People attend the University of Saint Mary of the Lake Mundelein Seminary centennial celebration at the Sheraton Grand Chicago hotel in Chicago April 21, 2022. (CNS photo/courtesy Deacon Randy Belice, University St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein)
by Catholic News Service
CHICAGO — Mundelein Seminary celebrated its 100th anniversary April 21 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.
The event included dinner and a presentation featuring remarks from alumni priests, musical performances by current seminarians and the presentation of a Cardinal Joseph Bernardin award to relatives of Cardinal George Mundelein, the visionary archbishop of Chicago who founded Mundelein Seminary in 1921.
Guests were encouraged to invite their parish priests and sponsor their attendance so they could be recognized for their parish leadership and community impact.
After COVID-19 forced the seminary to cancel previous celebrations, the seminary's rector, Father John Kartje, said: "This is a joyful opportunity to reconnect in person with our generous supporters to recognize the life-changing ministry of our alumni priests, while looking back on our 100-year history and the legacy of Cardinal Mundelein."
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Prior to the event, he also noted that this celebration would be a good time to "reflect on the present and future of the seminary as a vital institution training the next generation of parish priests who will serve as holy bridges to Christ."
The 1,000-acre Mundelein Seminary is located in Mundelein, north of Chicago. It is currently home to more than 100 seminarians from nearly 30 dioceses across the country. Over the past 100 years, it has formed more than 4,000 parish priests for about 80 dioceses around the world. Many of its alumni have risen to prominent leadership positions in nonprofit organizations and several currently serve as bishops and archbishops across the country.
The Mundelein Seminary, on the campus of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, is the major seminary and graduate school of theology for the formation of priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The university includes six schools and institutes, all devoted to ministry formation.
