COVID-19 claims life of Peru pastor at age 57

The pastor of Peru’s Catholic parishes died from complications related to COVID-19.

The Rev. Monsignor Richard Soseman died early Wednesday at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Ottawa, where he was placed on a ventilator after contracting the novel coronavirus in late November. He was 57.

Soseman was ordained in 1992 and within a year was dispatched to Rome for study. He rose swiftly through the ecclesiastical ranks and was named monsignor (Chaplain of Honor to His Holiness) in 2000, before the age of 40.

Soseman would return again to the Vatican on assignment, most notably in 2004 when he was named Episcopal delegate for the Cause for Sainthood for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. El Paso-born Sheen was ordained in the Diocese of Peoria and is closing in on canonization, thanks in part to Soseman’s research and work.

It was widely noted among parishioners and fellow clergy Soseman died the same day as Sheen.

“Today is the anniversary of the death of (Venerable) Fulton Sheen and I think Richard would have picked today,” wrote his sister, Cheryl Soseman McKittrick, in a social media post announcing his Wednesday passing.

Actually, Wednesday was a double feast day for Soseman. The Rev. Gary Blake is pastor of Holy Family Church in Oglesby and a longtime friend. Blake noted Wednesday is the feast of St. Juan Diego, an eyewitness to the Marian apparition at Guadalupe, and the Spanish-speaking Soseman had ministered to migrant workers from the Americas.

“He put heart and soul into the parishes where he was assigned,” said Blake. “Personally, he enjoyed having people around. He was always having dinners at the rectory for the local clergy or he’d call and ask if you wanted to come and watch a movie.”

Tributes poured in from across Starved Rock Country, while Peru parishioners expressed shock at losing their second pastor in three years. Soseman was recalled from service in the Vatican in 2017 after the sudden death of Monsignor J. Brian Rejsek.

Fred Steele recently stepped down as a trustee for the Peru Catholic Parishes after 14 years of service and said he enjoyed working with Soseman, not least because of his ease with people and sense of humor. Steele’s wife Gina helped choose new flooring for the altar at St. Joseph’s and passed her selection on to Soseman, who approve her choice with the missive, “Great minds think alike.”

“He was a super nice guy and very dedicated to his faith and to his flock,” Fred Steele said. “He was just a very intelligent man and I liked him a lot. He had a huge impact on people in his lifetime and will be missed by many.”

John Koehler is a trustee at Peru Catholic Parishes and said Soseman’s absence would be felt across the area. Soseman was a frequent and thoughtful guest on local radio programs and was a much-followed figure on social media. Soseman was an avid cyclist who would mount a camera phone on his handle bars and churn out spiritually-themed vignettes while riding.

“He was contemplative and always seemed to be positive and supportive of anyone who went to him with issues,” Koehler said. “He had a good head on his shoulders, too. I’ll miss the guy.”

Soseman had a formidable intellect and one of his clerical assistants said he returned “very knowledgeable” from his years in Rome. Deacon Dan O’Connor said Soseman was noted for his thoughtful reflections in the parish bulletin.

“He was a very spiritual man and very reverent at the altar,” O’Connor said. “He was there for the people.”

Soseman left a mark in secular circles, too. Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei came to know Soseman after he and the pastor agreed to disperse emergency funds from the Schweickert Family Trust. There were plenty of late-night calls to help those in need, Bernabei said, and over time he grew impressed with Soseman’s spiritual qualities.

“I am, like everyone in the community, devastated by the news,” Bernabei said. “He was just a great person and a great priest — all the holiness was evident.

“This was an irreplaceable loss in the Illinois Valley.”