as noted above, from 2006-2009.
From 2009-2021, Father Jarapa was Dean of Studies and spiritual director at Our Lady of the Most Holy Seminary in Lucban, also serving from 2017-2018 as superintendent for Lucena Diocesan Catholic Schools Association, and from 2018-2021 as President of Maryhill College in Lucena City.
In the Diocese of Rockford, Father Jarapa has served as parochial vicar at St. Thomas More Parish in Elgin since August 2021.
Father Timothy Mulcahey
AURORA—Father Timothy Mulcahey celebrates 25 years of priesthood this year.
The 1979 Boylan Central Catholic High School graduate also attended Rockford College, studying history and French and graduating from there in 1986.
He studied for the priesthood with the Legionaries of Christ in Cheshire, Conn., 1986-1988, then completed Classical Studies at the Legionary seminary in Salamanca, Spain, 1988-1989, graduating from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, 1989-1991. He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli on Dec. 24, 1997.
After several years as a Legionary priest, Father Mulcahey returned to the Rockford Diocese to serve as parochial vicar at St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Aurora, 2014-2015, then at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Aurora first as administrator, 2015-2018, and as pastor there since March 12, 2018. He also has represented the Aurora Deanery on the diocesan stewardship commission.
Father Mulcahey was incardinated to the Diocese of Rockford on June 24, 2019.
Father Louis Tosto
CHANNAHON—Father Louis Tosto celebrates 25 years as a priest this year.
Born in Chicago, Father Tosto attended Forest View High School in Arlington Heights and Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee. He completed studies for the priesthood at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis., in 1997.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 17, 1997.
Prior to ordination, Father Tosto worked in sales and management and was an active volunteer in Elk Grove Village.
He was an extraordinary minister at Alexian Brothers Medical Center for 15 years and founded WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger), a transitional living program.
After ordination, Father Tosto began service as parochial vicar at St. Thomas More Parish, Elgin, from June 1997-June 1998; then was parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Siena in West Dundee and St. Mary in Gilberts, June 1998-November 1999, becoming administrator at St. Catherine’s November 1999-June 2000. Additionally, he was a part-time spiritual advisor for St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin from June 1997-June 2000.
He was pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Fulton and St. Patrick Parish in Albany from June 2000-May 2002, and pastor at Christ the King in Wonder Lake, May 2002-July 2005.
From July 2005-July 2006, Father Tosto was parochial vicar at St. Edward Parish in Rockford and chaplain at Cor Mariae Center there. He was parochial vicar at St. Andrew Parish in Rock Falls from July 2006-August 2010, the served as administrator of St. Mary Parish in Polo from August 2010-July 2014.
From then on, Father Tosto served as parochial vicar at: St. Thomas More Parish in Elgin, July 2014-October 2016; pro tempore at St. Paul Parish in Sandwich from October 2016-June 2017; at St. Mary Parish in Woodstock and St. Patrick Parish in Hartland from June 2017-November 2018.
Father Tosto retired on Dec. 1, 2018.
Father Christopher Kuhn
ELGIN—Father Christopher Kuhn celebrates 25 years of priesthood this year.
Born in St. Charles, he attended St. Charles High School, graduating in 1986. He attended college first at Elgin Community College, then at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, earning a master’s degree in Theology there in 1993. Later, in 1997, he earned a Master of Divinity and Bachelor’s of Sacred Theology (STB).
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1997, at the Cathedral of St. Peter by Bishop Thomas G. Doran.
His first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Woodstock and part-time teacher at Marian Central Catholic High School there, June 1997-June 2000. He then served as full-time spiritual director at Boylan Central Catholic High School, Rockford, and part-time parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. Peter.
Father Kuhn then became administrator of St. Mary Parish in Elizabeth, November 2000-June 2001, and pastor there from June 2001-June 2007. He was also administrator at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Hanover, November 2000-September 2003, becoming pastor there in September 2003-June 2007.
Father Kuhn became pastor also of Holy Trinity Parish, Scales Mound, serving there July 2004-June 2012. A few years later, he also was pastor of St. Mary Parish and St. Michael Parish in Galena, June 2007-June 2012.
Since June 29, 2012, Father Kuhn has served as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Elgin.
Father Joseph Naill
OREGON—Father Joseph Naill celebrates 25 years of priesthood this year.
Born in Rockford, he attended Winnebago High School, 1984-1988, and the University of Arizona in Tuscon, 1988-1992. He studied philosophy and theology at St. John Seminary and Major Seminary in Camarillo, Calif., 1993-1997. He earned his Licentiate of Sacred Theology (STL) at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein in 2004.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran at the Cathedral of St. Peter on May 17, 1997.
Father Naill’s first assignment was as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. Peter, also teaching at Boylan Central Catholic High School from June 1997-July 2000. He served as secretary to Bishop Doran and diocesan master of ceremonies from July 2000-July 2001.
From July 2001-July 2010, he was assistant principal at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock. During that time, he also did post-graduate studies at the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein, July 2001-July 2004; provided clergy assistance to St. Patrick Parish in Hartland, Jul 2001-July 2004; was administrator of St. Patrick Parish in McHenry, July 2004-July 2005; and then served as pastor at St. Patrick, McHenry, July 2005-July 2010.
He was rector at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford, July 2010-July 2011, and became pastor of St. Mary Parish in Oregon in July 2011, and pastor of St. Mary Parish in Polo in July 2014, remaining pastor of both parishes to the present.
Father Naill has served also on the diocesan liturgical commission, 2004-2007; as director of the Office of Divine Worship, 2004-2014; as chairman of the liturgical commission, 2007-2012; and again as diocesan master of ceremonies from September 2012-March 2013.
Father Timothy Draper – 10 years
DIXON—Father Timothy Draper celebrates 10 years of priesthood this year.
Born in Arlington Heights, he graduated from Stillman Valley High School in 2003. He attended Rock Valley College in Rockford for a year then St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, Neb., from 2004-2008. He graduated from Kenrick School of Theology in St. Louis in 2012, and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop David J. Malloy at the Cathedral of St. Peter on May 19, 2012.
Father Draper began his priestly service as parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Batavia, June 2012-June 2015, also teaching part-time at Aurora Central Catholic High School. For most of that time, he also was associate master of ceremonies for the diocese.
From June 2015-May 2016, he served as administrator at St. Patrick Parish in Amboy, St. Mary Parish in Walton and St. Flannen Parish in Harmon. He was made pastor of all three parishes, serving in that capacity from May 2016-July 2020.
He was assigned to his current position as pastor of St. Anne Parish in Dixon on July 1, 2020
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