CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Blase J. Cupich,
Archbishop of Chicago, today
announced the appointment of Rev. John
Francis Kartje as the rector / president of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake / Mundelein
Seminary, effective August 28, 2015. Archbishop Cupich made
the announcement this evening at the conclusion of the Mass of the
Holy Spirit which celebrated the beginning of the academic year.
Father Kartje succeeds Bishop-elect Robert
E. Barron who was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Los
Angeles Archdiocese by Pope Francis on July
21, 2015.
"Father Kartje is a well-respected priest in the Archdiocese of
Chicago, with a keen mind,
pastoral heart and mature personal spirituality," said Blase J.
Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago.
"These qualities will serve him well as he takes on this new
office. I am confident he will build on the already well
established tradition that has distinguished Mundelein Seminary
both nationally and internationally."
Father Kartje has served at the seminary since 2009 as the
Acting President of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology, Assistant
Professor in the Department of Biblical Studies, Seminarian
Spiritual Director and team member of the Formation Faculty. He has
also served since 2009 as a summer program faculty member of the
Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska, and was Director and Chaplain
of the Sheil Catholic Student Center at Northwestern University from 2009 to 2013. While he
completed doctoral studies in scripture at The
Catholic University of America from 2004 to 2009 he served
at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Washington, D.C. After his ordination he
served as Associate Pastor at St. Benedict Parish in Chicago from 2002 to 2004.
"Father Kartje represents the spirit of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary," said
William H. McEssy, Chairman of the
Mundelein Seminary Board of Advisors. "His intellectual and
academic prowess are matched by his exceptional commitment to the
formation of our seminarians in the compassionate pastoral
tradition that has characterized our Archdiocese and been a gift to
the global Church."
A native of East Chicago,
Indiana, Father Kartje is a graduate of Bishop Noll
Institute in Hammond. He earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science
degree in Physics in 1987 from the University
of Chicago. In 1995, the University of
Chicago's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics conferred
a Ph.D. degree on Father Kartje. The title of his doctoral
dissertation is "Models of the Optical/Ultraviolet Continuum
Polarization in Active Galactic Nuclei: Implications for
Unification Schemes."
Father Kartje was ordained in the Archdiocese of Chicago and received a Bachelor of Sacred
Theology degree from the University of St.
Mary of the Lake in 2002. He earned a Doctorate in Sacred
Theology from the Catholic University of
America's Department of Biblical Studies in 2010. The title
of his dissertation is "Wisdom Epistemology in the Psalter: A
Study of Psalms 1, 73, 90, and 107."
"I am humbled by the honor of serving our Archdiocese and the
Church as rector / president of Saint
Mary of the Lake University / Mundelein Seminary," said
Father John Francis Kartje, newly
appointed rector / president. "This is a place where I found peace
and support as I fulfilled my vocation and I look forward to
helping form men for the priesthood and teaching others about the
faith through our many programs."
"I have known Father Kartje as a colleague and brother priest
for many years," said Bishop-elect Robert
E. Barron, former rector / president of Saint Mary of the Lake University / Mundelein
Seminary. "His ability to reach and inspire the minds and hearts of
seminarians is extraordinary and I look forward to watching as his
leadership moves our alma mater to even greater achievement heights
in faith and scholarship."
About The University of Saint
Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary
The
University of Saint Mary of the Lake /
Mundelein Seminary is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of
Chicago with a national and
international reach. A graduate school of theology, it has an
enrollment of 337 degree students, of
which 225 are seminarians preparing for service as
diocesan priests in 39 dioceses. Additionally, its
institutes of diaconal studies, lay formation and the Instituto de
Liderazgo Pastoral prepare more than 300 women and men
for these roles of service. The University of
Saint Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary's ongoing
formation program offered courses to 1,980 participants
this past year.
CONTACTS:
Alejandro
Castillo
Director, Office for Hispanic Communications
Archdiocese of Chicago
312-534-7880
acastillo@archchicago.org
Michelle Adamowski
Communications Project Manager
Office of Media Relations
Archdiocese of Chicago
312-534-8238
madamowski@archchicago.org
Media Relations Line
(After Hours and Weekends)
312-534-8227
Photo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150828/262062
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150407/197194LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rev-john-francis-kartje-named-as-rector--president-of-the-university-of-saint-mary-of-the-lake--mundelein-seminary-300134873.html
SOURCE Archdiocese of Chicago