DIOCESE—Twelve priests have accepted assignments as pastors of parishes in the Rockford Diocese. Eleven are diocesan priests and one is a priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv).
The parishes and priests who will be their pastors are:
Sacred Heart, Marengo
Father William Antillon will become pastor of Sacred Heart in Marengo, a McHenry Deanery parish, on June 20.
He has been parochial administrator at Immaculate Conception in Fulton and St. Patrick in Albany since October 2014.
He was born in 1954 in Burauen, Leyte, Philippines. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Palo Leyte, Philippines from 1970 to 1974, and Seminario Mayor De San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines from 1975 to 1979.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Julio Card R. Rosales on June 1, 1979, in Cebu City, Philippines. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Rockford on Aug. 1, 2003.
From 2000 to 2003, he served as parochial vicar at St. Catherine Parish in Dundee and St. Mary Parish in Gilberts. From 2003 to 2005, he was parochial administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Lena.
He was parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish in Morrison from April 2005 through June 2008. He became pastor there in July of 2008.
St. John the Baptist, Somonauk
Father Kevin Butler became pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Somonauk on May 10. He has served as parochial administrator at the DeKalb Deanery parish since 2014.
Born in Elgin in 1967, he attended Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin from 1982 to 1986. He completed college studies at St. Norbert in DePere, Wis., where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1990, and Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where he received a master’s degree in education in 1995.
He studied philosophy and theology at St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., receiving a Master of Divinity in 2007.
He was ordained by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 19, 2007.
While a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford, he also taught at Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford from 2007 to 2010. He then served as parochial vicar at St. Thomas More in Elgin while teaching at St. Edward Central Catholic High School there from 2010 to 2014.
St. Paul the Apostle, Sandwich
Father Gerard Christianson will become pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Sandwich, in the DeKalb Deanery, May 10. He has been parochial administrator there since June 2015.
A Chicago native, he was born there in 1960.
He graduated from Maine East High School in Park Ridge in 1979, going on to earn a communications degree from Loyola University in Chicago in 1983. He earned a math and secondary education degree at Northwestern University in Evanston in 2006.
He studied theology and was awarded a Master of Divinity at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., in 2012.
He was ordained by Bishop David Malloy on May 19, 2012.
He served as parochial vicar at Holy Family in Rockford from June 2012-June 2015. He taught at Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford from 2013 to 2015. His other diocesan duties included serving as associate master of ceremonies, October 2013-June 2015. He is also serving as a diocesan consultor from March 2015 through March 2020.
St. Catherine of Siena, West Dundee
St. Mary, Gilberts
Father Matthew DeBlock will become pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in West Dundee and St. Mary Parish in Gilberts, both in the McHenry Deanery, on May 10. He has been parochial administrator at both parishes since August 2015. He had previous served as parochial vicar at the parishes from June 2014 to August 2015.
Born in Princeton in 1980, he graduated from Batavia High School.
He attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign before studying philosophy and theology at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, Neb. He received a Master of Divinity, specializing in moral theology, from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.
He was ordained by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 24, 2008.
He served at parochial vicar at St. Mary, Elgin, June 2008-June 2012 and taught at St. Edward Central Catholic High School, 2008-2011. He became assistant principal at St. Edward, serving during the 2011-12 school year.
He then became assistant principal at Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford, 2012-2014.
He was principal and spiritual director at St. Edward in Elgin during the 2014-2015 school year.
He has been a diocesan associate master of ceremonies since October 2013 and chaplain of Knights of Columbus Council 8596 since September 2015.
St. Patrick, Amboy
St. Mary, Walton
St. Flannen, Harmon
Father Timothy Draper will become pastor of three Sterling Deanery parishes -- St. Patrick Parish in Amboy, St. Mary Parish in Walton and St. Flannen in Harmon -- on May 10. He was assigned parochial administrator of the three parishes in June 2015.
Born in Arlington Heights, he is a 2003 graduate of Stillman Valley High School.
He attended Rock Valley College in Rockford in 2004 before studying philosophy at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, Neb., 2004-08. He received a Master of Divinity from Kenrick School of Theology in St. Louis, Mo., in 2012.
He was ordained by Bishop David Malloy on May 19, 2012.
