By JEFF LAMPE
For The Prairie News and The Weekly Post
BRADFORD – New hope has emerged for the future of Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Bradford.
Slated for permanent closure by the Diocese of Peoria after a final service on April 19, the church has attracted interest from the Byzantine Catholic Church. Working with local supporters, a group is exploring using St. John’s to establish a mission church for the Ohio-based Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma.
Residents of Bradford and the surrounding area are invited to a community informational meeting on Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. at the Saint John’s parish hall to learn about a proposal that could keep the historic church building in active use. Also invited are nearby Byzantine Catholics, who would be prospective parishioners.
The meeting will include a short presentation followed by time for questions and discussion. Speakers will include clergy and others involved in the transition who will explain the proposal and what level of community interest and support would be required. A light soup and sandwich lunch will be provided.
Saint John’s is a part of the newly formed Incarnation of Our Lord Catholic Parish, which also includes Saint Joseph in Brimfield, Saint Mary of the Woods in Princeville and Saint Dominic in Wyoming. The Rev. Corey Kriengel is pastor of Incarnation Parish and said both he and Bishop Louis Tylka of the Peoria Diocese are very supportive of selling Saint John’s to the Byzantine church.
“We’re not in formal negotiations yet,” Kriengel noted. “Right now we don’t know if they’re going to buy it or lease it. We’re still working out those details.”
While all involved say no decision has been made, the plan could involve the Rev. Thomas J. Loya of Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine church in Homer Glen, located about 37 miles southwest of Chicago.
Kriengel is hopeful some deal can be worked out, ideally after the final service planned for Saint John’s on April 19 at 2 p.m. That service is a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Bradford chuch’s founding.
“We were trying to find a solution to keep the church open and this came up,” Kriengel said. “I do see it as a possible answer to prayers.”
The Byzantine Catholic church shares the same faith as the Roman Catholic Church and is in full communion with the Pope but has some differences in worship style and liturgy.
“Byzantine Catholic churches are an equally valid option for (Roman) Catholic believers,” Kriengel said.
“It’s a version of Catholicism that’s more common in other parts of the world. It’s comparable to the Maronites in Peoria” who worship at Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church.
