Father Craig Eilerman, the rector at Lancaster Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, has been named a monsignor. He received the honorary title on Aug. 24.
The official decree will be presented to Msgr. Eilerman on Saturday, Dec. 14 during a 4:30 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption.
The monsignor designation is an honor from the Holy Father recognizing long and dedicated service to the Church and its people. The official ecclesiastical title is “chaplain of His Holiness.”
The Vatican limited the title in 2014 to priests who have reached the age of 65 and for those who hold certain major offices in the Roman Curia or as a vicar general or chancellor in dioceses. There were previously three grades of monsignor until the Vatican’s changes nine years ago.
Msgr. Eilerman has served as pastor at St. Mary since 2011. He was installed as rector on Aug. 14, 2022 when St. Mary Church was raised to a minor basilica.
Msgr. Eilerman, 67, was ordained by Bishop Emeritus James Griffin at Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral on June 6, 1987. He graduated from Columbus Bishop Ready High School.
He is currently the vicar forane for the deanery consisting of Fairfield, Hocking, Muskingum and Perry counties.
Before serving as pastor and rector at the Basilica of St. Mary, his assignments included pastor at Columbus St. Cecilia and Christ the King churches; associate pastor at Lancaster St. Mary, Zanesville St. Nicholas and Newark St. Francis de Sales churches; and administrator at the former Lancaster St. Mark Church.
He also served as a chaplain at Newark Catholic and Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans high schools and Doctors West Hospital.
Other previous assignments include serving as dean of the West Columbus and Fairfield-Hocking-Pickaway deaneries. He also served on the Priests’ Personnel Board, College of Consultors and Priests’ Senate, and as a parochial examiner and personnel board and presbyteral council member.
In the diocese, there are currently 13 other priests living here who received the monsignor designation: Msgrs. John Cody, John Dreese, William Dunn, Paul Enke, Anthony Frecker, David Funk, Patrick Gaughan, Joseph Hendricks, John Johnson, Frank Lane, Anthony Missimi, Stephan Moloney and James Walter.
