With the sudden death of Father Brian Shepley, pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Mount Pleasant, Bishop Martin Amos announced two appointments effective Dec. 6
Father Bruce DeRammelaere will be the parish’s administrator. Father John Stack will become sacramental minister of St. Alphonsus.
Fr. DeRammelaere, 54, was born in Moline, Ill., and attended schools in East Moline, Ill. He graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and worked in art for several years before answering the call to the priesthood. He completed his theology studies at St. Meinrad School of Theology in Meinrad, Ind. On June 10, 2006, he was ordained by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral-Davenport.
Fr. DeRammelaere was parochial vicar at St. Paul the Apostle-Davenport and Ss. John & Paul-Burlington. He then served as administrator and now pastor of St. John-Houghton and St. James-St. Paul since 2013.
A Davenport native, Fr. Stack, 54, attended John F. Kennedy, the Holy Family Catholic schools and Assumption High School. He graduated from St. Ambrose College with a degree in accounting. He completed his theology studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Ill. On May 13, 1988, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Gerald O’Keefe at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport.
Fr. Stack was parochial vicar at Holy Family- Davenport from 1988-90 and All Saints-Keokuk from 1990-92. He then served as pastor of St. Joseph-East Pleasant Plain and St. Frances Xavier-Richland from 1992-93. After a leave of absence he was chaplain at Mercy Medical Center-Clinton from 1994-2013, The Alverno-Clinton from 1996-97 and the Sisters of St. Francis-Clinton from 2000-04. Fr. Stack also was administrator of Church of the Visitation-Camanche from 1996-2000, sacramental minister at Sacred Heart-Lost Nation, St. James-Toronto and Sacred Heart-Oxford Junction in 2004; administrator of Assumption & St. Patrick-Charlotte and Ss. Mary & Joseph-Sugar Creek from 2004-05 and sacramental minister at St. Joseph-DeWitt and Ss. Phillip & James-Grand Mound from 2005-06. He was on leave of absence from 2013-16.
