Small world: Peruvian visitor meets old teacher at Abbey

Prof. John Stoll, one of the main organizers and hosts for the visit this month by five faculty members from Tumbes University in Peru, shares a nice story:
“This past Sunday we had arranged Mass at St. Norbert Abbey to be followed by a tour and lunch at the Abbey dining room.  When I had contacted the Abbey I was told that one of their members had been in Peru (mostly in the Amazon region) for 30 years and was now back in residence.  I asked if he could join us to speak with our guests and talk about the missions of the Norbertines in Peru.  His name was Fr. Fenzel.” (Here’s where a retelling of the story demands an explanation that Peru is a moderately populous nation, of about 30 million citizens.) After Catholic services, the Tumbes visitors began their tour and were joined in progress by Fr. Fenzel. Says Stoll, “When he walked in the room and we were about to start introductions, John Sandoval (a member of the Tumbes delegation) immediately stopped us and said “Father Fenzel, do you remember me?”  It turned out that Father Fenzel had been John’s geometry teacher and basketball coach when the latter was a Catholic school student in his youth, in Peru.  This was very touching for both and made for much conversation over the next several hours.”

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