By Rev. Michael Wensing

A RUN BEGINS WHEN YOU FORGET YOU ARE RUNNING. This year I left a beloved parish in response to a summons through my bishop from the board of governing bishops of the Pontifical North American College to go to Rome to be the new director of the Sabbatical program for American and other English speaking priests as well as adjunct faculty member at the seminary. Three times I have been pulled out of my first love and calling to parish life to serve for a period of time in the larger church; once as diocesan vocations director, another time as a seminary professor and now this assignment for three to five years.

I regard the parish as the “family farm” of the larger church. That is, it is the field of...