APRIL 2021
Jennifer Kluge: And I’m lucky to find them. I just feel so blessed. I keep giving all credit to the Holy Spirit for leading me to this opportunity.
ND: I understand that you’re pursuing a doctorate right now, related to Christian initiation?
Jennifer Kluge: Yes, my dissertation focuses on the Restored Order of Initiation. I currently have a survey in the field interviewing pastors in the 13 dioceses that have already implemented the Restored Order. Te goal of the dissertation is to provide guidance and framework of how to practically address the challenges of post-initiation catechesis and formation, which is the challenge. Pope Francis already bemoans Confirmation as the sacrament of graduation. So, to be blunt, if we’re cutting students loose in 3rd grade versus 8th grade, 9th, or 10th, where is the carrot to keep them in religious education? Te challenge is that many parents no longer see themselves as the primary teachers and modelers of faith, and I’m researching how we reconcile that? I understand why, from a practical perspective, dioceses have decided to stay with the normative order, but from a theological and historical perspective, the Restored Order is what I believe we should use. When I started thinking about my dissertation, I had focused on mystagogy. Ten, when I learned my sister’s diocese [Manchester, NH] was moving to the Restored Order, the Holy Spirit led me to hone my topic to the Restored Order!
ND: What are your plans for NPM? Is there a project that you’re focusing on right now?
Jennifer Kluge: I feel like I have about 12 irons in the fire at the moment. Certainly, we’re looking ahead towards the summer for our national convention in New Orleans. We’re really excited about our new program—Skill Builders—in Reno, Nevada. Tat’s an opportunity for ensemble players, guitarists, pianists, cantors, and choir members to come out to Reno and have an intensive learning experience. We’re coupling it with the Essentials of Catholic Liturgy, so there will be a theological and liturgical component, and then a musical skills development piece as well. And of course, we’ll be in Reno, so there will be plenty of time for fellowship, too! One of the new things we’ve
rolled out for 2021 is our operational and ministerial Forums, which are entirely member-led. Te idea behind the Forums is that those member leaders will be partnering with the national staff to build various areas that we really need help in. For example, one of the operational Forums is Finance and Development, to make sure we follow best practices, to help us be better stewards of our resources, to think about ways that we can attract new donors and new friends to support NPM. Tat’s something that our small but mighty national staff can’t do on our own, so we’re really blessed to have these members who have stepped up to serve. We also have our 14 regional representatives, who with our Forum chairs, the Board of Directors, and our Episcopal Moderator Bishop Mark Seitz, form our National Council. To have specific content areas and every region represented at our national level to serve as voices for the members is key for the future of NPM.
ND: So what do you like to do when you’re not singing in church, or working for NPM, or writing about Christian initiation?
Jennifer Kluge: Well, I have lots of things I like to do—probably too many, which is why I don’t get as much sleep as I should! I love to garden. My husband and I are very lucky—we have about two-thirds of an acre, so that takes a fair amount of upkeep. I love getting outside and trimming hedges and planting vegetables. I call my gardening a great experiment— one time I trimmed an inkberry hedge at the wrong time of year, almost killed the thing, and it went into shock. It took two years for it to come back. I’ve overwatered plants, and they’ve gotten root-rot. It’s just a big experiment, but I have fun doing it. I also love to cook. I’m always experimenting in the kitchen. My husband and I like to get outdoors as well, so we often take long walks in the early evening with our dog. One fun thing we plan to reprise this year is to walk all of the 184 miles of the C & O [Chesapeake & Ohio Canal] Towpath that goes from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland. We did it in 2015 and it’s time for it again! Tat’s our bucket list for 2021, and we can be socially distant at the same time!
—Nancy Douglass
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