Father Gerald A. Sroka of Michigan City, age 90, died on Dec. 9, 2024, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was born in Chicago on Sept. 9, 1934, the son of the late Stanley and Charlotte (Rendak) Sroka, and was also preceded in death by his brother Robert. He is survived by his brother Dennis, and sister-in-law Alma, of Southport, N.C., as well as several nieces and nephews.
Father Sroka was ordained a Catholic priest on Aug. 13, 1960 at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary. After completing graduate studies, Father Sroka assisted at various parishes – St. John Bosco in Hammond, St. Joseph and St. Mary in East Chicago, as well as St. Mary and Queen of All Saints in Michigan City – until he was named pastor of Sacred Heart in Gary in 1971.
Father Sroka served as a pastor for 33 years, at Sacred Heart in Gary (1971-1976), St. Joan of Arc in Merrillville (1976-1983), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Valparaiso (1983-1987) and Sacred Heart in LaPorte (1997-2004). He was given Senior Priest status on July 1, 2004. In the successive years until his death, he assisted at various parishes as requested and as long as he was physically able.
Senior priest Father Joe Palowski recalled that he first met Father Sroka in 1996 at St. Mary of the Lake in Gary. They formed a friendship and were part of a small group of diocesan priests that would meet once a week for dinner. Years later they both happened to move to the Michigan City area, residing relatively close to one another.
“When Gerry could no longer drive, I would pick him up and we would drive up to Al’s Supermarket and get groceries,” explained Father Palowski. “And when I became too weak to walk, my sister and brother-in-law would get both of us groceries.”
Father Palowski called Father Sroka an intelligent man who studied in Rome, earned a master’s degree in theology, traveled to Europe and learned the German language. He also noted that Father Sroka was a great homilist.
“He was brilliant, generous and personable with all sorts of people,” he said.
Father Mick Kopil first met Father Sroka in 1983, when he was 14 and Father Sroka was newly assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. They met at a parish social function and Father Kopil recalls that Father Sroka talked about his new assignment and spoke to Father Kopil’s family about the parish.
The next time the two met was at a funeral for Father David Gosnell in 2019. At that time, Father Kopil shared, Father Sroka spoke to Father Kopil as the current pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, discussing the major construction project the elder priest had guided at the parish and about his memories of being at the church.
“It had been over 25 years since he left St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, but he still spoke fondly of the parish and of his time serving here,” he said. “Parishioners remember him as kindhearted, caring, intelligent and jovial.”
Maryanne Krug, of Valparaiso, described Father Sroka as a mild-mannered man who was hard to miss because of his tall, lean stature and big smile.
“He was relatively soft spoken and listened intently to what you had to share and he loved to laugh,” she said. “He encouraged us (parishioners) to not just be involved within the parish and grow our spirituality, but to go beyond our boundaries to serve those most in need of basic provisions and community acceptance.”
Krug added the welcoming spirit of Father Sroka and the parishioners “helped grow St. Elizabeth Ann Seton to a point of nearly splitting the seams and so we did split, and Holy Spirit in Winfield was created. The welcoming spirit at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton carried on to Holy Spirit church, too, as many of our members left to grow a new parish community with the guidance of Father Joe Murphy.”
Visitation for Father Sroka is at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church on Dec. 18, 2024 with the Rite of Reception of the Body, followed by visitation until evening prayer. Morning prayer will take place on Dec. 19 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial. Internment will be private at Holy Cross Cemetery in Calumet City, Ill.