Travels with a Burnt Out Do Gooder

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Another Element of Complexity:

It started with my sailing club in Queens, NY. There I met Bob, an ex Catholic seminarian who, when he found out about my trip to Vietnam with a priest, told me to look up a former seminary classmate, Julio, who is in Vietnam, but in recent years has stopped attending the class's annual reunion. Julio did become a priest, first a Maryknoll missionary assigned to Vietnam, and then a Jesuit who stayed there; 40 years in fact, working with Loyola University that is affiliated with a nurse training program there.

"Look him up," Bob said. But he didn't have Julio's contact info. So I had to contact another ex seminarian, Steve, who had all the dope. I emailed Julio advsing him that Fr. Luke said I only had a tiny window of one specific day to visit with him. Lo and behold, he emailed back promptly, providing all the details I would need to meet him on the designated day, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. I forwarded the info to Luke to let him worry about.

I find it strange to be surrounded by priests; quite an irony for someone who's practice of Catholicism was nil for most of her adult life. In the last few years I've leaned increasingly toward Buddhist principals. I told Father Luke this when we first spoke. Since then I started attending Sunday mass as much as I can. Perhaps I'm edging toward Catholic-very-lite.

Luke's story is fascinating itself. A refugee From Vietnam at 24, he was a Buddhist, from a Buddhist family. But at 29 he converted to Catholicism. He became a successful computer programmer. But at 39 he sold his property (a couple houses I understand) to enter the seminary. Since then he has been at a parish neighboring for the past 15 years. Sidenote: His parents have converted to Catholicism as well!

And me? Just muddling along to see what I can see. Like Bobby Shaftoe

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