St. Joseph's Pastor Notified Of His Removal By Joliet Bishop Hicks

JOLIET, IL — One of Diocese of Joliet Bishop Ron Hicks' priorities for 2024 has been to dismantle downtown Joliet's vibrant and financially thriving St. Joseph's Parish, and this past weekend, Hicks made it known that he is getting rid of Father Tim Andres, the popular and beloved pastor of St. Joseph's for the past 12 years.

Andres met with Hicks on Feb. 28 and learned his time at St. Joseph's is coming to an end.

Andres will be replaced by Father John Hornicak, starting July 1. Hornicak will oversee the merger of four east-side parishes, St. Joseph's, St. Mary Magdalene and the two parishes that are closing, St. Bernard on Sterling Avenue and St. Anthony's on Scott Street in downtown Joliet.

At the same time, the bishop spared the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church at the old Jewel grocery store at 205 E. Jackson St., and will allow it to remain a standalone parish, unlike St. Joseph's.

On Monday, Father Chris Groh told Joliet Patch he will be retiring as the pastor of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Bernard's. Groh said he had not spoken with Hornicak to learn whether Hornicak will live at the rectory at St. Mary Magdalene.

Groh said his retirement will take effect later this summer, and he still plans to remain active with the Diocese of Joliet, assisting at other churches as needed, and he will remain as the Joliet Police Department chaplain.

Groh pointed out that Hornicak grew up in Joliet and went to Providence High School. "There's no doubt that he will be able to bridge these parishes and bring them together."

Bishop Hicks did not offer Andres a position to stay on in any capacity as part of the new merged parish, according to Mary Petrella, one of the key St. Joseph's parishioners responsible for launching a battle against Bishop Hicks in Rome to save St. Joseph's Parish from being dissolved.

Petrella said she talked with Andres about his one-on-one meeting with the bishop and Andres relayed to her, "I was not planning on leaving. I would have loved to have continued, and it does not have to be as pastor. (But) I was not given that choice. I loved St. Joseph's Parish, and I am very disappointed about leaving."

Petrella said that prior to being appointed as pastor in 2012 of St. Joseph's, Andres had served as assistant or associate pastor, dating back to around 2002.

St. Joseph's Parish strongly disagreed Bishop Hicks' decision to make St. Joseph's into a secondary parish, folding it into a new four-parish system on Joliet's east side, that turns the less vibrant St. Mary Magdalene Parish on Briggs Street into the new parish seat.

Petrella said she is hoping, but not positive, that the Dicastery for the Clergy in Rome will render its decision on the fate of St. Joseph's Parish before July 1 when Andres' assignment is set to draw to a close, and Father Hornicak will take over.

The new combined parish turns St. Joe's into a secondary parish, possibly without any priest living at the rectory, and St. Mary Magdalene as the new parish seat.

In last weekend's letter to the parishioners of St. Anthony's, St. Bernard's, St. Joseph and St. Mary Magdalene, Bishop Hicks' letter went on to say, "I know these past six weeks have been very challenging for you. There have been a wide variety of opinions, emotions and reactions over the decision to extinguish the existing parishes and form a new parish.

"During this time, you have been anticipating the naming of the pastor of your new parish ... I am pleased to announce that Fr. John Hornicak will be officially appointed on July 1, 2024 as your parochial administrator. Parishoners have stated publicly that they have sought hierarchal recourse against my decree. We are awaiting confirmation from the Dicastery for the Clergy in Rome. When this matter is resolved, Father Hornicak will be appointed pastor."

Joliet Patch has previously reported that making St. Joseph's into a secondary parish could give the bishop and the Diocese of Joliet access to all the land at St. Joseph's Park; with long-term plans for the Diocese to close St. Joe's Park and use the land to sell more Catholic cemetery plots.

By getting rid of Andres, Bishop Hicks is also cutting off the St. Joseph's Parish ability to have access to additional priests to say Mass.

Because Andres is part of the Carmelite Order, he was able to recruit several more priests to help celebrate Mass at St. Joseph's, including two regulars who are listed in the church's bulletin as weekend assistants, Father Jim Lewis and Father Joe Atcher.

"I'm just telling you, Father Tim does not want to leave," Petrella told Joliet Patch on Monday. "If he leaves, his Carmelite priests leave too."

Petrella said that Father Andres even offered to remain at St. Joseph's Parish as an associate or assistant, he didn't even need to remain as the pastor.

However, during the Feb. 28 meeting, Bishop Hicks did not try to offer Andres another assignment, according to Petrella.

"He has not offered Father Tim any new assignment within the Diocese of Joliet," she pointed out.

In other words, Andres must prepare to pack up his belongings and vacate the St. Joseph Church rectory in less than four months.

"As of July 1, he is done," Petrella remarked.

Related Joliet Patch coverage of St. Joseph's Church

• St. Joe's Parish To Battle Bishop Hicks In Rome 'To Right This Wrong'
• St. Joseph's Parish Fights To Exist, Vatican City Will Decide