91����

Although members of the 91���� meet three times a year to conduct the business of the College, their fall gathering takes place in a more informal setting for fellowship, study, and prayer. This year’s fall retreat, held on the last weekend in October, provided the usual opportunity for Governors to visit with one another, with students, and with members of the faculty.

The retreat began last Friday evening with Mass in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, followed by a reception for Governors, members of the faculty, and students in St. Thomas Plaza. The group then moved on to St. Joseph Commons for an all-College dinner, which featured a special guest speaker, Sr. Esther Mary Nickel, RSM, an associate professor of Sacred Liturgy and Sacramental Theology at Denver’s St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Speaking on the themes of participation and mystery, Sr. Esther observed, “In the little bit of time that I’ve had the opportunity to spend here today, I can see that there’s a great blessing on this place, and that God has visited you, and that you participate in this great mystery that is God, one in three.”

Honorees

Over the course of the dinner, President Michael F. McLean honored Governor R. James Wensley, who recently stepped down as chairman after five years of leadership. “Jim’s tenure began in the difficult weeks following President Dillon’s sudden death in Ireland,” recalled Dr. McLean. “It was a time of great sorrow and some uncertainty at the College, but Jim’s steady hand and wise counsel saw us safely through that period of transition. And I am immensely grateful for Jim’s guidance and help as I took up the office of president.”

Dr. McLean additionally thanked Mr. Wensley’s wife, Germaine, for her steadfast support of the College. “Some of you may have met the Wensleys at the West Coast Walk for Life and may know that they generously provide funding for the buses that take our students to and from San Francisco for that event,” said Dr. McLean. “The pro-life cause is dear to their hearts, a cause that Germaine, in particular, has championed for decades. The founder of California Nurses for Life, she received the Cardinal John O’Connor Award from Legatus in 2005.”

Per College custom, the evening was also an occasion to salute members of the faculty who have achieved milestone anniversaries in their time with the College. This year’s honored tutors were Dr. Kevin Kolbeck (30 years), a former dean and accreditation liaison officer; Dr. Sean Collins (20 years), a former registrar; and Dr. Brian Kelly (20 years), the College’s onetime registrar and assistant dean for student affairs, and its current dean. The president also thanked each of these tutors’ wives, whose faithful support has made their husbands’ service possible.

Finally Dr. McLean welcomed the newest member of the Board, Stephen A. Walsh. Mr. Walsh is the chief investment officer of Western Asset Management Company and a member of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, a group of 12 senior executives in the financial industry that meets quarterly with the United States Treasury Secretary and the Federal Reserve Board to advise on matters of the markets and the economy. “We are delighted that Steve has joined our Board of Governors and that he could be with us tonight,” said Dr. McLean.

“I am deeply honored to be on the Board,” Mr. Walsh told the students. “There is nothing more moving to me than seeing a young person seeking the Lord, a young person trying to practice and live their faith.”

Ora et Labora

On Saturday morning the Governors and their spouses reconvened at the Ojai Valley Inn, where chaplain Rev. Paul Raftery, O.P., offered Mass. After breakfast, the group met for a seminar, the subject of which was C. S. Lewis’s “Learning in Wartime” — a text that 91���� students discuss during their freshman orientation. Lunch followed, during which two members of the Senior Class spoke about their time at the College and their post-graduation plans. The Governors then spent the remainder of the afternoon in formal session. Chaplain Rev. Cornelius M. Buckley, S.J., offered a vigil Mass that evening, followed by dinner. The next morning the Governors met over brunch before heading home.

“Being on the Board at TAC has been the joy of my life,” reflects Mr. Wensley, the former chairman. “I could tell you how demanding it has been and how hard I have had to work, but that would be a lie. We have a board of incredible competence and dedication, whose members have made my role very easy and very personally rewarding. How I got here can only be explained by divine providence.”