When Rev. Chuck Adam '82, DMin, "came home" to St. Ambrose, he didn't think he was home to stay.
"I said ‘We'll give it a try for a couple of years,'" he recalled of his Diocesan appointment in 1996 as director of vocations and rector of the St. Ambrose University seminary. "Four years later, we added the chaplaincy."
Almost exactly 21 years later, Fr. Chuck has left "home" to begin a new assignment as pastor of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Coralville, Iowa.
Rev. Thom Hennen '00 returned to his alma mater to assume the role of Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry.
"We have been blessed to have Fr. Chuck as our pastor and spiritual guide," said Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, president of St. Ambrose. "He has helped us know, in so many ways, God's love and forgiveness. Our prayers and love go with him as he brings his many gifts to his new parish."
Fr. Chuck departed having impacted the lives of thousands of students and alumni through his steady presence, ready counsel and compelling homilies (and Saturday morning Facebook messages) that spoke directly to the student experience.
"When I look at the congregation, I know some of the things they have shared with me-making decisions, relationship issues, bombing on an exam, losing a tournament," he said. "When you listen, you get a good sense of what they are going through, the emotions they are experiencing. Getting to know the students really makes a difference."
Fr. Chuck expressed some parting thoughts in the homily he shared at his final Commencement Mass on May 13.
‘"Thank you' are my parting words," he later added. "I have so much to be grateful for. These years at St. Ambrose have been a wonderful time in my life. I thank the students and everyone who has been a part of this. We go through life, and we take it for granted while we're living it. When you can go back and look over things, you just have to be grateful."
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