Rev. Bob Cook's had a couple of different careers, but one thing's been constant: his faith.

After nearly 20 years as a criminal defense attorney in Denver, Cook was ordained as a priest in 2000 and accepted a position as an assistant pastor at St. Anthony's Church in Casper. He became pastor of Our Lady of Fatima in 2001, but another change was on the horizon: In December 2005, the Archdiocese of Cheyenne appointed Cook the president of Wyoming Catholic College, a new liberal arts college slated to open in Lander in fall 2007.

Cook's already begun work in his new position, and his days at Our Lady of Fatima are coming to an end. On the eve of his farewell party (it's after 11:30 a.m. Mass tomorrow at Our Lady), Cook discusses priesthood, his new job and his hopes for the future.

Why did you finally make the leap from lawyer to priest?

"I think part of it was, it occurred to me that I could be closer to changing people's hearts as a priest than ever as a lawyer. I think our society needs to return to a greater spirituality and a greater sense of God's presence in the world."

What will you miss most about the day-to-day life of a parish priest?

"Frankly, I will miss sharing with the people both their joys and their sorrows. A lot of personal relationships are developed when you're a priest in a parish. Being a president of a college, it may be more difficult to find those, or they're of a different nature."

Did you apply for the job or were you appointed out of the blue?

"Mostly (appointed). I'm enthusiastic about it and (Bishop David L. Ricken) knew that, so he asked me if I would accept the appointment as president. I think it's a wonderful opportunity and I'm more than flattered that he would think I could do it. I'm hoping I can."

It's going to be kind of a back-to-basics curriculum - a "great books curriculum," they're calling it. What does that mean?

"The great books are a collection of writings from the last 4,000 years of western civilization. They are thought to be the very best of thinking in western civilization, so they're the ideal teachers of great thoughts and great wisdom. The curriculum revolves around those books because they cover all the topics that one needs to be fully educated. Aristotle, Plato, (John) Milton, (Thomas) Aquinas, T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Shakespeare - it's a good mix."

Will there be computers? Is there a large outdoor component?

"There will be word-processing computers (students) will use to write papers. At the core of it is a pretty challenging academic program in the liberal arts. The outdoor aspect is to help them see that there is a world outside of technology, a world that can teach them many valuable lessons that they can only learn there. The outdoor aspect is there to help them do their academics better."

What about cell phones?

"Because cell phones are enormously distracting and provide Internet access, which is even more distracting, we are asking our students to take a break from technology and learn some wisdom."

Do you think that could be difficult for today's students?

"I think it could be, although the freshman-orientation program, which begins immediately, is a 21-day wilderness backpacking expedition. I think it will free them in a way that I think they'll find refreshing and something they can embrace."

What's your greatest hope for the college?

"I hope that it will generate religious vocations for the state of Wyoming, and parish leaders from wherever the students have come. But I also hope that it will be an example for higher education to return to a more fundamental system of education and not emphasize jobs-only styles of education. There is more to life than having a job and people need to be educated for that just as much as they do for a job. I think so many of our colleges and universities have forgotten that. If Wyoming Catholic College can be an example of returning to a broader education for students, that would be wonderful."

Staff writer Kathleen St. John can be reached at 266-0586 or Kathleen.Stjohn@casperstartribune.net.