Rev. John Sponder
Parochial Administrator
Fr. John Sponder was born on November 23, 1965, to Robert and Joan Sponder of Riverside, Illinois, and is one of nine children. After attending local public schools in Riverside, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePaul University in Chicago in 1989.
He then entered Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, where he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) degree in 1992 and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 1993. Fr. John was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Joliet on June 5, 1993, by Bishop Joseph Imesch.
Throughout his priesthood, Fr. John has faithfully served several parishes within the Diocese of Joliet, most recently at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Frankfort, Illinois. In addition to parish ministry, he is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and has served as a police chaplain in the communities of Steger, Westmont, Winfield, and Roselle, as well as a fire chaplain in Bartlett, Illinois. He is also a past member of the International Conference of Police Chaplains and the Illinois Federation of Fire Chaplains.
Prior to his appointment at St. Joan of Arc, Fr. John served as pastor of Holy Spirit Parish for six years. He began his role as Parochial Administrator of St. Joan of Arc in July 2026.
Rev. Richard Smith
Parochial Vicar
Fr. Richard Smith was born and raised in Morris, Illinois. At the age of 15, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, the newly established diocesan seminary at the time, and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Romeo Blanchette in 1976.
During his priestly ministry, Fr. Richard has served in numerous parishes throughout the Diocese of Joliet. He was later sent to study Canon Law and spent 14 years serving in the Marriage Tribunal. Drawn back to parish ministry, he was appointed pastor and has since led five parish communities.
Fr. Richard previously served as pastor of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Frankfort while also fulfilling the role of Vicar General for the Diocese of Joliet. In January 2020, he was appointed Administrator of Temporal Affairs at Holy Spirit Catholic Community and assumed full pastoral responsibilities on July 1, 2020.
Fr. Richard joined St. Joan of Arc as Parochial Vicar in July 2026. He continues to serve the Diocese of Joliet as Vicar General while bringing decades of pastoral experience and leadership to the St. Joan of Arc community.
Dcn. Jack Hayes
Permanent Deacon
Deacon Jack Hayes received the Sacrament of Holy Orders as a Permanent Deacon on August 20, 2022, through the Diocese of Joliet.
Supported by Fr. Gabriel and Fr. Carl Gregorich (formally Deacon Carl), his wife Donna, family and friends, Deacon Jack entered formation for the diaconate in the fall of 2017. This decision was a Holy Spirit-inspired call that first came to Jack in St. Joan of Arc’s Adoration Chapel. After a period of initial discernment, the call to serve the Church and the people of St. Joan of Arc took hold, and Deacon Jack is thrilled to be able to give back to the community that has been so important in his life and the lives of his family.
Deacon Jack and his wife Donna met in high school at Benet Academy. They married in 1985 and after moving to Lisle shortly after, have been parish members at St. Joan of Arc since. They raised their three children (Brian ’02, Lauren ’05 and Kelly ’08) through the St. Joan of Arc School and Parish. During many of those years (20+), Donna worked as a SJA first grade teacher's aide, Jack coached basketball teams and was a Scout leader, and the kids were Altar Servers and choir members. Deacon Jack participated in various ministries including the Marriage Preparation Team, Usher, Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Parish Council President, Picnic Committee and volunteered for various service programs.
His professional career began in environmental engineering, and after completing his Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from Benedictine University, he moved into various management positions in the design and construction industry. Since 2008 Deacon Jack has served as President/CEO of a commercial construction company focused on institutional clients such as public agencies, schools and churches.
As a proud graduate of Benet Academy, Benedictine University and a long-time member of the Benedictine supported parish at St. Joan of Arc, Deacon Jack has a strong affinity to St. Benedict and his motto – “Ora et Labora” – pray and work. Currently he is pursuing advanced education studies in Homiletics through the University of Dallas Institute of Homiletics, Preaching for Encounter program. Deacon Jack is humbled to be of service to the community of St. Joan of Arc in the three-fold Diaconal ministries of the Word, the Liturgy and Charity.
Dcn. Paul Nappi
Permanent Deacon
Deacon Paul Nappi was ordained to the Order of the Diaconate on August 22, 2020, at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet, IL.
Deacon Paul has been a parishioner of St. Joan of Arc for over twenty years. He and his wife Madhu are both animal lovers. Deacon Paul’s background has been in healthcare, which has involved a rich variety of service as an EMT, ETOH counselor, environmental health practitioner, psychiatric nurse, and healthcare surveyor of hospitals and nursing homes.
His favorite quote is from Mother Teresa: “The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.”
Deacon Paul has served our parish community as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, a regular adorer at our Adoration Chapel, a volunteer for PADS, a member of the Pro-Life Ministry, and a wedding host who, with his wife Madhu, helped to orchestrate wedding liturgies and assisted the parties involved.
Dcn. Rob Visher
Permanent Deacon
Deacon Rob Visher received the Sacrament of Holy Orders as a Permanent Deacon on August 23, 2025, through the Diocese of Joliet.
Deacon Rob was raised in Downers Grove and married his wife Julie in 2009. They were blessed with a daughter, Ellie, in 2014 and joined St. Joan of Arc Parish in 2022 where Ellie is currently enrolled at St. Joan of Arc School. Professionally, Deacon Rob has a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and is currently in management overseeing the development and integration of cutting-edge technology for consumer and commercial products.
After joining St. Joan of Arc Parish, Deacon Rob continued his service as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and Lector, led Children’s Liturgy of the Word, and writes a weekly gospel reflection for the SJA School weekly newsletter. Overall, he has been involved in many different lay ministers for the last 28 years and is humbled and excited to be called by God to continue his service in Ordained ministry to the St. Joan of Arc community as a Deacon.