Why I remain a Catholic: Father Wayne Jenkins

I was not in a good mood when I went to Mass this weekend. Feeling sorry for myself (for no good reason), I entered Holy Trinity Church focused on myself, not on God or anyone else.

Once inside, I saw Father Wayne Jenkins, a retired diocesan priest who lives at our parish and “helps out” with daily and weekend liturgies and other ministries as needed. When our former pastor, Mark Spalding, was appointed Bishop of Nashville, Father Wayne stepped out of retirement to serve as our Acting Pastor.  Not one to simply coast, Father Wayne gave his all to this assignment, becoming fully engaged in meeting the pastoral needs of our very active parish. Then, when the new pastor, Father Bill Bowling, was installed many months later, Father Wayne quietly stepped down and returned to his former role as a humble priest in residence.

When I saw Father Wayne in church right before Mass, my mood shifted. I let go of whatever negativity was hanging over me and my spirits were lifted. Why?

Good Priests are a real blessing. Way too much attention has been paid to the few rotten apples who have spoiled the barrell when we ought to be rejoicing in the pastoral presence of good priests like Father Wayne. The way he celebrates Mass is prayerful but not excessively devout. His homilies are outstanding, not because they are brilliant theological reflections but because he speaks from the heart in plain language always with a message you can remember and take home with you.

This weekend Father Wayne shared his reflections on the Gospel story of the Lord’s Transfiguration (Lk 9:28b-36).  He offered us a simple illustration from his own life of what it’s like to experience the extraordinary presence of God in the midst of our ordinary lives. He shared with us his deep faith in the transformative power of God’s love and mercy—even in the face of the great sorrow that all disciples of Jesus are called to witness in the Lord’s passion and death on a cross.

When his homily was finished, Father Wayne welcomed an adult man, a husband and father, into full communion with the Catholic Church. With just a simple profession of faith, followed by the Sacrament of Confirmation, a new member joined his family, and our parish community, in full Eucharistic communion.  What a powerful witness in these troubled times! When too many of us are racked with doubt and uncertainty, this newcomer confidently pledges his fidelity to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church!

It was fitting that Father Wayne was the one who received our new parishioner in the name of the whole Church. I’ve described Father Wayne as “a humble priest in residence.” By humble, I mean “down to earth.” He is clearly one of us, a man with faults like all of us, who seeks God in the everyday circumstances of life and who strives to become better, more faithful, in fulfilling the promises he made at baptism and in his priestly ordination. As he shares with us his struggles—and his joys—we have the opportunity to be transfigured, to reflect the glory to which we are called as women and men who follow Jesus and who learn much from the words and example of good priests like Wayne Jenkins.

In the Archdiocese of Louisville, and especially at Holy Trinity Parish, we are blessed with good, holy priests. We should thank God for them, pray for them, rejoice in them! Priests like Father Wayne  have given their whole lives to help us remain faithful to our baptismal promises. Their priestly ministry is a gift of inestimable value, a treasure we should cherish out of gratitude and respect.

Father Wayne Jenkins is one of many reasons that I choose to remain a member of the Catholic Church. May God continue to bless him in his humble, but very powerful, priestly ministry.