2024 Gala Honoree: Rev. William Lego, O.S.A.

The 2024 Augustinian Gala will honor Rev. William Lego, O.S.A., for his years of service to the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel as a missionary, pastor, treasurer, Prior Provincial, and a friend to many in the community, especially at St. Turibius Parish, where he has served as Pastor for over a decade.

Fr. Bill was born in Chicago on March 13, 1955, to Edward and Eugenia Lego, and was baptized at St. Hedwig Church and later confirmed at St. James Church in Chicago. After graduating from St. James Catholic School, Fr. Bill entered St. Augustine High School Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and graduated in 1973.

He joined the Augustinian formation program at Villanova University in PA where he earned a B.A. in sociology in 1977. In the same year, he entered the Augustinian Novitiate and professed temporary vows in the Order of St. Augustine in 1978 and solemn (permanent) vows in 1981.

He earned an M.Div. in 1982 from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. After ordination as a deacon in 1982, he went to the Augustinian Missions in Santo Domingo, Peru, to serve his deacon internship. On April 30, 1983, at the age of 28, Fr. Bill was ordained a Priest in Chicago.

Shortly after ordination, Fr. Bill returned to Peru where he ministered for the next 10 years. For two of those years, he was Vicar for Finances for the Diocese of Chulucanas and afterwards worked in formation studies and parish ministry.

In 1993, Fr. Bill returned to the United States and for a short time was Associate Pastor at both St. Rita and St. Clare of Montefalco parishes. In 1995, he was named Pastor of St. Rita Parish in Chicago until 2003 when he was elected Treasurer of the Augustinian Province and a member of the Province Council – two positions he held until his election as Provincial in 2006.

After completing his term of office as Prior Provincial, Fr. Bill served as Administrator of St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish, Chicago. He was appointed Associate Pastor of St. Turibius Parish, Chicago, in January, 2011 and became Pastor of St. Turibius in July, 2011.

Kathy DeStefano, Parish Secretary at St. Turibius, has had the opportunity to work closely with Fr. Bill for many years and has developed a friendship with him.

“All our parishioners love him,” says DeStefano. “St. Turibius Parish is a tri-lingual parish. We have a Polish community, and English community, and a Hispanic community. Fr. Bill has brought all communities together as one.”

She speaks fondly of Fr. Bill – as do many others in his parish. “Fr. Bill has a ‘can-do’ attitude while taking on the daily tasks with a positive attitude and will drop anything if it is that important with business and any personal matters,” she says. “I honestly don’t know where I would be right now without Fr. Bill. He and the Augustinians have helped me and have always been there for me, in happy times and in bad times.”

Fr. Bill continues to serve the community of St. Turibius parish, in addition to serving on the Provincial Council. He was made Personnel Director of the Province in Dec 2020, and Vicar for Parishes in Aug 2022.

Fr. Bill exemplifies the Augustinian charism of “community” in his work now, as he has through the entirety of his journey as an Augustinian friar, priest, and leader. We are overjoyed to be able to honor him in this public way at the 2024 Augustinian Gala.

Thank you, Fr. Bill.