Bob Jensen

As I begin my time with you as your pastor, I am focused on getting to know you and how you do things. I sometimes forget that you probably also want to get to know me.   Let me tell you a bit about my family. My dad was born in Nebraska and his family were farmers. But they were going broke. One year it would be draught, another year pestilence, another year flood. They finally loaded everything they had on a pickup truck and headed to California looking for work.  Not finding anything there they heard the timber industry in the northwest was hiring, and they came to Washington.  My mom was born here in Washington.  Her parents were from Iowa and her dad moved west, working on the railroad.

My parents met while they were in high school in the Longview/Kelso area. They just celebrated their 69^th wedding anniversary! My dad worked for Weyerhaeuser and my mom, when the children were older, worked for the school district. There were six of us children growing up in Longview. I am the second (or, as I like to describe it – the first born male).  At first, mom kept everything even: girl, boy, girl boy. Then in her 40’s she had twin girls and threw everything off, casting us boys in the minority. I have ten nieces and nephews and two grandnephews. Like most families, some are active Catholics, one is active in another denomination, a couple are sporadic and one struggles with faith.

Until last December my parents lived independently.  Ten years ago they sold the family home in Longview and moved to Sumner.  When looking for a new residence they had two requirements: being able to walk to church and walk to Fred Meyers. And they found the perfect spot near St. Andrew’s. They were also closer to the twins who lived in Puyallup and Bonney Lake. Not only did they reach to decision to downsize and move on their own, a few years later they decided on their own that it was time to give up the car. I think my parents are pretty amazing.

In December, my dad, at age 90, was beginning to have some health issues and needed more assistance.  My older sister who was living in Florida had just retired from the medical field and was in the process of building a new house with a “mother-in-law suite.”  She graciously opened her home and we moved the folks to Florida.   There have been a few hospital trips and numerous doctor office visits. My younger siblings and I are trying to find ways to support my older sister, taking turns going to Florida to give her and her family a break. As the youngest in her family, my mom cared for many family members in the latter years. We tell her that she trained us too well and now it’s our turn to care for them. It is still difficult for them to give up their independence.  I hope to be able to go down in October or November to see them and give a hand to my sister.

“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you”   goes the Rodgers and Hammerstein song in the King and I from 1951.   St. John the Baptist Catholic Community is such an active parish with so many ministries, getting to know everyone seems like a daunting task... at least one that will take a bit of time.  These first couple of weeks I am spending time with your marvelous staff to get to know them more and understand the scope of their ministries.  It is very impressive. I’ll then be moving on the try to meet with the parish councils and commissions (at least with those meeting over the summer.)  Then there are the 80 + committees and ministry groups.  And finally, there is each of the near 1200 families. Yes, it will take a while as we emerge from Covid restrictions.

One thing I thought I would try is small, Saturday evening dinner gatherings. If you have a small parish ministry group, or have a group of three or four parish families; are all vaccinated; and would like to provide a simple meal, send me an e-mail and we could schedule something after the vigil Mass. Preferably we could meet outside at a parishioner’s home or possibly gather on the parish campus.

While the first line of that song seems challenging, the second line is much easier:  Getting to like you. You have a wonderful parish community, and I am glad to be joining you.

Fr. Bill

I would like to share with you a little vita for you to get to know me.  I was born in Longview, Washington, the second of six children.  I like to remind my siblings that I am the first born male and in the old days I would have gotten everything!  I now have ten nieces and nephews and even a couple grand nephews. I attended St. Rose parish and went through the parish school for eight years.  I was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.  In my junior high years I was impressed by a young priest assigned to our parish and I began thinking about priesthood.  As was the custom back then, I went to a high school seminary where I developed great study habits and leadership qualities. When I graduated from high school, I was still interested in the priesthood, but wanted a more rounded experience. I left the seminary and attended Seattle University. After a couple of years, with tuition going up and financial aid going down, I transferred to the University of Washington where I majored in Literature. I thought I got the best of both worlds: a small Catholic college and a major university. After college, I re-applied to the archdiocese and entered the seminary at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. It was a great time, being taught by such giants as Fr. Avery Dulles and Elizabeth Johnson. It was also exciting being in the nation’s capital.  I was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Seattle in 1983 and have served at St. Patrick, Tacoma; St. Louise, Bellevue; Sacred Heart, Battle Ground; St. John the Evangelist, Seattle; and St. Vincent de Paul, Federal Way. (Gosh, I must be old!) I also served for about ten years as the director of deacon formation for the archdiocese.  Early on in my ministry I came to realize that my education was very strong in theology, but rather weak in spirituality. Archbishop Hunthausen gave me permission to go back to school where I received a Master in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. I like to define being a pastor as being a spiritual director of a community. Where is the Spirit leading us?  How are we responding? As I begin my pastorate with you I look forward to discovering how the Spirit is active here at St. John the Baptist.

I have always been amazed to watch my parents dance.  Now in their 90’s they no longer waltz, but when they were younger, they gracefully moved as one across the dance floor.    Their seemingly effortless movement probably took years to master.  And they probably had a lot of fun practicing.     As I join the St. John the Baptist community as your new pastor, it’s like becoming new dance partners.  It will take a while to learn the dance we begin.  And a few toes might be inadvertently stepped on at first.    This dance can be a bit complicated since neither you nor I take the lead.  The Holy Spirit needs to be the one guiding us.  The music that moves us is the Lord’s love and mercy he bestows on each of us.   I may be a bit clumsy at first.  I may step on your toes (do let me know if that happens).  But let’s also have a lot of fun as we learn to move together in this dance we call the Christian Faith.

I guess this is my final pastor’s column for the bulletin. As I reminisce about my nineteen years of shepherding the flock of St. John the Baptist parish my heart is filled with gratitude. I have received so many blessings. When asked to come here back in early 2002 I did not hesitate to say yes. I knew that this parish was built on the principles of stewardship. I knew that Fr. Jack who was a year ahead of me in the seminary was a fine priest and pastor. I feel privileged to stand on his shoulders and those of the initial members of this community. Although there have been wonderful high points in our history such as our twenty fifth anniversary and the burning of the mortgage, my favorite part of being your pastor is the relationships I have fostered with so many of you over the years. You, with the help of the Holy Spirit have made this parish what it is today. I’m looking forward to being a part of the parish in a different way as time goes on. Fr. Bill McKee is a true servant leader with so many wonderful gifts. Welcome him as you welcomed me. I will continue to live three minutes away from the parish. See elsewhere in this bulletin my address, my cell phone number, and my email address. Take care and may the Lord bless you in every way. I love you!

 

As I wind down my tenure here as your pastor I can’t help but be deeply grateful for the relationships that have come about over the years. I especially am thankful for the pastoral staff, especially the present group, who have served our community so faithfully for many years. I would need several pastor columns to speak of each of them separately. Suffice it to say that they have always had your welfare at heart in all they do. They aren’t in it for the money, believe me. Each of them expresses stewardship as a way of life and they practice it. I have come to realize that they will be friends for life. Fr. Bill is inheriting a real treasure. Take the time to thank them. I most certainly do.