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Jubilarians: Archdiocesan permanent deacons

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.”

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