Father Howard Barch
GALENA—Father Howard Barch, pastor of St. Michael and St. Mary parishes in Galena and Holy Trinity Parish in Scales Mound, will retire on June 18.
Born in Detroit, he attended Brother Rice High School in Birmingham, Mich., IHM Seminary in Winona, Minn., and graduated in 1993 from Holy Apostles Seminary with a master’s in Dogmatic Theology and a Master of Divinity.
He was ordained for the Peoria Diocese by Bishop John Myers on May 29, 1993.
Some years later Father Barch came to work in the Diocese of Rockford, also assisting his aging father, and was incardinated into the Rockford Diocese on Aug. 1, 2005.
In the Diocese of Rockford, he first served as parochial vicar at St. Michael and St. Mary parishes in Galena (2004-2005). He became parochial administrator at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Menominee (2005-2008) then served as pastor there (2008-2009). He served as pastor of St. Joseph and St. Mary parishes in Freeport (2009-2010), and was chaplain for the Freeport Police and Fire Department and Stephenson County for most of 2010.
He was parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish, Woodstock, (2010-2011), then was parochial administrator (2011), then pastor at St. Mary Parish in Byron (2012-2019). In 2012, he became an ex officio Rockford Deanery member of the Stewardship Commission. He was director (2012-2013) then executive director (2013-2015) of Catholic Cemeteries for the
Rockford Diocese.
Father Barch has directed prison ministry for the diocese since 2015 and had been pastor in Galena and Scales Mound since 2019.
Msgr. Joseph Jarmoluk
SPRING GROVE—Msgr. Joseph Jarmoluk, pastor of St. Peter Parish, here, will retire on Aug. 7.
Born in Milwaukee to Frank and Henrietta (Czapla) Jarmoluk, he attended Cary-Grove High School in Cary, Marquette University in Milwaukee, Don Bosco Seminary in Newton, N.J., and graduated with an Master of Divinity from St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore in 1984.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Arthur J. O’Neill at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford on June 9, 1984. He received the title Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) on Nov. 26, 2000.
Msgr. Jarmoluk was first assigned as parochial vicar at St. John Neumann Parish in St. Charles (1984-1987). He served in that position at St. Mary Parish in Sterling (1987-1989), then at the Cathedral of St. Peter (1989-1991).
He became associate vocation director in 1989 and was spiritual director for the Legion of Mary
(1989-1991).
Msgr. Jarmoluk was pastor at St. John the Baptist Parish in Savanna (1991-1997), along with SS. John and Catherine Parish in Mt. Carroll (1992-1997). He served as pastor of St. Peter Parish in Geneva (1997-2009) and began service as pastor of St. Peter in Spring Grove in 2009.
Father J. Stephen St. Jules
SUGAR GROVE—Father Stephen St. Jules, pastor of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, here, will retire on June 18.
Born in Aurora to Robert and Alice Patricia (Foster) St. Jules, he attended Marmion Academy in Aurora, Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ohio State University in Columbus, and earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) and a master’s degree in Theology at American College in Louvain, Belgium in 1979.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Arthur J. O’Neill at Holy Angels Parish in Aurora on July 14, 1979.
Father St. Jules’ first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Sterling (1979-1982). He then served as parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles (1982-1985), and at Holy Family Parish in Rockford (1985-1988).
He served as pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Batavia (1988-2001), as pastor at St. Peter Parish in Spring Grove (2001-2003), then at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Cary (2003-2014).
He was rector at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford (2014-2021), also serving as vicar forane of the Rockford Deanery (2014-2021), as a parish priest consultor beginning in 2015, and was on the Board of Consultors for Boylan Central Catholic High School-Rockford (2015-2018). He began service on the Incardination Committee in 2016, and as executive pastor for All Saints Catholic Academy-Rockford in 2018.
Father St. Jules has served as pastor of St. Katharine Drexel Parish since 2021 and as vicar forane for the Aurora Deanery since 2021.
