ICGS Honors Two Alum as Distinguished Graduates

On Friday, January 31st, to complete the nationwide celebration of Catholic Schools Week, two graduates of Immaculate Conception Grade School in Elmhurst were honored by ICGS with the National Catholic Education Association’s Distinguished Graduate Award.  The weekly all school Mass was concelebrated by IC Pastor, Father Tom Paul, IC Parochial Vicar, Father David Mowry, and the two honorees, Father Bill Conway and Father Chuck Dahm, O.P.  Father Bill Conway, a member of the ICGS Class of 1960, currently serves as the Pastor of Divine Savior Parish in Downers Grove.  He earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Classical Languages and a Master’s degree in Classical Studies, both from Loyola University in Chicago.  After he was ordained a priest, he taught for two years at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in Elmhurst.  After studying language and culture at the University of Mexico, Father Conway returned to the Diocese of Joliet to serve St. Mary’s Parish in West Chicago and then become Pastor at St. Alexis in Bensenville, St. Mary’s in West Chicago, and Divine Savior in Downers Grove.  He served as the Director of Hispanic Ministry for the diocese for twelve years.  Father Chuck Dahm, O.P., a member of the ICGS Class of 1951, currently serves as Associate Pastor of St. Pius V Parish in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago.  Fr. Dahm earned Bachelor’s degrees in Engineering and Liberal Arts from the University of Notre Dame.  In addition, he earned a Master’s degree in Theology at Aquinas Institute and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin (Madison).  Fr. Dahm co-founded the 8th Day Center for Justice, a Catholic peace and justice center in Chicago, along with several organizations such as the Illinois Citizens for Better Care, the Chicago Religious Task Force on Central America, and the Resurrection Project, an economic development corporation.  He currently serves on the board of the San Jose Obrero Mission, as a Commissioner of the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, as the Chicago Archdiocesan Director of Domestic Violence Outreach, and as the Co-coordinator of Peace and Justice for the Dominican Order in North America.