Friars honored in Bloomington, Illinois
Friars honored with hugs and tears
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St. Mary's parish honored friars Fr. Ric Schneider, Br. Kevin Duckson, and Fr. Neri Greskoviak at a going-away party that started in the church – packed to the rafters – and continued with a buffet of snacks and desserts at the school. All three church choirs performed, and when one of them sang And the Father Will Dance, Fr. Neri pranced down the aisle.
“We had a good time,” Fr. Ric says. The parish gave each friar an iPad and “cards and cards and cards; it took me two days to open them.” In lieu of gifts, they had asked parishioners to contribute to a Franciscan Fellowship Legacy Fund “for keeping our Franciscan heritage alive by supporting future parish ministries.”
Earlier in the week the intersection of Mason and Jackson streets was renamed Franciscan Way in honor of the many friars who have served St. Mary’s.
To the St. Mary Parish
“You are a dream for every pastor, you really are,” Fr. Ric, the pastor there for 23 years, told the people who filled every available space in the church, choir loft, sanctuary and gathering space. “You are what every pastor hopes to have because . . . of the spirit of joy here, the spirit of cooperation. It’s just phenomenal.”
Contained within the word “joy” is the secret of their success, he said.
“J stands for Jesus, O for others and Y for yourself, and that’s the way this parish operates,” Fr. Ric Schneider explained. “Jesus is first in everyone’s lives and we do have many outreaches to others. It’s only then that we think of ourselves.”
History Maker award
Fr. Ric recieves his award from Paul Segobiano (photo by Robert E. Handley Photography)
Guess who got the biggest hand at this year’s History Makers Gala in Bloomington, Ill.? Sixty friends made sure it was Fr. Ric.
Fr. Ric returned to Bloomington June 16 to be honored as one of four local History Makers by the McLean County Museum of History. He was nominated for “building a community and supporting the needs of poor residents, regardless of their faith.”
The annual event attracted 600 guests to the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University. Fr. Ric was impressed with the program, “a beautiful setup,” he says. “They had a clever way of introducing people [the honorees] to the crowd,” with four “contestants” enacting a quiz show in which they answered questions like, “Which honoree said this or that?” When plaques were presented, “They had a really nice writeup on everyone.”
The rooting section for Fr. Ric, which made up a tenth of the crowd, was composed of people from St. Mary’s and the school as well as Cusillos. Fr. Ric has led parishes where he subbed for 23 years. “It was a fun evening,” he says, “more than I expected.”
Excerpts from Jennifer Willems of The Catholic Post
and the SJB News Notes edited by Toni Cashnelli
Friars honored: Br. Kevin Duckson, Fr. Ric Schneider, and Fr. Neri Greskoviak, OFM, pose in the sanctuary of St. Mary Church in Bloomington at the conclusion of the farewell celebration. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)
Posted in: News, Prayer, Saint Francis, Senior Friars
