News

Seven men to be ordained deacons May 20

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

Bp. David Zubik will ordain seven men to the permanent diaconate at 10 a.m. Mass, Saturday, May 20, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, 140 S. Monroe Avenue, Green Bay.

Bruce Corey

Bruce Corey of St. John Nepomucene Parish in Little Chute traces his call to the diaconate to a pilgrimage he took six years ago. He was constantly asked by the people in his group if he had ever considered becoming a deacon and, while in Rome, on the final leg of the pilgrimage, Dcn. Larry Mastalish invited him to lead the group in the Litany of the Saints.

"Terrified, I accepted the invitation, but I had never felt so blessed in my life as I did in those moments," said Corey. "After those two weeks, I knew something had changed and that I was no longer to go backwards in my life or stay the same. I was to move forward in a whole different way, but I had no idea how that was going to take shape."

He embraced the pursuit of the diaconate. In these six years, he has been involved in several ministries including Green Bay Marriage Encounter, Cursillo, prison retreats and Communion services at Parkside Care Center in Little Chute. He has served the parish as a lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, family life committee member and member of a monthly rosary group his late mother, Marge, belonged to for years. He is a Befriender and, with his wife, Kim, has developed retreats for married couples and the rosary group.

Corey's ministries as deacon will include the RCIA program, developing a retreat for newlywed couples, leading a new program for men and assisting with the sacraments.

"I look forward to serving the Catholic Church through baptisms, weddings, funerals and whatever else is asked of me," he said. "Wherever the bishop assigns me, I will go. Wherever the Lord leads me, I will follow."

Corey, a Kimberly native, credits the many people who supported him on his faith journey, especially Kim, who accompanied him to most classes over the past five years. The couple have two children, Katy, 25, and Patrick, 23.

Corey, an electrician at Voith Fabrics in Appleton, also points to his family, his in-laws, Bernie and Flo Vanden Hogen, Msgr. Jim Vanden Hogen, Fr. Robert Karuhn, Sr. Mary Rose O'Connell, Fr. Patrick Beno and Dcn. Vin DeGroot for their support, and the Befrienders, rosary group and parishioners for their prayers.

"My mother was instrumental in bringing me to where I am today," he said. "I watched her faith grow during the past 10 years of her life, and I know that God was working in me through her, even though I didn't realize it at the time. I know she's proud of where my life is headed."

Richard Dvorak

"My call to the diaconate started when certain people I knew asked me if I ever thought about becoming a deacon," said Rick Dvorak of St. Mary Parish, Menasha. "They planted the seed. I prayed and pondered this idea for quite some time. After getting information on the program, I decided that this is what I wanted to pursue. This calling and my faith and trust in God get stronger and stronger each day."

Dvorak is active in several ministries at St. Mary Parish. He serves as a lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and member of the worship committee. He also trains the altar servers, participates in special services, and brings Eucharist and makes visits to the homebound and nursing home residents.

"I hope as a deacon to be able to continue to minister to the homebound and nursing homes," he said. "Continuing to further my education in the pastoral field is a goal I pray to complete in the near future. I hope to assist at Mass, proclaim the Gospel in word and deed throughout my life, and assist our Lord's people wherever I can."

Dvorak was born and raised in Cudahy, a suburb of Milwaukee. The roots of his ministry began there, he said.

"Even as a child, I was drawn to what was happening at the altar with the priest," he said. Dvorak attended Catholic grade school and graduated from the local high school. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving more than six years "seeing the world."

He and his wife, Judy, who met at work in Milwaukee, serve as sacristans at St. Mary Parish. The couple will celebrate 29 years of marriage in October.

Dvorak has worked for Kimberly Clark for more than 22 years.

Reflecting on his journey to the diaconate, Dvorak said he is thankful for the experience.

"What a blessing these past five years have been for my wife and me," he said. "The education was very enlightening and inspiring. We've met many wonderful new friends through the diaconate process. I would like to thank my wife, friends and all those who gave their support and encouragement through the formation process including the diaconate staff and instructors."

Gregory Grey

Greg Grey of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish, Oshkosh, considered the priesthood as a child growing up in Milwaukee. He was a Mass server through eighth grade. He even looked into enrolling in the high school seminary in Edgerton, near Madison, before settling on Notre Dame High School in Milwaukee.

