"High Jinks", and other "off the cuff" stuff...worth a look, listen.

"Hail Fellow Well Met" As in "Hi, have a seat, join me for lunch..." The greeting I received from this hearty soul whose countenance and voice I did not readily recognize. Not his name, at least not at first. Which he obviously sensed, a routine he seemed well "versed" in... As he introduced himself to my family, which had traveled south, to South Bend, as witness to the Notre Dame Law School graduation that year. "I'm Dave Link, Father Link that is...the only married priest on campus" What an opening salvo. One which he had probably used a thousand times and many places, one which distinguished him as one among many...other priests, "Fathers" (which, it turns out, he was many years prior to entering priesthood). The expected quizzical, expectant (as in "tell me more Dave") looks on our faces, which he seemed to welcome..."Allow me to explain...first..."

"By Virtue of": President Reverend Theodore Hesburgh's wisdom, in appointing this Notre Dame Law School alum to the post of Dean, a position he held for 24 years, which distinguished him as having the longest tenure of any law school dean at that time. During which time he had been married, the status of which sadly changed when he lost his wife of 45 years, in 2003. Shortly after which many friends and colleagues (some of which had reached "father" status via priesthood while Dave had three children of his own) prompted him, that he was now "eligible" to attend seminary...a prompt he took seriously, after which his soul vocation became one of serving in Indiana prisons...

Distinguished Company: As if that was not enough to distinguish him, the very first day I/we (as in all the law school grads sharing the table with him), he further set himself apart, from others who had predicted "doom and gloom" for these same students who had toiled for so many years..."Hey, first of all, congratulations from a fellow alum, who knows what it took...well done...and I am here to share the Good News, following what you had heard from that pastor who has been driving from state to state predicting the end of the world...this very day you are graduating, and in just a few hours from now...well I am here to tell you with great authority that the world is not going to end until you pay off your Notre Dame law school loans..." The looks on their faces (almost) being worth the price of admission...

Distinguished Company, In deed: In marking Reverend "Father" Dave Link's passing on 10/28/21, the eulogist notes that he sought to serve "the least, the last, the lost, and the lonely..." when most of us would have simply chosen a life of leisure. As we, US, have been and may soon be witness to several from even higher places who have fallen from grace, where we may literally see them put in cuffs, I fondly recall, and find myself missing that friendly fellow, whose sendoff included, "Oh, and if you want to look me up, just remember, it's just Dave, Dave Link...you know like cuff links..."

AKA: "Boisterous, rambunctious, carefree antics..." High Jinks Indeed. Missing Link.