Jesuit To Lead Chicago Parish

A philosophy professor who spent 23 years ministering to the poor in a squatter settlement in Peru has been named pastor of a newly formed Roman Catholic parish in Waukegan.

The Rev. Daniel Hartnett, a Jesuit faculty member in the Department of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, will lead a new parish composed of the formerly separate parishes of Holy Family and Immaculate Conception in Waukegan and Queen of Peace in North Chicago, beginning July 1.

The Rev. Daniel Hartnett, 61, a native of Chicago, has been a central figure in social justice projects at Loyola University and across the nation. He created a graduate course, Justice Conceived and Practiced, and has organized numerous justice conferences and symposia, bringing together religious leaders from different faiths to discuss justice within their traditions.

He also organized a national conference on foreign debt reduction and mission immersion programs in which Loyola students and staff travel to Mexico and East Africa.

Founder of the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of Peru, where he also pastored El Agostino parish in Lima. Hartnett currently serves as rector of the Loyola University Jesuit community and is also superior of Ignatius House, a Chicago residence for Jesuits.

Rev. Edward Schmidt, provincial of the Jesuit's Chicago Province, said Hartnett's "heart really lies with serving as a pastor among God's people.

"He now brings his generous heart and energy and care to the people of Waukegan and North Chicago," Schmidt said. "I am happy to mission our brother to this new work for God's people."

The Rev. Gary Graf, Holy Family's pastor, was appointed to lead all three parishes in 2006 and oversaw consolidation of staff and services in 2007. Cardinal Francis George asked Graf "to create a model for a new Catholic presence in Waukegan," said Jean Welter, the archdiocesan director of research and planning.

Link (here)