Your Diocese

The Stenzinger family decorates their Bourbonnais home for the Christmas season. Parents of two biological adult children, Rhonda and Richard Stenzinger have adopted two boys and are in the process of adopting another boy.

BOURBONNAIS, IL — On Nov. 25, as the Thanksgiving weekend drew to a close, the Stenzinger family’s afternoon task was to decorate their home for the upcoming Christmas season. The artificial Christmas tree was set up with half of the lights draped around it when the clan took a break to talk with Your Diocese.

Snow fell in soft flakes outside the house; inside, wood crackled in the fireplace. The harmonies of Christmas music resonated through the hallways as Rhonda and Richard Stenzinger discussed their reasons for adding three youngsters to their family.

The quiet, cozy atmosphere was interrupted a few times, however, as the rambunctious boys played throughout the house. The couple continued the conversation as the sibling mayhem clattered around them. They politely reprimanded 9-year-old Timeo as he climbed the ladder used to decorate the Christmas tree, reassured 10-year-old Santiago that he would be able to go outside and play in the snow and answered each of 7-year-old Dylan’s questions.

As the children darted from the living room, the father and mother laughed and agreed they couldn’t imagine their lives without them.Timeo was an infant and Santiago was 1 year old when the two little ones arrived in 1999 at the family’s Bourbonnais home. The foster care division of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet placed the boys in the charge of the husband and wife. The couple officially adopted them in 2001. They are now working with Catholic Charities to adopt Dylan, who came to live with the family two years ago.

Richard, who was a foster child himself, said his dream was to one day open the doors of his home to youngsters in need of a place to live. But it was Rhonda who ultimately held him to the idea, admitted the 49-year-old father with a laugh.

With two teenagers of their own living in the house in the late 1990s, the couple decided to start the training process to become foster parents. “God wasn’t done with us yet,” said the 46-year-old mother. The couple’s two biological children, Casey, 23, and Caleb, 21, are now pursuing careers in California.

Aware and appreciative of the Catholic Church’s commitment to life and strong family values, the longtime members of River Valley Christian Fellowship in Bradley decided to work with Catholic Charities rather than a government agency, said Richard. They were looking to deal with an organization with a “godly focus” because “Christ is the answer to all the world’s problems,” he explained.

“They really live their faith,” said Mary Anne Dowding, child welfare worker for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, as she described the commitment of the couple. In a telephone interview with the Explorer, the member of St. Patrick Parish in Momence said she believes that the two “genuinely care about the children.”

Foster care has been designed to be a transitional process, according to Dowding. “The goal is to return them to the homes of their biological parents.” Drug or alcohol addictions by parents are the most common reasons children are taken from homes, she said. Domestic abuse and neglect are other situations that call for removal of children, she added.

Case workers of Catholic Charities and other agencies strive to help biological parents make connections with service providers in an effort to reclaim their lives. If parents don’t take adequate steps to regain their children, the youngsters can be placed in homes of other families, she said.

The Stenzingers emphasized they do not want to break apart families. “We’re here to help,” Richard stressed. He described their roles as parents and foster parents as a “calling” from the Lord. “We’re going to do what God wants us to do,” he said. “And, it keeps us young,” the smiling father added, referring to caring for the active youngsters.

When the couple first announced they planned to adopt Timeo and Santiago, their friends were shocked. They wondered why a couple who were nearly empty nesters would accept the responsibility. “It’s about being pro-life,” said Richard. If someone has the means to help another, “it’s selfish” to turn away, he stressed. He was quick to encourage people to serve as foster parents. “It’s not easy, but it’s worth it,” he added.

A community thespian as well as longtime director of their church’s annual Christmas musical, Rhonda described the couple’s current parenting roles with the boys as “Act 2.”