Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck
7:45 p.m. Friday | Meet & Greet
1:30 p.m. Saturday | “Living a Eucharistic Life”
Father Chase Hilgenbrinck hails from the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, area where he grew up serving as an altar boy at Holy Trinity Parish in Bloomington. He was also a very gifted athlete.
He made the United States Under 17 National Team in high school and was named a high school All-American before moving on to play at Clemson University. While at Clemson, he was a four-year starter – helping the Tigers to the 2001 ACC Championship and four NCCAA Tournament berths including two Elite Eight appearances.
After graduating in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and international trade, he signed with the Chilean first team division soccer league. On a second division club in 2006, he helped the team achieve promotion to Chile’s top flight while winning the league title. He played the 2007 season in the first division while completing his fourth and final year in the Chilean league. In two of those years, he was selected the league’s most valuable player at the left full-back position. He also spent time with the Colorado Rapids and played for the New England Revolution in the United States Major League Soccer.
Yet he left this successful career as an athlete behind to become a Catholic priest – putting his love for God ahead of his love of soccer.
He was ordained for the Diocese of Peoria by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky on May 24, 2014. After ordination he served as a parochial vicar at parishes in Moline and Silvis, Illinois, as well as chaplain at Alleman High School in Rock Island. In 2016, he became the assistant chaplain at the St. John Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the nation’s largest Newman Center.
Father Hilgenbrinck now mentors the Newman Hall resident advisor team and serves as the spiritual leader for the Koinonia and freshman retreat programs. He also helps to lead and mentor student-athletes participating in the Catholic Illini Athletic Intramural teams.
While his life has been filled with many incredible experiences as a professional athlete, there has been nothing in his life that has been as rewarding as serving God and His people as a Roman Catholic priest.
