Mount Prospect pastor to receive Catholic Humanitarian Award

Mundelein Seminary will host more than 250 guests for the 28th annual Rector's Classic Golf and Dinner event Thursday, Sept. 19.

The seminary will also honor Father James Presta, a 1986 Mundelein alumnus and current pastor of St. Emily Parish in Mount Prospect, with the 2019 Cardinal Bernardin "In Service of One Another" Catholic Humanitarian Award.

Funds raised from the event support the formation of future parish priests for the Archdiocese of Chicago and more than 30 other dioceses served by Mundelein Seminary.

Father John Kartje, rector of Mundelein Seminary, will bless golfers as they tee off in a scramble format at the historic Pine Meadow Golf Club. Golfers will enjoy V.I.P. treatment from the seminarians, who staff the event, as well as lunch and a $100 gift from TaylorMade. Golf contests include a "Beat the Seminarian" round.

A reception and dinner will follow beginning at 6 p.m. on the Mundelein Seminary campus. Father James Presta will receive an award honoring his dedication to and encouragement of priestly vocations throughout his ministry, as well as his more than 30 years of service as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Presta has also been a leader in seminary education and served as vice rector of formation at Mundelein Seminary for six years.

The event will also include a silent auction, raffle and guided tours of the campus grounds.

For sponsorship, donation, or ticket information, visit www.usml.edu/rectorsclassic or call (847) 970-4910.

Mundelein Seminary and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake Mundelein Seminary, located on the campus of the University of St. Mary of the Lake, is the major seminary and graduate school of theology for the formation of priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Led by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich as chancellor and Father John Kartje as rector, Mundelein Seminary educates nearly 200 seminarians from 34 dioceses across the country and around the world.

University of St. Mary of the Lake is the oldest university in the Chicago area and is composed of seven schools and institutes, all devoted to ministry formation.

University of St. Mary of the Lake serves approximately 1,000 students through its degree and certificate programs, providing initial postgraduate or ongoing formation for priests and those who collaborate with them in ministry. Its Conference Center serves 35,000 clients a year.

For information, contact Matt Paolelli, University of Saint Mary of the Lake, at (847) 970-4919 or mpaolelli@usml.edu.