Jen received a Master of Theological Studies from Ave Maria University’s Institute for Pastoral Theology and is pursuing certification through the Theology of the Body Institute. Her undergraduate degree is in Social Work and she is a graduate of a NOLS Outdoor Educator course. Jen is a parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in her hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
JEN MESSING is the Founder and Executive Director of Into the Deep. Since 2001, she has been discovering and refining her particular gift of bringing the universal language of the theology of the body into a wide range of settings, ages, and subject matter, showing how applicable it is in everyday life and in every aspect of the Catholic faith.
When Jen began giving talks in 2002 and soon after co-founded the Frassati Society of MN, her sincere exuberance exploded in two directions: explaining both the simplicity and depth of theology of the body concepts and sharing her life-long outdoor skill set. As the powerful purpose of combining these worlds into I.D. Retreats became evident, Jen worked toward founding Into the Deep in 2012.
At first glance, it may seem like she is trying to cover too many bases: classrooms, adult presentations, camping trips and more – but each is a culmination of experience and prayer, seeing that there is a need as well as a gift to be given. Jen’s passion is providing building blocks as people first learn – or go deeper into – the greater story behind life, love and the dignity of each unrepeatable human person.
Explore the highlights of experience that led to her unique combination of speaking, teaching, and leading retreats HERE, then find samples of Jen’s approach and content in the video below!
On a more personal note…
My first exposure to the the Theology of the Body involved cassette tapes of Christopher West on a roadtrip to North Dakota. I listened to them twice (and many times after that) knowing immediately – like so many others – that this language held the core answers to all the big questions in life. When I started studying the book for the first time, it took me a year to pronounce “eschatological” without stopping midstream. I owe much to those who explained all the big theological and philosophical terms to me – people with much greater degrees than I – and so I now put myself at the service of those who want the heart of the message in everyday, applicable language.