He was a parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Batavia, June 2012-June 2015 and served as an associate master of ceremonies for the diocese from November 2012 through June 2015.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sublette
St. Mary, West Brooklyn
St. Patrick, Maytown
Father Randy Fronek will become pastor of three Sterling Deanery parishes -- Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sublette; St. Mary, West Brooklyn; and St. Patrick, Maytown -- on May 10. He has been parochial administrator for the parishes since July 2014.
A McHenry native, he graduated from Batavia High School in 1985.
He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from North Central College in Naperville in 1989, and a master’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago in 1998, also in chemistry.
He studied philosophy and theology at Mout St. Mary Seminiary in Emmitsburg, Md., 2000-2001, then attending the North American College in Rome, from which he received a bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology in 2004.
He was ordained by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 21, 2005.
From May 2005 through June 2008, he was parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles and a teacher at St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin.
He became parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Rockford in July 2008, remaining there through May 2010, while also teaching at Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford.
In June 2010, he became parochial vicar at Holy Angels Parish in Aurora and a teacher at Aurora Central Catholic High School, remaining there until July 2014.
Holy Family, Rockford
Father Phillip Kaim, STL, will become pastor of Holy Family Parish in Rockford on June 20.
A Hammond, Ind., native, he graduated from Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing in 1982. He attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, 1982-86, and the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., 1994-95.
He studied philosophy and theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., 1998-99, and theology at the Pontifical North American college in Rome, 1999-2003.
He was ordained by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 17, 2003.
He was a parochial vicar pro tempore at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford, June-September 2003. He then left to study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, from which he received his licentiate in Sacred Theology in 2004.
He was a parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crystal Lake, June 2004-October 2006, as well as a teacher at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock, 2004-2005. He also served as parochial administrator at the parish from October 2006 through June 2007.
From 2007 to 2015, he served as a chaplain and captain in the U.S. Air Force with assignments in Europe and the U.S. He remains in the reserves and was recently promoted to the rank of major.
After leaving active duty, he became parochial vicar at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Cary in July 2015.
Other diocesan duties include serving as assistant director of vocations for the diocese, 2005-07, Vrba-O’Brien Scholarship Trust advisory committee from September 2015 through 2020, and as a bishop’s appointee to the Presbyteral Council from October 2015 through December 2018.
St. Michael, Galena
St. Mary, Galena
Holy Trinity, Scales Mound
Father David Reese will become pastor St. Michael and St. Mary parishes in Galena, and at Holy Trinity Parish in Scales Mound, May 10. The three parishes are in the Freeport Deanery.
He was born in Moline. He graduated from Alleman High School in Rock Island in 1984 and attended Blackhawk College in Moline, 2000-01.
He studied philosophy and theology at Holy Apostles College Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.
His diocesan work began as a parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Huntly, June 2008-June 2011, while he also was a teacher at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock.
He was parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Elgin, July 2011-September 2012, and at Holy Family Parish in Rockford, September 2012-July 2014.
He became parochial administrator at the parishes he will now serve as pastor in July 2014.
St. Andrew, Rock Falls
Father Richard Russo will become pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Rock Falls June 20.
He was born in Rockford in 1952.
He graduated from Boylan Central Catholic High School in 1970, from Rock Valley College in 1974 and from Rockford College (now University) in 1978.
He studied theology at Sacred Heart seminary in Hales Corner, Wis., receiving his certificate of Theology and Divinity there in 1982.
He was ordained by Bishop Arthur J. O’Neill at St. Bernadtte Parish in Rockford on May 22, 1982.
He began his service to the Rockford Diocese as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Sterling, June 1982-August 1985; St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles, August 1985-June 1989; and St. Bridget Parish in Loves Park, June 1989-July 1991.
He was then appointed pastor of St. James Parish in Belvidere, where he served from July 1991 to September 1995. He then served as pastor at St. Thomas More in Elgin, September 1995-July 2001. While there, he also served as a member of the diocesan Board of Consultors, August 1995-December 1999.
In August 2001, he became pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Aurora, where he served until April 2002, when he took a brief health sabbatical.
He assisted at St. Bridget in Rockford, October 2002-June 2003, when he was appointed pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Marengo.
He became a member of the diocesan Stewardship Commission in April 2009.