Father William Collins
Father William Collins hails from Chicago, attending St. Brendan Grade School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He continued his studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein and St. Procopius Seminary in Lisle.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956 at St. Joseph Parish in Aurora by Bishop of Joliet Martin D. McNamara. He began his priestly service as a parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in McHenry. He served there for three years, then was an a parochial vicar at St. Edward Parish in Rockford.

In 1960, he came to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Aurora. In 1961, he became moderator of the Catho-Chori Club of Aurora and scout chaplain of the Aurora area Boy Scouts.

In June 1965, he was assigned parochial vicar at St. Peter Parish in Rockford.

In April 1969, he became diocesan director of the Cursillo Movement.

Father Collins has a heart for community and interracial groups, with a special priority of ministry to teenage prostitutes and to addicts. In February 1970, he began directing the Catholic Information and Counseling Center, which served inner-city youth in Rockford. That same year he became moderator and chaplain of the Interracial Council in Rockford, and began service as pastor of St. Wendelin Church in Shannon, a position he held for two years.

In 1974, Father Collins moved the inner-city ministry to a building on South Main Street in Rockford and renamed it Martin House. He remained active with that ministry throughout its existence.

From 1979 to 1992, he served as pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Rockford.

In 1991, he became diocesan director for the Legion of Mary and coordinator for all Marian programs. In 1992, he became pastor at St. Mary Parish in Rockford and chaplain of Martin House.

He became part of the steering committee of the national program called “One Church—One Addict” in 1994, which was begun by Father George Clements who had founded the “One Church—One Child” program.

In November, 1997, Father Collins began service as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Rockford. He retired from active ministry on May 27, 2002.

Father Bernard Mullane
Father Bernard Mullane is a Rockford native, attending St. Patrick Grade School and St. Thomas High School. He also attended St. Francis Minor Seminary in Milwaukee, Wis.,  and Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, as well as St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Md., where in the early 1980s, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree.

He was ordained May 26, 1956, by Bishop of Joliet Martin D. McNamara, at St. Joseph Parish in Aurora.

His first appointment was at St. Mary Parish in Sycamore from 1956 to 1957. He served also as parocial vicar at St. Peter Parish, Rockford from 1957 to 1961, St. Mary Parish in Freeport from 1961 to 1965, St. John the Baptist Parish in Savanna from 1965 to 1968, and St. Bridget Parish in Loves Park from 1968 to 1969.

He served from 1969 to 1974 as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Pecatonica, then was pastor at St. Monica Parish in Carpentersville until 1986. He was pastor at St. James Parish in Rockford from 1986 to 1990.

He served as pastor at St. Andrew Parish in Rock Falls from 1990 to 1995, when he began service as pastor at St. James Parish in Belvidere. He remained there until his retirement Dec. 1, 2000.

He later served as parochial administrator of St. Patrick Parish in McHenry from November 2002 to September 2003.

Additionally, Father Mullane served as assistant diocesan master of ceremonies from May 1958 to August 1961.

From 1980 to 1984, Father Mullane directed continuing education for permanent deacons, beginning service as a pro-synodal judge in 1983. In 1989, he became chairman of the Presbyteral Council. He was elected chairman of the Priests’ Personnel Board for the 1993 to 1994 and 1994 to 1995 terms.

Father Bernard Schaefer, OSB
Benedictine Father Bernard Schaefer, OSB, is a native of Aurora.

He made his first profession of vows with the Benedictine monks of Marmion Abbey on Aug. 6, 1951.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956.  

After ordination, Father Bernard taught Latin and Religion for more than 10 years at Marmion Military Academy in Aurora.

He served as a chaplain in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971 and again from 1976 to 1995.  

After retirement from the Army he returned to Marmion Abbey, serving briefly as a
faculty-staff chaplain at the academy.

For most of the past 20 years, Father Bernard has done sacramental work in the parishes of the Diocese of Rockford, giving retreats and providing spiritual direction.