Fr. Jerry Gunderson

jgunderson@stpatrick-lakeforest.org

​

I am the middle child of a welder and a pre-school teacher raised on the far south side of Chicago (95th St.). I have four siblings: an older sister and brother and two younger brothers and 11 nieces and nephews.  I attended the Archdiocesan Seminaries and was ordained by Cardinal Cody in 1976. My priesthood assignments took me from the West Side (St. Agatha) to the near South Side of Chicago. (St. James, Wabash) both predominantly African American Parishes. Later I served in the southwest and northwest suburbs (Riverside and Park Ridge).  Just about the only part of the Archdiocese in which I have not previously served till now is Lake County. I am happy to be here.

 

Since my own retirement in 2020 I established “Friends of Chikwa Parish NFP.” Chikwa is a remote area in Eastern Zambia. Fr. Wilfred, its pastor, and a dear friend, was commissioned by the bishop in 2014 to establish a new parish. He was literally assigned to the “bush” with very limited resources. We developed a partnership between our parishes and with World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization that works around the world.  Continuing this partnership has enabled Fr. Wilfred to not only build a church, a school, and a health clinic, but also to bring clean water and electricity to the area. In August I will travel to Zambia to attend the dedication of the church.

 

For the past year I have served as the Cardinal’s representative on the Board of the Illinois Patrons of the Arts of the Vatican Museums. The Illinois Patrons are an active group sponsoring educational activities that connect art and faith and fundraising for the restoration of the Vatican’s artworks.

 

Since 2021 I have also served part-time as recording secretary of the Diocesan Priests’ Placement Board (PPB). The PPB recommends to the Cardinal the placement of pastors and associate pastors throughout the Archdiocese. It is a daunting task to allocate limited priest personal when deaths and retirements outpace vocations and ordinations!  

​

The well-deserved retirement of Msgr. Dempsey created a need at St. Patrick. To be honest, I volunteered to offer my service for a limited time until a plan can be developed for the future of the parish. I do not have a plan but am willing to accompany all of you until the plan can be discerned.

 

I enjoy nature, cooking, hiking, biking, traveling, and reading.  Together with a priest friend and travel mate I climbed a dozen mountains over 14,000 feet in Colorado. I have been blessed with good health and energy for which I am grateful. I look forward to preaching and presiding at St. Patrick with the weekend priests, Fr. Hennessey, Fr. Franzman, and Fr. Webb.

 

Let me close by borrowing a famous line from Jesus, “I am among you as one who serves.”