Msgr. John R. Ossola

The Reverend Monsignor John R. Ossola, a priest of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois for more than half a century and who in retirement held the title of Pastor Emeritus of the Church of the Little Flower in Springfield, died on July 5, 2026, at the age of 87.

Monsignor Ossola was born on July 13, 1938, in Collinsville, Illinois. He was ordained a priest on May 23, 1964, and named Monsignor on August 23, 2002. He was preceded in death by his father John Louis Ossola who died April 7, 1980, his mother Mildred Regina (Ray) Ossola who died January 3, 2007, and his sister Mary Christine Ossola who died October 31, 1957.

Over the course of his ministry, Monsignor Ossola served in a succession of parishes and diocesan offices throughout central Illinois. He began as an assistant at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield from 1964 to 1968, followed by assignments as assistant at St. Paul in Highland from 1968 to 1972, at the Church of the Little Flower in Springfield from 1972 to 1976, and at Blessed Sacrament in Springfield from 1976 to 1981. He was first named pastor at St. Mary’s in New Berlin from 1981 to 1985. He was subsequently appointed rector of the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield from 1985 to 1986. He served as pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception from 1986 to 2007. He later returned to the Church of the Little Flower as pastor, from where he retired in 2014 as Pastor Emeritus. For several years during this period he also served as parochial administrator of St. Katharine Drexel and St. Cabrini parishes in Springfield. In addition to his parish assignments, he served many years as the Director of the Diocesan Catholic Youth Organization, Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (44 years), and Diocesan Family Life and Pro-Life Offices.

In 2017, Monsignor Ossola was assigned to reside at, and serve as the chaplain for, Saint Joseph’s Home in Springfield. In 2021, he moved to Reflections Memory Care in Chatham where the staff lovingly cared for him. He very much enjoyed attending Mass at nearby St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Chatham as his health allowed.

Monsignor Ossola was especially known for his dedication to youth ministry. Besides teaching religion in various parish grade schools over the years, he was a passionate supporter of Ursuline Academy and Benedictine University in Springfield and strived to keep both schools open. He also taught at St. Paul High School in Highland and Sacred Heart Academy and Griffin High School in Springfield, and helped introduce the Teens Encounter Christ retreat program for high schoolers in the diocese. He was frequently asked to officiate weddings by parishioners, friends, and former students, and to this day, a remarkably high percentage of Catholics in Sangamon County can say they were married by Monsignor Ossola.

Monsignor Ossola was locally famous for his fun-loving, caring, and adventurous nature. He organized and accompanied countless groups of current and former students on Haitian and Appalachian work trips, European tours, visits to amusement parks, river canoe trips, and summer holidays at his cabin near Carlinville, Illinois. He also helped found a week-long Catholic family camp program at Pere Marquette State Park, accompanied seniors on a tour of the Holy Land, and for many years, enjoyed celebrating Saturday evening Mass for Illinois State Fairgoers from the stage of the Illinois Building auditorium.

Monsignor Ossola’s kindness, warmth, and teasing sense of humor stayed with him until the end. So, too, did his instinct for witnessing the Gospel. In fact, at the end of a homily at Saint Joseph’s Home in early 2019—several years after the onset of Alzheimer’s—he closed with these remarks on Christian living. They reflected his own, lifelong approach to priestly ministry: “So let us ask the Lord today to hear His Word as we often do. And to put it into practice in our everyday life to share the Word of God with others. Not necessarily by preaching, but by just living it out. By giving to others, by caring for them, showing them God’s love. This is what Jesus did so many times as he traveled around and ran into people who were in great need – usually a physical need, but a spiritual need, as well. And helped to cure them, to forgive them, to bring them back into the sight of God. That is still our call, too – to do the same. To bring other people into the sight of God by our actions and our deeds and our care for them. Let us thank God for the care that He has given us by extending our care to one another.”

Memorial contributions can be made to the Church of the Little Flower in Springfield.

Visitation: Family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Church of the Little Flower, 800 Adlai Stevenson Dr., Springfield. Visitation will begin with a prayer service.

Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at Church of the Little Flower, with Most Rev. Thomas John Paprocki, Rev. Allen Kemme and Rev. Joseph Molloy, concelebrants.

Burial: 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Collinsville.

The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home – Springfield, 900 S. Sixth St., Springfield.

Please visit www.butlerspringfield.com to offer your condolences.