By Jeff Kurowski | For On Mission
Photography by Scott Eastman
OSHKOSH — Jenn Jensen is not shy about her faith. When the opportunity to talk about being Catholic arises, she embraces the moment, even in the workplace.
“I’m not afraid; I talk about my religion all the time,” said Jensen, a human resources support specialist at Oshkosh Corporation.
When presented with an award for a work project, her faith came to the forefront. The honor included a donation to a charity of her choice.
“It’s a weeklong corporate event,” Jensen said. “You talk about your charity, and they do a video. I chose Catholic Charities and brought my faith right into it.”
Jensen, a member of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, said that being open about her beliefs has led to deeper conversations with co-workers — some of whom have Catholic backgrounds but may not be practicing their faith.
“I invite them,” she said. “I’m hoping to plant seeds.”
In her role, Jensen provides services to employees around the globe. Sometimes, the phone calls involve emotional situations. For example, a widow, lost in her grief, called about her husband’s life insurance policy. A mother needed assistance when her son was involved in a serious accident.
“Two weeks ago, a woman had to call for her husband because he had a medical emergency in the middle of the night,” Jensen said. “I could hear in her voice how scared she was. She said, ‘They took him away. I haven’t talked to him. I don’t know what’s happening.’ I told her, ‘I’m going to pray for you, and I’m going to pray for him.’ People don’t expect that when they’re calling corporate. When it feels like it’s the right thing to do, I will say, ‘I will pray for you.’ It’s those moments where I get to bring my faith to work with me. I’ve cried on the phone with them.”
Jensen was not always so engaged in her faith.
“I’m technically a cradle Catholic, but we didn’t live the faith,” she said. “I’m originally from Green Bay. My home parish is St. Philip (the Apostle). When (Brent Jensen, my husband, and I) got engaged, I knew I wanted a Catholic wedding even though I wasn’t the best Catholic at the time. That’s what led us (to St. Raphael).”
They joined the parish in 2011 and were married in 2012 at St. Bernard Parish in Green Bay by Fr. Mark Vander Steeg, currently the vicar for priests and pastoral leaders for the Diocese of Green Bay.
“I owe a lot of my faith to him,” Jensen said. “I will never forget the grace he showed us through our marriage prep. We were not the best Catholics, but he showed us grace and love.”
The couple’s involvement at St. Raphael grew from an unfortunate situation. The Jensens were laid off from their jobs six months apart. Brent took a truck-driving job, while Jenn returned to school to earn her associate’s degree.
“He was on the road, so I was alone a lot,” Jensen said. “I started hanging out at church more. (St. Raphael) gave me such joy and comfort. I’ve always had a servant’s heart, so I wanted to be involved.”
Jensen co-facilitated a book study at the parish with Brent. She taught children’s Liturgy of the Word and is now a catechist for the parish’s Families of Faith program.
“The catechism is done at home, and they come together once a month,” Jensen said. “We set the theme for the next month. We have middle school, sixth, seventh and eighth grade. It’s a beautiful age because they’re on the cusp of figuring out who they are as young people.”
Prayer intentions by the students are part of the monthly gatherings. Each student writes one prayer for themselves and one for someone else on sticky notes.
“It’s completely anonymous. We’re not going to read them out loud,” said Jensen, who also serves as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion. “We get some of the most beautiful prayer requests. They ask for help to figure things out. They do prayers for grandparents, parents and siblings. It’s a gift.”
Jensen’s faith met a roadblock during the COVID-19 pandemic when her mother died unexpectedly.
“I was mad at God,” she said. “I had some struggles. We came back to church in 2022 and slowly started to be plugged in.”
Jensen credits her Cursillo experience and involvement for helping her to become reengaged. She made her Cursillo in the spring of 2015 — a three-day retreat that focuses on deepening a relationship with Christ.
“The messaging behind it is helping others find Jesus,” Jensen said. “(St. Raphael members) Jill and Larry Heacock really helped us get back involved.”
Jensen currently serves as treasurer on the secretariat board for Cursillos in Christianity.
“Cursillo has really ignited our love for God and serving God,” she said. “It builds that community that you can lean on during tough times and also celebrate the joys. You can help (others) carry their burden. We’ve just been on fire ever since getting back involved in Cursillo.”
Jensen’s outreach as a volunteer for Catholic Charities’ annual Inspired to Act event led to an invitation to attend the National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. She describes the experience as “life-changing.”
“There’s something magical about being in an NFL stadium, and it’s dead silent because we’re all adoring Jesus as he’s being processed in the monstrance,” Jensen said. “To see everyone get on their knees on the cement floor in a stadium that is usually for secular events like games and concerts, that sticks with you.”
When Jensen looks back on how far she has grown in her faith, she said that she’s been “abundantly blessed.”
“It’s beyond anything I can comprehend,” she said. “No matter what I’ve done, (God) still loves me, and I’m still redeemable in his eyes. He still wants to bless me and work through me, even though I’m very imperfect and try to do my will at times instead of his will. I’m in constant awe of how much I’ve been blessed.”