June 4, 2010
Clergy assignments announced, serving parish ministerial needs
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger has announced a series of clergy appointments, as priests and deacons in the Diocese of Evansville add and adapt responsibilities to cover parish and staffing needs.
• Father John Breidenbach will serve as Sacramental Minister of Resurrection Church in Evansville, while the pastor, Father Phil Kreilein is on sabbatical. Father David Nunning is Temporary Administrator of the parish.
• Father Stephen P. Lintzenich is appointed as Temporary Administrator of St. Matthew Church in Mount Vernon and Holy Angels Church in New Harmony; this appointment follows the notice that the pastor of the two parishes, Father Kenneth Steckler, is on administrative leave.
• Father Ryan Hilderbrand will be returning in September to Mundelein Seminary near Chicago to complete his Licentiate in Sacred Theology. He currently serves as associate pastor with Father Jim Koressel as pastor, of St. Peter Church in Montgomery, All Saints Church in Cannelburg, and Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Petersburg.
• Deacon Thomas Evans of Mount Vernon has been appointed Assistant Director of the Permanent Diaconate, serving with Father Jean Vogler, Director of the Permanent Diaconate. He succeeds Deacon David Seibert, who has been assistant director since June 2005. Both Deacon Evans and Deacon Seibert continue in their previously assigned parish ministries.
Some of the assignments were announced at parish Masses over the past weekend; others were formally acknowledged in recent weeks. The latest round of clergy appointments reflects in part the fact that no ordination will be celebrated this year or next year. The diocese has 69 parishes, with 49 priests available for parish ministry.
Father John V. Breidenbach, 51, was ordained Aug. 21, 1987. He has served in parishes in Vincennes, Jasper, Newburgh and the Evansville area. Most recently, he has served as Sacramental Minister at St. Mary Church in Ireland. Father Ron Kreilein has been named pastor of St. Mary Church, effective June 2. Father Breidenbach, who resides in Vincennes, will serve as Sacramental Minister of Resurrection Church from May 28 through Sept. 3.
Father Philip Kreilein, 61, was ordained June 2, 1974. He has served as pastor of Resurrection Church in Evansville since July 2002. He is on sabbatical from May 27 through Sept. 4. He will be visiting sites in the Holy Land and living in Jerusalem during the summer months. During his sabbatical he promises to provide blog entries at http://www.phil-holyland.blogspot.com.
Father David Nunning, 66, has guided St. Agnes and Sacred Heart churches since 2001; he is also dean of the West Evansville Deanery. He will continue serving his two parishes while adding responsibility as temporary administrator of Resurrection Church in Evansville. Father Nunning was ordained Aug. 3, 1969.
Father Stephen P. Lintzenich, 62, serves in multiple capacities in the diocese, including part time Clergy Personnel Director. He has been appointed tempor-ary administrator of St. Matth-ew Church in Mount Vernon and Holy Angels Church in New Harmony. He continues in previous assignments, including pastor of St. Mary Church in Evansville, temporary administrator of St. Mary Church in Ireland through June 2, moderator and sacramental minister of St. John the Apostle Church in Evansville, pastoral moderator of St. Joseph Church in Evansville and moderator of St. John Chrys-ostom Church in New Boston. Father Lintzenich was ordained June 22, 1974.
Father Kenneth Steckler, 46, was placed on administrative leave, effective May 6. Father Steckler will not be returning to St. Matthew Church in Mount Vernon or Holy Angels Church in New Harmony, according to the formal notice. Father Steckler, ordained July 13, 1996, has been pastor of St. Matthew Church since 2002, and pastor of Holy Angels Church in New Harmony since 2005.
Father Ryan Hilderbrand, 27, was ordained June 6, 2009, and is serving in his first assignment, with his pastor, Father Jim Koressel, at St. Peter Church in Petersburg, All Saints Church in Cannelburg and Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Petersburg. He has received Bishop Gettelfinger’s permission to return to Mundelein to complete his Licentiate in Sac-red Theology. He expects to complete his degree in the semester beginning in Septem-ber and concluding in February 2011.
Deacon David and Melanie Seibert live in Newburgh. Deacon Seibert, 54, was ordained July 9, 2005, and has served as pastoral life coordinator of St. Theresa Church in Evansville since February 2007. He continues in that position.
Deacon Thomas and Irene Evans live in Mount Vernon. Deacon Evans, 57, was ordained Aug. 15, 2009. He continues his assignment at St. Matthew Church in Mount Vernon and Holy Angels Church in New Harmony, along with his new assignment as Assist-ant Director of the Permanent Diaconate.