About this Event
The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture warmly invites you to its 60th Anniversary Award of Excellence Dinner honoring the 2026 Person of the Year -- Fr. Jaunius Kelpšas -- Pastor, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Marquette Park, Chicago, on Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 5:30 p.m in the Amber Ballroom of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago IL 60629.
Each year, the Museum recognizes exceptional individuals whose talents, efforts, and achievements have made significant contributions to society. This award is the highest and longest-standing civic honor of its kind outside Lithuania. Previous honorees include civic leaders, artists, physicians, scholars, diplomats, and two Lithuanian presidents.
This year, the Museum honors Father Kelpšas for his pastoral service, his commitment to the Lithuanian-American community, and his efforts to preserve the traditions, values, and sense of belonging that connect Lithuanian Americans to their ancestral homeland. Under his leadership, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish remains one of the most significant centers of Lithuanian religious and cultural life in the United States.
Rev. Jaunius Kelpšas was born on October 13, 1960, in Kaltinėnai, Lithuania. He spent his youth in Garliava, graduating from Garliava II High School. In 1988, he entered the Kaunas Inter-Diocesan Seminary, then earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from Vytautas Magnus University before being ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1994. Following his ordination, Rev. Kelpšas was assigned as Vicar of St. Casimir’s Parish in Alytus. Over the next several years, he served as Vicar of the Parish of the Guardian Angels in Alytus, followed by the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Ūdrija. Alongside his parish duties, he also served as chaplain at the Alytus High-Security Pr*son until the summer of 2000, when he relocated to the United States. From July 2000 to July 2010, Rev. Kelpšas served as Vicar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Chicago. From 2003 to 2009, he was an active member of the Council of the Lithuanian American Community.
In July 2010, the Archbishop of Chicago appointed him pastor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Marquette Park, where he ministers to this day. In addition to his pastoral duties, he serves as a Board Member of the Council for Religious Affairs of the Lithuanian American Community and the Chairman of the Lithuanian Catholic Priests’ League of America. As pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Father Kelpšas has succeeded in sustaining a historic Lithuanian-American church that embraces three distinct waves of Lithuanian immigrants and their descendant while ministering to the surrounding, ethnically diverse neighborhood. Through his leadership and his involvement in Chicago’s broader Catholic community, Father Kelpšas continues to strengthen the bonds of faith, belonging, and shared community life that unite people across generations and cultural backgrounds. For his efforts and example, the Balzekas Museum Board of Directors selected Father Kelpšas for the 2026 Award Excellence.
This year’s Award Dinner is especially celebratory as it marks the 60th year since the Museum’s founding. Attendees will have an opportunity to enjoy live music and dancing and to preview highlights from the Museum's collection of fine art. Event proceeds support Museum programs and activities. Everyone is warmly invited to attend!
Event venue & nearby stays
BALZEKAS MUSEUM OF LITHUANIAN CULTURE, 6500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, United States
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