Age Quod Agis - Jesuit High School

Kathy Baarts and ian Parsons at Blanchet Farm. Blanchet Farm, in its quiet setting, defines serenity.
A Healing Place Brings Second Chances
BY KATHY BAArTS, ALumni DireCTOr
There are moments in life that are defining. Sometimes
we are presented with a challenge that we can choose to take
on or pass. January 2010 signified a brand new year, a fresh
slate, full of potential. I was working on my article for the
Age Quod Agis magazine about Jesuit ties to the Blanchet
House and received a call from a close friend about Ian
Parsons. Ian, an acquaintance, had been spiraling downhill
with an alcohol problem. I was asked if I could help get Ian
into Blanchet House. The irony in the timing of my article
and the crossroads with Ian’s story amazed me. I had served
at Blanchet many times, had recently gained insight into
the history of Blanchet through my article research, and
now had the opportunity to walk with Ian on his journey.
I was more than willing to help Ian but needed to know
that he wanted to change and that he was willing to take
this step. Ian opened up to me and said, “I know that I am
in a bad place. I am afraid that I won’t see another birthday.
I know that I need to get help.” Ian wanted to change. He
had alienated his friends and family with his drinking and
he had no home. He had hit rock bottom and was alone,
broken, and scared. He knew he had to get help.
Ian had served at Blanchet before so he was familiar with
the organization’s work. It is amazing how many people
within the Jesuit and Blanchet communities reached out to
help. Brian Ferschweiler ‘73, Executive Director of Blanchet
House, along with his managers, Patrick and Pete, helped
me understand expectations and what they were able to
do for Ian. In my interviews and talks with Blanchet Board
Members for my article, I also brainstormed with them
about people to talk to for temporary solutions. Ian and
I often spent time just talking and checking in. He shared
with me the darkness, the fears and the anxieties that he
faced daily. It is amazing that once your eyes are opened,
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you can no longer simply turn away.
Ian entered the Blanchet farm on January 21, 2010. He
chose to go, and was open and willing to change. The array
of Ian’s emotions in his first month varied from loneliness
to anger in his quest to find his place on the farm. Initially,
he found he had a low tolerance for the members of the
house—24 men from all different walks of life. It was
difficult to take orders from others and learn the ways of
the house. Ian felt isolated and disconnected from the
other men that first month. He had good and bad days.
The days of not being able to stand the others gradually
lessened and Ian was grateful as he began the healing and
recovery process.
Ian’s 90 days on the farm were the beginning of a new
lifestyle for him. The work was hard—working on the land,
taking care of the pigs and chickens, cooking meals and
wood-working—but it was rewarding. The time away from
the city on land so peaceful and serene provided a lot of
reflection. It was sacred space where Ian was able to look at
himself and his actions; a place to go to for healing. It was
not an easy transition. There were many roller coaster rides
but Ian, unlike so many other times in his past, did not
give up. He went to a lot of meetings, listened to people’s
stories and told his own. He found that he enjoyed the fact
that he was no longer alone. With his social personality and
desire to do more, Ian was eventually asked to lead a few
meetings. The empowerment of stepping up to lead was
confidence building and exciting. Ian wanted to be helped
but he also enjoyed helping others. Ian found a new respect
for the men in the house and accepted who they were.
I visited the farm the week before Ian’s 90th day. He
gave me a tour and we ended up on the porch looking out
into the green grassy fields. Ian and I chatted about his