"Throughout high school, teachers and other kids remarked on many occasions how I should consider becoming a priest," he said. "As I got older, I became preoccupied with sports and girls, and became oblivious to God's call. During college, I not only ignored the call, but began to ignore church and the commandments as well. For the better part of 15 years, I stayed connected to church by a shoestring, attending only for weddings, funerals and holidays."

Grey, who resides in Winneconne with his wife, Kelly, and their sons, Charlie and Robert, returned to the church during a visit by his brother's family. The experience changed him.

"I started attending St. Raphael's regularly, but would sit in the back pews with tears in my eyes most of the time because I was so sorry that I had ignored God's call," he said. "I mistakenly assumed God was furious with me as well."

He became involved in ministry work, and Kelly took part in the RCIA. He found freedom in reconciliation after nearly 20 years, and was open to God's call, including the diaconate.

Grey didn't feel "holy enough" to be an official representative of the church.

"God shot down this and every other excuse I concocted by continually challenging me and putting me in situations where I could use the 'lessons of my past' constructively to understand and minister to others," he said.

Grey's ministries include home visits to the sick, liturgical minister, RCIA team leader, parish council, sacramental preparation, human concerns committee, and teaching eighth grade religious education. As a deacon, he will add baptisms, wake services, weddings and assisting at Sunday Masses to his service.

"I want to thank the parish staff and the parishioners of St. Raphael's for their love and support over my years of formation," said Grey. "Without them, I would not have gotten through the program."

"God realizes we're human, and is loving and patient enough to stick with us," he added, "even when we choose not to stick with him."

Kurt Grube

Kurt Grube has worked for the church for more than 30 years, and over that time his call to the diaconate grew.

"Many priests and people would ask me why I had not been ordained a deacon," he said. "All I could say was that I was not ready. But finally, I decided to look into the diaconate to see if it was for me and if God wanted me to serve in that capacity. Every year I studied and prayed about the diaconate, I found myself being drawn closer to it."

Grube is currently on staff at Stella Maris Parish in Door County, where he and his wife, Nancy, are members. This past year, his ministry opportunities expanded through the support of Fr. William Stevenson, pastor.

"I was able to preside at Communion services, visit the sick and help at funerals and baptisms," he said. "I enjoyed it very much. The people of Stella Maris were very kind in accepting me as a prayer leader amongst them."

Much of Grube's past ministry was in religious education. In the Green Bay Diocese, he served as director of religious education at St. Thomas More and St. Bernadette parishes, Appleton, and St. Gabriel Parish in Neenah. He also served as the youth consultant for the diocesan Department of Education and director of the Appleton Catholic Education Council. Currently, Grube is a member of the board of directors for St. Patrick's Bookstore and Villa Hope, a halfway house for men.

Kurt and Nancy, who have three children - Danielle, Jeremiah and Rebecca - served as house parents at a teen runaway house in Racine.

Grube said that he looks forward to serving the people of Stella Maris as a deacon.

"I would like to continue to help the parish work together," he said. "I plan to work with the peace and justice committee, the confirmation preparation program, and help with the many liturgical prayer services the parish offers. I will continue to prepare people to receive the sacraments and officiate at those the pastor would like me to handle. I am looking forward to my ministry in Northern Door County and working with my fellow deacons and the priests in Door County."

Richard Hocking

The Renew 2000 experience in fall 1999 led Richard Hocking of St. Peter Parish, Oshkosh, to pursue the diaconate.

"God assembled a special mixture of people in our group that bonded quickly," he said. "We had a desire to learn more about our Catholic faith and put this faith into action. I'm forever grateful for their friendship and encouragement. During that same time, my manager at work talked to me about the diaconate as she was entering the Commissioned Ministry Program."

Hocking, director of manufacturing for the Milprint Division of The Bemis Company, has been involved in Christian youth leadership development for the past 22 years. Three years ago, he began serving in prison ministry.

"I was asked to join the Wednesday night Catholic men's Bible study at Oshkosh Correctional Institute," he said. "These ministries continue to be a great joy. There have been many opportunities to serve St. Peter Parish as well."

Hocking is open to all forms of ministry as a deacon.

"The diaconate is a call to serve and this means I will serve wherever and however I'm needed and called," he said. "My wife, Anne, and I have been involved with many events and people in the pro-life movement and I can see both of us dedicating more time to this cause. My personal plans are to remain in youth leadership and prison ministry; God's plans remain to be seen."

Hocking was born and raised in Neenah. He currently resides between Neenah and Oshkosh with Anne, who owns On This Rock, a Catholic bookstore in Oshkosh.

