MARKELZ, O.Carm., Carl

Biography:

A native of Joliet, Illinois, Fr. Carl graduated from JCHS in 1980, where he met the Carmelites during his high school years. He observed that the Carmelites who served at Joliet Catholic appeared to be normal men who seemed to get along and enjoyed serving the Church. He decided to join then as he lived in the Pre-Novitiate community at Loyola University Chicago for three of his four years in college and received a Bachelor’s Degree is Business Administration in 1984.

Fr. Carl then joined the Carmelites and entered the Novitiate in Middletown, NY. After the novitiate year he did an internship at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, IL, from 1985-87. He then studied theology in Washington, DC and received a Master’s Degree in Moral Theology from the Washington Theological Union. Fr. Carl professed his solemn vows in 1989 and was ordained a priest at St. Gelasius Church in 1991.

His first assignment was at Crespi Carmelite High School from 1991-96. While at Crespi he achieved a Master’s Degree in Private School Administration from the University of San Francisco. He then accepted the position of President / Principal at Mount Carmel High School Chicago from 1996 – 2011. He was then elected Prior Provincial until the 2013 General Chapter, where he was elected General Bursar of the Order. He returned to the province in 2017, serving as Vice-Provincial until 2020, when he was elected Prior Provincial. He currently serves in that position today.

Carmelite Life has brought Fr. Carl much joy and excitement, along with the challenge of leadership, especially when dealing with the human issues of the province.