Priests Accept Pastoral Assignments
June 2, 2022
Father Beekman to be Pastor in Rockford
ROCKFORD—On June 15, Father Carl Beekman becomes the pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, one that has been served by Franciscan priests for 89 years. Father Beekman was born in Terre Haute, Ind., and attended Bedford North Lawrence High School in Bedford, Ind. He also attended Indiana University, the University of Southwest Louisiana and St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, La. He studied philosophy at St. Joseph Seminary, then theology at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. Much later he studied at Catholic University of America, earning a master’s degree in financial management in 2018.
He is a convert to Catholicism and, prior to entering studies for the priesthood, served in the Marine Corps and as director of finance for The Private Group, Inc.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran at the Cathedral of St. Peter on May 20, 2000.
Father Beekman served as parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles, and as a religion teacher at St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin from 2000-2003. He was the administrator at St. Catherine Parish in Prophetstown and St. Ambrose Parish in Erie from June 2003-June 2004, before becoming parochial vicar at St. Rita Parish in Rockford until August 2005. From then until September 2006, he was parochial vicar at St. Flannen Parish in Harmon, St. Mary Parish in Walton, and St. Patrick Parish in Amboy, before becoming administrator then pastor at those three parishes until June 2010.
Additionally, Father Beekman served on the Diocesan Ecumenical Commission beginning in February 2002.
He became diocesan director of vocations, from May 2010-February 2012, serving also as administrator at the Cathedral of St. Peter from July 2011-February 2012 when he became rector there until 2014.
Father Beekman served as pastor at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Cary from 2014-2018.
He has served since then as pastor at St. Mary Parish in Sycamore.
Father Doyle to Pastor Two Parishes
SAVANNA—Father Thomas Doyle will be the pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Savanna and of SS. John and Catherine Parish in Mount Carroll on June 15.
Born and raised in Rockford, Father Doyle attended Boylan Central Catholic High School there, graduating in 1999, then attended and graduated from Rockford College in 2003. He studied for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., from 2003-2008 when he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran on May 24, 2008, at the Cathedral of St. Peter.
In his first year as a priest, Father Doyle was parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in West Dundee and St. Mary Parish in Gilberts, and also taught at St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin. He then served as assistant principal and director of religious studies at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock, from August 2009 to June 2017. During that time, he also provided clergy assistance at St. Catherine’s in West Dundee until August 2010, then became administrator at St. Patrick Parish in Hartland. He served also on the Stewardship Commission representing the McHenry Deanery until 2018.
Father Doyle then went to Dixon to serve first as administrator at St. Anne Parish, 2017-2018, then as pastor there until July 2020. He served also on the Health Care Commission and the Lay Employee Pension Commission.
He then became pastor of St. Peter Parish in South Beloit and Church of the Holy Spirit in Roscoe until November 2020 when he took a two-month medical leave, returning in January 2021 to serve as parochial administrator at the Savanna and Mount Carroll parishes where he now will serve as pastor.
Father Etheredge Heading to Sycamore
SYCAMORE—Father F. William Etheredge becomes pastor of St. Mary Parish in Sycamore on June 15.
A Chicago native, he attended Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock and then West Aurora High School in Aurora, graduating in 1974. Two years at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove were followed by attendance at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., until 1979 when he graduated with a master of arts degree.
A year of study at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana was followed by study at Gregorian University in Rome where he earned an STB in 1982. Father Etheredge also earned a master’s in educational administration and did PhD work at the University of Dayton.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Arthur J. O’Neill at Holy Angels Parish in Aurora on June 25, 1983.
Father Etheredge began his service as parochial vicar first at St. Mary Parish in DeKalb, 1983-1986, then at St. Bernadette Parish in Rockford where he also taught at Boylan Central Catholic High School from July 1986-August 1987. He became a full-time faculty member there, serving in that position from August 1987-June 2000.
During those years, he also was sacramental minister at Rockford College, from 1987-1988, and spiritual director at Boylan from July 1990-June 2000.
Father Etheredge then began service as superintendent and principal at Aurora Central Catholic High School, serving there until the present. Additionally, he served from 2015-2020 as a diocesan consultor; his term as a member of diocesan consultors continues to run until the end of the year 2025.
He was both a speaker and writer for the National Catholic Educational Association and involved in faculty retreats and workshops around the country as well as more than 550 student retreats.
In 2008, Father Etheredge was named Aurora’s Hometown Hero, presented with the award by Mayor Thomas Weisner on Dec. 5.
Father Gow Becomes Pastor at Three Parishes
AMBOY—Father John Gow becomes pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Amboy, St. Flannen Parish in Harmon and St. Mary Parish in Walton, effective June 15.
Born in Elgin, Father Gow attended Hampshire High School and Elgin Community College.
He then studied at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minn., from 2001-02, St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, Neb., 2002-2004, and then completed his priesthood studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., in 2008.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas G. Doran at the Cathedral of St. Peter on May 24, 2008.