"The last five years have been an incredible journey and I want to express my gratitude to all those people who have helped me in person and in prayer," he said. "My heartfelt thanks go out to my fellow classmates. You're all an inspiration and it's been a privilege to walk with you. Special appreciation goes to our families and especially our wives. Thank you for your sacrifice and your love."

"God has given us such a gift in the Catholic Church and we all need to express our joy for this gift," added Hocking. "I encourage everyone to study and learn our wonderful faith. God speaks to each of us always. It's often in the form of a whisper. If we listen and trust, He will guide us."

Steven Meyer

"Family, work, church, community, neighborhood and world." That's how Steve Meyer of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Green Bay describes ministry.

Meyer, a native of Marshfield, has provided outreach in the streets and in homeless shelters, taught confirmation students, served as a lector and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, but ministry extends beyond the traditional sense, he said.

"I've also been involved in a lot of things that aren't usually thought of as ministries, but really are, such as parenting and coaching youth soccer," he said. "Pacing the hallway in the wee hours of the morning with a sick child and changing a diaper is definitely a ministry. Taking time to listen to co-workers going through difficulties in life is a ministry. We're too quick to overlook these things. Ultimately, ministry, I believe, is a total outlook on life."

"Ordination is 24/7," he added. "You're a deacon always and everywhere. And ministry is a way of life, not a task list. In addition to my ministries as a husband, father and full-time employee, I will be involved in various ministries at my parish and continue my work with Street-Lights Outreach. I will seek to be Christ to others and see Christ in others, regardless of who they are or what their life situation happens to be at the moment. I hope to be effective in bringing the church to the street and bringing the street to the church.

When he was first asked about the diaconate, Meyer knew he needed to pursue it, but was hesitant.

"The thought penetrated me on a much more profound level than other things I had ever considered doing with my life," he said. "This made me feel quite uncomfortable because I didn't feel like I was choosing the diaconate, but rather that the diaconate was choosing me. For someone who defined success as having total control of one's own life, this rocked my world. I needed to adjust my thinking."

Meyer and his wife, Michelle, have three sons, Jacob, 15; Alex, 10: and Adam, 7. He is the president/executive creative director of The Karma Group in Green Bay.

"My wife, Michelle, is either a saint or an angel, or a rather unique manifestation of both," he said. "It is truly unfair and incomplete to discuss my calling and my ministry without also referencing her. I am continuously amazed by how God works in my home and in my life through Michelle."

Gerald Nardi

Jerry Nardi describes his call to the diaconate as "60 years strong." In other words, it's been there his entire life.

"It wasn't an overnight decision," he said. "It's always been there. I really have God in my heart, and I've never forgotten the gifts I have received."

Among those gifts is his wife, Karen, who is marking her 34th year as a kidney transplant recipient.

"Why serve in the diaconate?" said Nardi. "We've been very blessed. We cannot repay God for all our blessings, but I think of it as a form of payback."

They have three adult children - Stacy, Scott and Chrissy - and three grandchildren.

Nardi's home parish is Sacred Heart in Aurora, which is linked with St. Anthony, Niagara and St. Margaret, Pembine.

"Sacred Heart no longer has Sunday Masses, but there is a Tuesday evening service and we still do marriages and other celebrations at the church," said Nardi. "The linked parish system gives you the opportunity to meet many new people. I look forward to getting to know even more people."

Nardi's ministry experience includes Liturgy of the Word at Maryhill Manor in Niagara, serving on the RCIA team, hospital and home visits, and jail ministry for the Florence County jail system.

"Our programs are limited due to being a smaller parish," said Nardi, "but that also provides opportunities. We are more dependent on each other, and that brings people closer together."

As a deacon, Nardi looks forward to expanding his ministry.

"Funerals, marriages and anything outside liturgy," he said. "Fr. Mike (Betley, pastor) and I are trying to work that out. I'm ready to get started full-time."

Nardi, an electrical engineer, plans to work 20 to 30 more months before retirement. The profession has taken him around the world.

"My official passport is 46 pages long," he said. "Travel gives you a tremendous respect and love for this nation. We are very blessed people in this country."

He is thankful for his journey to the diaconate, he said.

"I really love the people involved in the program," he said. "The teachers are top notch. I have great respect and love for my fellow colleagues. They are all different ages and from different walks of life, but all have within their hearts a sense of service and compassion for people."