Bob Jensen

Off to a Class Reunion This weekend I am attending my 40th year seminary class reunion. I attended Theological College at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. My classmates came from all around the country, though most were from the east coast. We graduated with 24 in the class. We take turns hosting our reunions. This year, it is being held in Covington, Kentucky, across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. I hosted the last reunion at the Palisade Retreat Center in Federal Way in 2018. I hear we will be spending a day at the Trappist Abbey at Gethsemane, which is home to the monk, Thomas Merton. There is also a rumor of visiting a couple bourbon distilleries. These reunions are opportunities to share where life has taken us. The seminary experience forged some strong bonds of friendship. We got through the rigors of formation through our support of one another. We continue that support through the challenges and joys of priestly ministry or whatever vocation is being lived out. A few of my classmates have left the priesthood and gotten married. This will be the first reunion with spouses. We continue to accompany one another on the journey of faith. I am sure one topic for discussion is the restructuring of parishes that many dioceses have started and which we are just beginning. In fact, our process is modeled on Cincinnati. I am grateful for Fr. Dave Rogerson, who is presiding at the Masses this weekend. I have known Fr. Dave since I was in high school. I will have to bring back a bottle of bourbon for him, or maybe a book by Thomas Merton. Which will he prefer? I’ll keep his second choice.Off to a Class Reunion This weekend I am attending my 40th year seminary class reunion. I attended Theological College at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. My classmates came from all around the country, though most were from the east coast. We graduated with 24 in the class. We take turns hosting our reunions. This year, it is being held in Covington, Kentucky, across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. I hosted the last reunion at the Palisade Retreat Center in Federal Way in 2018. I hear we will be spending a day at the Trappist Abbey at Gethsemane, which is home to the monk, Thomas Merton. There is also a rumor of visiting a couple bourbon distilleries. These reunions are opportunities to share where life has taken us. The seminary experience forged some strong bonds of friendship. We got through the rigors of formation through our support of one another. We continue that support through the challenges and joys of priestly ministry or whatever vocation is being lived out. A few of my classmates have left the priesthood and gotten married. This will be the first reunion with spouses. We continue to accompany one another on the journey of faith. I am sure one topic for discussion is the restructuring of parishes that many dioceses have started and which we are just beginning. In fact, our process is modeled on Cincinnati. I am grateful for Fr. Dave Rogerson, who is presiding at the Masses this weekend. I have known Fr. Dave since I was in high school. I will have to bring back a bottle of bourbon for him, or maybe a book by Thomas Merton. Which will he prefer? I’ll keep his second choice.