Instead of being just a Church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a Church that finds new roads, that is able to step outside itself and go to those who do not attend Mass, to those who have quit or are indifferent.

Pope Francis

Fr. Charles Klamut

Fr. Charles was ordained in 1999 and spent many years working with young people as a high school teacher and chaplain.

He continued working in parish ministry as pastor of St Mark's in Peoria, Illinois and later in campus ministry as chaplain at St John's Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

Currently he is pastor of the St. Ambrose Parish in Milan, Illinois and is also on a three-chaplain team for Alleman high school.

Fr Charles is a gifted guitar player and writer with two of his better known short essays being; "That Man Is Me" and "Beauty: A Necessity, Not a Luxury". Brandon Voght, content director for Fr. Barron's Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, made the following comment regarding the latter essay: "Probably the best article I've ever read on beauty. By harmonizing Giussani, von Balthasar, Ratzinger, and John Paul II you produced a symphony. Thanks so much, Father!"