Sabbatical Page

Mother Kathleen's Sabbatical Page

We are blessed and very thankful that St. Barnabas has been awarded a Lily Grant to fully fund Mother Kathleen's sabbatical which will be the first three months of 2007. She will be going to Mexico to study the Spanish language and Mexican culture in an "immersion" setting, living with a Mexican family, speaking only Spanish, exploring cultural activities and even learning scuba diving. She will spend time in Cuernavaca and Playa del Carmen in studies and will also be joining up with her family, John and Aurora, in Cabo San Lucas for some recreation time. Mother Kathleen will also spend some time in retreat before the sabbatical and will finish up with a couple of weeks in New Mexico.

The Lily grant also provides funding for St Barnabas in Mother Kathleen's absence for a supply priest (Mother Mary Ellen Ashcroft) and renewal activities. A "fiesta" sendoff party was held on New Years Eve, 2006 and a great time was had by all.

UPDATE:

Sunday, March 25

Mother Kathleen is in Lake City, Colorado once again at the Pilgrims Rest retreat with her friends, Rev. Ed and Mary Nettleton. She returned to the United States on March 20 - a delay of 3 days due to overbooked flights from Cancun, Mexico. She was "forced" to stay 3 days at the Royal Cancun resort while waiting for her rescheduled flight. It was tough but Mother Kathleen handled it. She spent a few days in New Mexico and now will most likely stay in Lake City resting and writing until she returns to Kalamazoo on March 31st.

Saturday, March 3

Mother Kathleen is in the second phase of her "immersion" Spanish now. She had planned to be staying with a Mexican family in Playa del Carmen but has opted to stay right at the school (International House). Today, she is on an outing with her class, snorkeling on the reef at Cozumel in 85 degree temperatures. She also has opted out of doing the scuba training due to an old eardrum injury that she didn't want to risk having problems with. From Feb 9 - 16 Mother Kathleen was in Cabo San Lucas (at the tip of the Baja Peninsula) with John and Aurora and then spent a nice 10 days with just John at the Riu Yucatan resort in Playacar. She and John spent some time touring the area, visiting Tulum and Chitchen Itza (Mayan ruins), snorkeling and also taking in the wonderful show about Mexico at Xcaret. John returned to the snows of Michigan on March 25.

Monday, Jan 8

Mother Kathleen is IN Cuernavaca now. She is staying with the Rodriguez family. Father Mark, Mother Evelia, Grandmother Elvia, 12 year old Brenda, 6 year old Marco and 4 year old Roberto and the dog Vladimir. She has her own "suite" in their home with a private bathroom and place to sit and pray/knit/study. The Rodriguez home is right across the street from the Institute for Spanish Studies so it is very easy for MK+ to go back and forth. Mother Kathleen likes the school and is already hard at work at her Spanish studies with classes from 9am to 3pm. She is happy to report all her luggage made it there too.

Photos:

Cuernavaca, Cabo San Lucas and Playa del Carmen