On Being Mentored: A Tribute to Henri Nouwen

This article is a first-person account of the author’s experience of being mentored by the late Henri Nouwen, an inspiring priest and professor. The article describes the ongoing positive impact of that relationship upon the author’s growth and development during his college years and early adulthood. The author argues that compassionate and inspiring mentors are of critical value to young men in today’s world, particularly for individuals raised with distant, absent, or ineffective fathers. Key aspects of the mentoring process are deconstructed and delineated.