25th ordination
Deacon Jim Basler
Birthplace: St. Louis
Age: 72
Education: St. Agnes Grade School in Bloomsdale
St. Louis Preparatory Seminary
Cardinal Glennon College (two years)
Bachelor’s in sociology, Saint Louis University
Bachelor’s in education, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Family: Wife, Joanne; four children; four grandchildren
Service in the archdiocese: Assisted the pastors at St. Agnes Parish, Bloomsdale, 1994-present
Secular career: Teacher in the Ste. Genevieve School District, 1969-77
Foreman at River Cement Co., 1978-83
Plant manager at Weatherguard Inc., 1984-90
Office and safety manager at CE Contracting, 1990-2013
About Deacon Basler: He makes the Eucharist available at the local hospital along with scheduled Communion services at three elderly care centers on Saturdays
Deacon Thomas Jurek
Birthplace: Chicago
Age: 70
Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications from St. Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, Ind., 1971
Family: Wife, Rosemarie, died in 2015; two daughters
Service in the archdiocese: Assisted the pastors of Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Spanish Lake until May of 1995 when he and his family relocated to the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Service outside the archdiocese: In Grand Rapids, his service included assisting at Mass, preaching, Communion ministry, pro-life ministry and media ministry. He served the pastors of two parishes, Holy Name of Jesus in Wyoming, Mich., and St. James in Grand Rapids. He retired from active status in 2018.
Secular career: He was a rock and roll disc jockey in Lafayette, Ind., and Paducah, Ky., and a program producer in Chicago
Owner of three radio stations in Indiana and two in Wisconsin before selling them in 1985
Commercial voice work for Lazy-Boy, Jellystone Park and two dozen other advertisers
Development and public relations work from for Catholic Services for Children & Youth/Child Center in St. Louis, 1985-95
Program producer, announcer and commercial voice at several stations in St. Louis, 1985-95
Director of communications for the Diocese of Grand Rapids from 1995-97
Pre-arrangement funeral counselor, insurance sales, as a nursing home chaplain, community benefits officer, mission and ethics director and manager of a TV station in Grand Rapids. He retired in 2011
About Deacon Jurek: He was involved as a producer of the TV Mass on KTVI in St. Louis and produced a video, “Adoption, the Option of Love” in 1983. His recorded voice was heard on the tram ride tour at Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill.
Deacon Edward Ray Kiely
Birthplace: St. Louis
Age: 92
Education: Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School
While in the military service, attended South Dakota State College, Yale University and the University of Minnesota, studying Japanese language
Bachelor’s in sociology, St. Louis University
Family: Wife: Jane; four children; 14 grandchildren; and five great grandchildren
Service in the archdiocese: Assisted the pastors of Christ the King Parish, University City, 1994 to the present. Retired on Aug. 1, 2019.
Secular career: Purchasing manager for Beck and Corbitt Co.
Mortgage banker with Pulaski Bank
Chaplain with the Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center, 1999-present
About Deacon Kiely: He served in Japan with the U.S. Army and as a tutor at Christ the King School for 20 years. He celebrated 60th wedding anniversary in June.
Deacon Stanley Peterson, Jr.
Birthplace: St. Louis
Age: 83
Education: St. Nicholas Grade School in St. Louis
St. Nicholas High School (two years) and McBride High School
Forest Park Community College
Saint Louis University (Control Data Institute)
Family: Wife, Doris; two children; one grandchild
Service in the archdiocese: Assisted pastors of St. Nicholas Parish in St. Louis, retired in 2013
Previously served on the Deacon Council
Secular career: U.S. Postal Service (retired), manager in marketing and communication
About Deacon Peterson: He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and began his postal career as a letter carrier and was promoted to customer service representative and then mail operation coordinator. He considers being a deacon as the best “job” he’s had “because you have to put in work and time. But when you know you’ve done the best you could and the results show it, the feeling of having gotten it right is overwhelming. I’ve had a few of those feelings.”