Sheil
News
New Director & Chaplain Appointed
to Sheil Catholic Center
March 31, 2008
Greetings to the Sheil Community!
I'm Fr. John Kartje (rhymes with "Archie"), and
it's with real joy that I introduce myself to you. As some
of you know, I have been asked by Cardinal George to serve
as the Chaplain/Director at Sheil beginning next summer.
I couldn't be happier to be joining you. I well remember
treks up the lake shore during my student days (at that
"other" university on the lake, in south Chicago)
to attend your great liturgies. I'm impressed and amazed
as I continue to learn more about what Fr. Ken, Fr. Tom,
Mary Deeley, and all the pastoral ministers and associates
have established at Sheil. It's a privilege to be able to
share in that ministry and to help advance Sheil in its
ongoing mission to be the presence of the Catholic Church
within the Northwestern University community.
My own spiritual journey was guided by some wonderful campus
ministers whom I was blessed to know during college and
graduate school. I look forward to helping you discern the
spiritual choices before you and the many life paths along
which God invites us. Sheil's pastoral service to the students
and faculty will always remain the foundation of its ministry.
For the past few years I've been at Catholic University
in Washington pursuing a degree in Biblical Studies and
I'm excited to be able to share my passion for scripture
with you and to join in with the excellent programs for
biblical study and prayer that Sheil provides. I am also
heartened to see the wonderful initiatives for Catholic
scholarship that are being developed within the university.
It is my deep hope that we will be able to strengthen and
broaden that focus in the future.
Finally, I can't tell you how eager I am to once again
go running along the shores of Lake Michigan! The Potomac
is nice, but it can't compare. I know it might seem like
June of 2009 is a long ways off, but time passes quickly.
I plan to make several trips out to Sheil in the coming
year and I look forward to getting to meet as many of you
as I can.
Above all, please keep me in your prayers, and be assured
that you remain in mine. For those of you graduating this
year, God bless you on your journey. For those returning
in coming years, I wish you a safe and happy summer, and
I'll be seeing you before too long.
Peace,
Fr. John
