‘God, what would you have me do now?’
A widower, a lifelong dream, and a new vocation fulfilled against expectations

By ANDREW HANSEN 
Editor

The cemetery was always quiet in a way that only grief understands. After Barbara, his wife of 32 years died in 1994 at the age of 52, Larry Brunette would ride his bike there alone, stopping at her grave where love, pain, and memory converged. There were no long speeches and no dramatic gestures — just presence. Sitting there became a way to breathe, to remember, and to prepare his heart for a future he could not yet name.

“I used that time for reflection and preparation for what I knew would be a significant life change,” he said.

These visits allowed Brunette space for sorrow, gratitude, and — slowly — discernment. What emerged was not an impulsive decision but a deeply rooted call that had waited quietly since childhood.

“As far as I can remember, I always wanted to be a priest. Like the pope, I used to play Mass in my bedroom,” Brunette said. That dream, however, would come to fruition in an unexpected way. Life would first lead Brunette through marriage, fatherhood, and a demanding career — experiences that would later shape his priesthood in ways no seminary could.

Growing up in Chicago, he attended St. Nicholas Catholic School through seventh grade. Then, his family moved to Springfield where he attended Little Flower Grade School and Griffin High School, graduating in 1960.

“When we moved to Springfield in 1955, my brother-in-law was manager of Harvey Bros., a clothing store in downtown Springfield. One of his employees had a daughter, my age. It was through her that I met Barbara.”

The two were married on April 28, 1962, at Little Flower Catholic Church. He was 21 years old, she was 20. Her entrance into the Catholic faith even became part of their love story.

“Neither she nor her parents were baptized,” Brunette said. “They were not affiliated with any church. Barbara received her instructions from Father (Charles) Olshefsky at Little Flower and was baptized in her wedding gown after the wedding.”

Together they raised a family: children Tammy, Michael, and Steve. Brunette also now has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

To provide for that family, Brunette built an impressive career in technology. He spent 30 years in the computer field, initially working in hardware and software at the Illinois Secretary of State’s office in Springfield. Despite no formal college education, he taught himself the skills he needed. That determination carried him far, later becoming the director of data processing for Springfield Public Schools and then holding executive roles at several fortune 500 companies and as vice president of a software development firm. 

Behind that success, however, were ongoing trials.

“My wife lived in pain for the last 20 years of her life. She suffered from a horrible case of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.” Those are autoimmune conditions where the immune system attacks the body, causing skin inflammation (psoriasis) and joint pain, stiffness, and swelling (PsA).

Then came a day when everything changed. On Nov. 7, 1994, Brunette and his son came home to have lunch only to find Barbara dead on the floor from a heart attack at the age of 52. 

“As you might imagine, I was devastated,” Brunette said.

In the immediate aftermath, Brunette went to the hospital chapel to pray before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. 

“I knelt and asked God, ‘What would you have me do now?’ Suddenly, I heard a voice say, ‘Now you can pursue your boyhood dreams.’ It wasn’t a physical voice, but rather an infusion of thought. At that moment, I knew I would try to become a priest. There was no thought process. I knew what I was going to do. I just didn’t know how.”

After Barbara’s death, he eventually stepped away from corporate life to put his entire heart and soul into pursuing the priesthood.  

“I resigned my position and informed our customers that I was going to pursue the priesthood because ‘there were no bugs in Jesus.’”

Telling his children required tenderness. “My two sons, along with all my friends, were immediately very supportive.” His daughter needed reassurance.

“When I informed my daughter, she was very emotional saying, ‘I just lost my mother and now I’m going to lose my father.’ After assuring her that I would always be close, she also became very supportive. I’m a very lucky man.”

On the day after Brunette’s youngest son was married in September of 1996, Brunette entered Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass., 10 miles from Boston. On May 29, 1999, he was ordained a priest, becoming Father Larry Brunette.

“I often joke that my seminary life was only four years because they wanted to get us second-careerguys out before we passed away. I would like to mention that my three children walked me down the aisle, which I believe to be a historic moment.”

Father Brunette’s first assignment was Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Collinsville from 1999 to 2002. He then became pastor of Holy Family Parish in Granite City from 2002 to 2010. He has been a senior priest since 2014.

What does he love most about being a priest?

“Everything! It’s the most fulfilling job I have ever had in my life.”

His lived experience as a married person, father of a family, career worker, and widower has allowed so many people to draw close to him. “Ever since I was ordained, people have come to me precisely because of my background.”

He also has the rare distinction of receiving the seven sacraments, although the anointing of the sick happened after a scary event.

“On Jan. 3, 2016, my heart stopped four times while saying Mass. It was my embedded heart monitor/defibrillator that saved my life that day. Thank God that since that time I have had no other problems. And yes, I brag about having received all seven sacraments.” 

Today, at 84 years old, he is still answering the call to serve. Living in Itasca, a suburb of Chicago, he has priestly faculties in both the Springfield Diocese and the Joliet Diocese, helping out as often as he can. 

“My story is filled with love for God and family, coping with loss, persevering in whatever your heart directs you to do, and practicing self-reflection for a calling,” Father Brunette said. It’s a reminder for all of us to do the same.