Father Gow served as parochial vicar at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Cary and taught at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock from June 2008-June 2011. He served as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crystal Lake, July to October 2011, then was administrator at St. Patrick Parish in Dixon until March 2013.
A health leave of absence was followed by service as parochial vicar at St. John Neumann Parish in St. Charles, from September 2013-June 2016.
Father Gow became parochial vicar at St. Catherine Parish in West Dundee and St. Mary Parish in Gilberts, serving there from June 2016-July 2020.
He served as parochial administrator at St. Patrick Parish, Amboy, St. Flannen Parish in Harmon and St. Mary Parish in Walton from July 2020 to the present. He also serves as Co-Chair Council Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus Council #82. Father Gow also has made his first promises with the Secular Discalced Carmelites (OCDS), serving as spiritual director of the OCDS Community of the Holy Innocents based in Rockford.
Father Kretowicz to Serve Again in Aurora
AURORA—Father Antoni Kretowicz becomes pastor at St. Mary Parish in Aurora on June 15.
Born in Poland, he attended a technical high school in Bialystok, Catholic Academy in Warsaw, and College Major Seminary in Bialystok, all in Poland.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Edward Kisiel in Bialystok on May 5, 1987. He was incardinated into the Rockford Diocese on Oct. 20, 2006.
In the Diocese of Rockford, Father Kretowicz served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Aurora from 2003-2006, then in that position at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin from 2006-2008.
He was administrator at St. James Parish in Lee from July 2008 to September 2009. He then served as pastor at St. Peter Parish in Aurora from 2009-2012. He was pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Elgin for a year, then served as pastor at St. Anne Parish in Dixon from July 2013 to June 2017.
He has served as pastor at St. Catherine Parish in Prophetstown and St. Ambrose Parish in Erie since June 2017.
Father Pavino Will Be Pastor in South Beloit
SOUTH BELOIT—On June 15, Father Romeo Pavino will become pastor of St. Peter Parish in South Beloit and Church of the Holy Spirit in Roscoe.
Born in Lucena City, Quezon, Philippines, Father Pavino attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Seminary in Sariaya, Quezon, St. Francis de Sales Seminary, Lipa City, and St. Alphonsus Regional Seminary in Lucena City, all in the Philippines. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Ruben T. Profugo of the Diocese of Lucena on Sept. 8, 1998.
Coming to the Diocese of Rockford in 2017, Father Pavino served as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crystal Lake from June 2017-June 2018, then as parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Batavia until January 2021.
He has served as council chaplain for the Knights of Columbus Council 2191 since January 2020.
Father Pavino has been parochial administrator at St. Peter Parish in South Beloit and Church of the Holy Spirit in Roscoe since January 2021.
Father Twenty to Be Batavia Pastor
BATAVIA—Father Jared Twenty, STL, becomes pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Batavia on June 15.
Born in Decatur, he attended high school at Prairie Ridge in Crystal Lake for a year, then three years at Interlechen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Mich., graduating in 2003. One year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb was followed by studies with a major in percussion performance at Oberlin Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio, until 2007.
Father Twenty studied for the priesthood at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, and Pontifical North American College in Rome where he earned a Master of Divinity in 2014, and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology in 2015.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop David Malloy at the Cathedral of St. Peter on June 28, 2014.
Father Twenty served at Holy Cross, Batavia, as parochial vicar, pro temp from July 2014-June 2015, then continued in that position until June 2018. He also has served as an associate master of ceremonies since 2015 and censor librorum since 2016.
He was spiritual director at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock from June 2018-June 2021, assisting during that time at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Crystal Lake for six months, then as weekend assistant at St. Mary Parish in Woodstock and St. Patrick Parish in Hartland until June 2021.
He has served as administrator at Holy Cross Parish in Batavia since June 2021.
Franciscan Priest Heading From Rockford to Algonquin
ALGONQUIN—Father Zbigniew Zajchowski, OFM Conv., becomes pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin on Aug. 1.
Born in Jaslo, Poland, he was ordained to the priesthood at the Basilica of St. Francis in Kracow, Poland on June 18, 1994. He made his solemn vows as a Franciscan friar on Dec. 8, 1992.
He served for two years as a parochial vicar in Legnica, Poland, and taught religion at a local high school. In 1996, he was assigned to the Franciscan mission in Peru, studied Spanish there and served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in San Luis, Lima.
In 1999, he studied Inca culture at a university in Cochabamba, Bolivia, then worked with indigenous communities as pastor of the Franciscan Mission in Pariacoto, Ancash, Peru, for five years.
In 2004, he was assigned as parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament Church in Burlington, North Carolina, serving there for four years before being asked by his provincial to come to the Diocese of Rockford.
Since coming to this diocese, “Father ZeeBee” has served as pastor at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Rockford, from July 1, 2008, to the present.
He is a member of the Conventual Franciscans of St. Anthony of Padua and Blessed James of Strepa, Krakow, Poland. Members of that order have served at St. Margaret Mary Parish for a little more than a decade.
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