Here I Am; Send Me
Ravens Answering the Calling
Benedictine College has long been a feeder school for religious vocations, and that reputation has only increased in recent years. Here are just a few notes about Raven religious making an impact for the faith in 2020.
Mother M. Mediatrix Bexten, FSGM ’97
Mother M. Mediatrix (Leah) Bexten, FSGM ’97 (center) was recently elected to a six-year term as Provincial Superior of the St. Elizabeth Provence of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, Il. A member of a huge Raven extended family, which includes her sister, Kristen ’93, and many cousins, Mother Mediatrix found her vocation while studying at Benedictine, and made her first vows on August 15, 2001.
“Benedictine was a great place of formation for me,” Mother Mediatrix told The Catholic Missourian. “In a lot of ways, I learned the content of our faith. I was in a better position to encounter Jesus willfully and to desire that undivided relationship with him.”
Father Zachary Tucker ’12
Father Zachary Tucker ’12 was ordained to the priesthood this spring for the Archdiocese of Omaha. A criminology major at Benedictine, Father Tucker served as a missionary with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) before entering the seminary. Benedictine College was the first FOCUS campus in the United States, and continues to host FOCUS missionaries every year.
“The Lord was working in my heart,” Father Tucker told the Catholic Voice. “There was no lightning bolt-St. Paul moment. Just a lot of peace and joy in accepting the call.”
Father Robert Healey ’12 and Father Jon Fincher ’15
Father Robert Healey ’12 and Father Jon Fincher ’15 were recently ordained to the priesthood for the diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“During my freshman year at Benedictine College, I met the person of Jesus Christ,” Father Fincher recently told the Eastern Oklahoma Catholic. “I started to learn how to pray, and I began attending daily Mass. It was through these moments of friendship with Christ that I began to be more open to the priesthood.”
Father Healey remembers thinking about the priesthood as a small boy, but says, “It was not until I was at Benedictine College that I experienced the call to the priesthood as more than a hopeful future possibility, as a call to action. My heart was opened to the idea of the priesthood through a regular sacramental life, praying the rosary and spending time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.”
Father Paul Clark ’08
When he was a student at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, he helped American Bald eagles soar into the blue skies of Kansas as a biology major participating in an Army Corps of Engineers project. Now, Father Paul Clark ’08 has been named the new Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo. He started July 1.
“There were opportunities for me to give of myself and serve others, as well as figuring out how to let others support me in return” at Benedictine, he said. “I do believe each person I encountered in the Benedictine community has taught me something about fostering authentic relationships, based on the good of others and directed to the glory of God.”
Deacon Jody Madden ’00 and Deacon Justin Reuter ’05
Deacon Jody Madden was ordained to the permanent deaconate for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas on June 20, 2020. A long-time teacher and catechist in the archdiocese, Deacon Jody and his wife of 21 years, Cassie, are the parents of Benedictine College sophomore, Kolbe Madden, and nine other children. Jody is the director of faith formation at St. Bernard Parish in Wamego.
Joining Deacon Jody in this year’s class in Kansas City in Kansas is Deacon Justin Reuter ’05. Deacon Justin has served for almost 14 years with the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his wife, Ashley, have two children. Deacon Justin begins his ministry at Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe, as well as through the archdiocesan “My House” initiative.
