Monsignor Gerald Kobbeman was born on November 22, 1941, the third oldest child of 11 born to Harry Joseph Kobbeman and Mary Burke.  Monsignor Kobbeman was born on a farm south of Rock Falls that the family still owns.  Monsignor Kobbeman had seven brothers and three sisters; one brother and one sister have already died.

Monsignor Kobbeman attended St. Andrew's Catholic Grade School in Rock Falls.  Newman Catholic High School in Sterling, St. Ambrose Catholic College in Davenport, Iowa.  It was there that he made his decision to transfer to the Seminary Department and completed four years majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Latin.  From there Bishop Loras Lane sent Monsignor Kobbeman to the Gregorian University in Rome for theological studies.  Residence during those four years was at the North American College in Rome.  Those were truly exciting years from 1963 to 1967.

The Vatican Council was going on at that time and it was quite an experience to be present with the Bishops when they met in some of the General Assemblies in St. Peter's Basilica.  Monsignor Kobbeman was ordained on December 17, 1966 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and again that was an awesome experience.

As a priest of the Diocese of Rockford, Monsignor Kobbeman was assigned for five years to St. Bernadette Parish in Rockford as an Associate from 1967 to 1972.  Four of those five years, Fr. Kobbeman also worked as the Secretary of the Matrimonial Tribunal and as the Director of Family Life for the Diocese of Rockford.

It was during Monsignor's time as Director of Family Life that Marriage Encounter was introduced to the Diocese of Rockford.  In 1975, Monsignor Kobbeman was transferred to St. Patrick's in St. Charles as an Associate until 1977.  In 1977, Monsignor Kobbeman was appointed Pastor of St. Patrick's in Dixon, where he enjoyed a ten-year Pastorate until 1987 when he was appointed Pastor of Holy Angels in Aurora, IL, until July 2000.

Monsignor Kobbeman was assigned to St. Rita Church on July 1, 2000.