Raphael H. “Rafe” Middeke, 92, of Trenton, formerly of Damiansville, died at 6:25 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Aviston Countryside Manor. He was born June 21, 1933, in rural Clinton County, a son of the late Bernard and Mary (nee Hellmann) Middeke.
After attending St. Rose Elementary School, Rafe attended St. Henry Seminary in Belleville and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein. He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1959.
During his active priesthood, he ministered as a pastoral associate, parish administrator, high school bursar, editor of The Messenger, the Diocese of Belleville newspaper, and at the Catholic Newman Center in Carbondale, where he was also a teaching assistant in the philosophy department at Southern Illinois University.
Rafe married Bernadette Rzonca on June 20, 1970, in Chicago, and together they raised their children, Sarah Ann and Matthew Jesse Middeke.
Surviving are his wife, Bernadette; daughter, Sarah Middeke; son, Matthew Middeke; grandson Zane Camburn and his mother, Alexandria Camburn; brothers Jerome (Helen Heimann) Middeke and Sylvester (Mary Jane Huelsmann) Middeke; and sister-in-law Helen (Adamson) Middeke.
In addition to Rafe’s parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Albert Middeke; parents-in-law, Michael and Adeline (nee Barnes) Rzonca; sisters-in-law, Rita Rzonca and Antoinette Wontor.
Rafe was employed by the Wall Street Journal in its Highland, Ill., location. In 1980, he was rehired as the editor and general manager of The Messenger by Bishop William Cosgrove and continued as the editor for Bishops Wurm, Keleher, and Gregory, retiring as the editor in 1998.
Rafe was the longest-serving editor of The Messenger in its 119-year history, and he continued part-time at the newspaper for more than 20 years, serving as a copy editor. His institutional knowledge of the diocese was priceless. His memory enabled him to share stories of things that occurred in the diocese decades earlier.
Rafe also taught part-time at Southwestern Illinois College for more than 20 years. For a number of years, he was a certified and licensed massage therapist.
As a Catholic Christian, he called himself a Vatican II social justice Catholic, though at times was critical of leadership priorities, especially leadership more committed to power and control than servant and pastoral ministry. He was a member of the independent Southern Illinois Association of Priests (SIAP).
In the Belleville diocese, his board memberships included the Catholic Social Services and Catholic Charities organizations. Ministries in Southern Illinois included prison ministry and varied parish involvements in ministries and on parish committees. He and Bernadette were involved in the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement and served as its executive couple. For a number of years, they were volunteer drivers for seniors needing transportation to medical and other appointments.
Rafe was a man who cared about people and wanted to help them wherever and whenever he could. He saw the good in people and had great integrity always, in all ways. A man of tremendous intelligence, he was also humble, never lording it over others. A writer who could craft a phrase to let it flow across the page, the Catholic Press Association recognized his gift with the written word,when he was awarded first place for a number of his columns over the years.
A visitation will be held Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 9 to 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lebanon. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will follow immediately, with Fr. Clyde Grogan presiding. Per Rafe’s wishes, his body was donated to St. Louis University School of Medicine.
In lieu of flowers, plants or other gifts, memorials may be made to Karla Smith Behavioral Health of O’Fallon and will be received at the visitation or by mail at Moss Funeral Home, 535 N. 5th Street, Breese, Ill., 62230, which is serving the family.
Expressions of sympathy can be sent to the family at www.mossfuneralhome.com.
