Fr.
Jeff Horejsi -
the Rev. who “revs”
by Samantha Schommer
Priests are just like the
rest of us with likes, dislikes, duties, and hobbies, but Fr. Jeff Horejsi has quite an unusual hobby, as far as priests go.
Fr. Jeff owns two Honda Magna
motorcycles, a 1983 model and the rarer, 1988 model. He rides them around town
instead of driving a car during the warm months of the year.
The 1983 model was acquired
about nine years ago from a newspaper ad, and Fr. Jeff got the 1988 model off
the internet about six years ago from an individual residing in Kentucky.
"Some people may think
that I’m crazy for going all the way to
Fr. Jeff had a bike for a
couple of years back in high school, so he had a license, but he never took to
the hobby until about nine years ago when he bought the first bike.
There are plenty of things to
occupy a priest’s time, so why motorcycling? "Part of the motivation to
get a bike was to save money on gas…I do use my bike for appointments and going
to different churches for Mass. Wherever I need to go for my ministry, I take
it. I use it as I would a car," Fr. Jeff said.
Of course, Fr. Jeff uses a
car for winter driving.
Fr. Jeff does not often get
time to take longer trips, but he enjoys driving on a nice sunny day. He finds
that the motorcycles are very economical and practical, as well as a fun
leisurely pursuit to take some time out of his busy life for the open road.
"Being out in the open
air…it’s an experience that makes you feel a little more alive than being
protected by a car," Fr. Jeff said. But feeling "alive" also
comes with a warning.
"Most people talk about
respecting the bike…what I mean by that is that you are quite vulnerable to
getting hit, resulting in serious injuries or even death. Motorcyclists need to
be constantly watching out for what others are doing around you…
animals, pot holes etc. could get you into a lot of trouble.
Even gravel on a tar road can be treacherous," he stated.
To sum it
up in one word, safety. The
biggest issue with motorcycling is seeing and being seen. With the freedom of
the open road also come some risks, risks that even this priest is willing to
take.
The self proclaimed
"Rev. who revs" has been a priest for about 15 years. He has served
in several parishes during this time and is currently the pastor at Our Lady of
the Lakes in Spicer.
When asked what people say
about a "motorcycling priest," Fr. Jeff stated, "I guess most
people accept it as just another form of transportation, although once in
awhile I’ll get a comment that would lead me to believe that they have a
limited idea to who should be driving motorcycles."
Samantha Schommer is a
Junior at Holy Trinity High School, Winsted, daughter of Pat and Lisa Schommer, a Diocesan Youth Council member and an active
member of TEC. She will be contributing a series of articles on pastoral
leaders and their hobbies in upcoming issues of The Prairie Catholic.