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MUNDELEIN-CRASH Sep-20-2005 (670 words) With photos. xxxn
Seminarians killed in crash called 'missionaries of Christ's love'
By Nancy Frazier O'Brien
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Two seminarians killed in an early-morning car crash on the grounds of Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake near Chicago were "wonderful and exuberant missionaries of Christ's love," Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., said Sept. 16.
Matthew Molnar, 28, and Jason Cheek, 23, were studying at the Illinois seminary for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
"Both (retired) Archbishop (James P.) Keleher and I were truly impressed with the wonderful service they rendered Christ in their few short years of work here in the archdiocese, both as youth ministers and, more recently, as seminarians," Archbishop Naumann said in a statement. "Their deaths are a great loss for the archdiocese."
The two were back-seat passengers in a vehicle that struck a tree on the university grounds at about 1:45 a.m. Sept. 15.
Molnar, a second-year theology student and a member of St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village, Kan., died less than an hour later at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill. Cheek, a first-year theology student and member of Immaculate Conception Parish in St. Marys, Kan., died the next day at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill.
The driver of the vehicle, 27-year-old Robert Spaulding of Evansville, Wyo., was charged with reckless homicide and two counts of driving under the influence.
The fourth seminarian in the Oldsmobile Aurora driven by Spaulding was Mark Rowlands, 36, of Columbus, Ohio, who police said was the vehicle's registered owner.
He was arrested Sept. 16 and charged with unlawful use of a weapon and impersonation of a police officer after police reportedly found a handgun, ammunition and sheriff's deputy badges from Ohio in the car's glove compartment.
Bishop David L. Ricken, who heads Spaulding's home Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyo., said in a statement that he had contacted Archbishop Naumann "to express my sympathy and condolences to him and especially to the families" of Cheek and Molnar.
"They are in the thoughts and prayers of the people of the Diocese of Cheyenne and the state of Wyoming," he added. "The prayers of the people of Wyoming also go out to Rob Spaulding and Mark Rowlands during this very difficult time for both of them."
Bishop Ricken said he would have no further comment on the case "until we see the actions of the court in Illinois."
Rowlands, who was studying for the Diocese of Columbus, worked for the sheriff's office in Fairfield County, Ohio, from 1992 to 2001, but was indicted in February 2000 on felony charges of bribery, perjury and failing to file a state income tax return, the Chicago Tribune reported Sept. 20.
He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business and the other charges were dropped, the Tribune said. He received a fine of $400 and court costs.
The badges found in the car were from sheriffs' offices in Fairfield County and Scioto County in Ohio, where Rowlands was not believed to have worked. The car also was equipped with flashing red and blue undercover police lights, according to the Tribune.
A Sept. 20 statement from the Columbus Diocese said Rowlands had been "placed on a leave of absence to attend to health and legal issues arising from the accident." After the police investigation is completed, Columbus Bishop Frederick F. Campbell and seminary officials "will confer to consider what action they will take on the matter," it added.
The statement also expressed sympathy to the families of Molnar and Cheek and promised prayers for them, "the Mundelein community and their home Archdiocese of Kansas City."
At Mundelein, where 204 seminarians had been studying at the beginning of the academic year, a memorial Mass was held for Molnar Sept. 19, the day of his funeral at St. Ann's in Prairie Village. A memorial Mass for Cheek, whose funeral was set for Sept. 22 at Immaculate Conception in St. Marys, was to take place later in the week.
END
Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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