Fr. Buentello Returns to CC After 11 Years

Fr. Buentello preparing for morning mass.

Photo by Gomez

Adam Falinski ‘20 Editor-in-Chief

After leaving for approximately 11 years, Father Mike Buentello has returned to Catholic Central.

Before leaving, he spent the years 2000 to 2008 at CC. During his time here, he taught Spanish and Theology, and helped coach the freshman and JV football teams.

When asked how his time was before leaving CC, he said, “There was never a day when I looked at my watch and asked, ‘When is this day going to end?’ The days went by so fast. It was so much fun to be here.”

In 2008, Father Buentello left for the University of St. Thomas in Houston. There, he taught freshman Theology and was the Director of Campus Ministry.

Anyone who has spent a substantial amount of time at CC knows that it has changed throughout the years. When asked if there were any differences from his previous time at CC to now, Father Buentello responded, “The school was great when I left and it’s even greater now. The spirit is strong as ever, there’s great comradery, the priests are involved in the lives of the students and their activities, and the faculty is TOP NOTCH.”

Today, Father Buentello is the Director of Mission and Spirituality at CC.

To explain what this role entails, he said, “If you were to think of a parish and all the people involved in running a parish, I would be kind of the pastor. Not only of the school, but also taking care of alumni and reaching out and making sure everyone is still growing in their faith and that the Catholic Central that the students of the 1940s and 50s experienced that was Christ-centered is still the Catholic Central of 2019 and beyond.”

He continued, “We want to educate the whole person spiritually and intellectually.”

While Fr. Buentello may not be heavily involved in student life this year, he hopes that as soon as next year he can become more active. “Maybe not this returning year,” he said, “because it is all new, but hopefully next year I can become a little bit more involved if that means football, track, or golf.”

“I love sports,” he added. “I’m a gym rat.”

When in a new place, there can occasionally be an adjustment period, but Father Buentello felt none of this: “It took me thirty seconds to be readjusted to the life of CC. It’s wonderful to be back. It’s a great feeling to be back. I’m surrounded by old friends and new friends. I walk the hallways in the midst of the best student body in the state of Michigan.”