1 6 The Catholic News & Herald
Living the
Couple comes to permanent diaconate through By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer GREENSBORO — The arrival of summertime is usually characterized by heat and storms. For the Steinkamps, a seasonal lightning storm brought an unplanned and unwelcomed surprise. A lightening strike caused a fire that ravaged the couple’s home. Everything was destroyed except for a two important things, so important that the homeowner, Rev. Mr. Ron Steinkamp, ran back inside to retrieve the items. The permanent diaconate ordination was taking place a week later, and Rev. Mr. Steinkamp wanted his vestments — his alb and stole — in order to participate in the ceremony. “Neighbors were trying to restrain him, but I told him that he could run in quickly and get them and get back out,” said Bette Steinkamp, his wife. “We walked into that ordination Mass, not depressed, but full of the peace of the Lord and smelling a little like smoke. This was an instance of God sustaining us through difficult times.” Even through adversity, Rev. Mr. Steinkamp was ordained in 1995 and has served at Our Lady of the High-
ways Church in Thomasville and now serves at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. The couple’s spirituality and their lifelong relationship with God have carried them through their lives, and that dedication is what led them to the permanent diaconate. The cradle Catholics began their steps toward ordained ministry in the small town where they were raised. The mighty Mississippi flows through their memories as Ron and Bette Steinkamp attended the same Catholic grade school in Quincy, Ill., a small town situated on the river, and attended separate boys’ and girls’ high schools. They were not even aware that they had passed each other in the halls of their elementary school until they began dating years later. “We lived in a Catholic subculture. All of our friends, the girls I dated, etc. were Catholic. All of my childhood was pre-Vatican II, and we went to Mass everyday,” said Rev. Mr. Steinkamp. “I always felt secure about the church; I liked being Catholic.” The couple dated while Rev. Mr. Steinkamp attended the University of Illinois and were married in 1964. After receiving his bachelor’s of science degree in economics, he began working for Armstrong Cork Company in produc-
April 13, 2001
was a significant spiritual experience tion planning. This affiliation caused for them, they became involved with the family to move several times over Cursillo and charismatic renewal the next 20 years because of job transteams. “Charismatic renewal offers fers. “Moving was part of the corporate people personal time to allow the spirit culture back then, and part of my foof God take over all parts of one’s life, cus was on the business world,” said letting God be God in one’s life to the Rev. Mr. Steinkamp. fullest extent possible,” said Rev. Mr. With the smell of his father’s and Steinkamp. grandfather’s gardens still fresh in his After moving to North Caromind, the family’s first stop was Maslina, they began to attend charismatic sachusetts. “We lived near the coast, renewal conferences in the Diocese of and we had never seen the ocean. The Charlotte and were invited to be a part first thing we did was go down to the of the charismatic service renewal beach and taste the salt water. The team. “We came down here (to North snow came down in great, big flakes, Carolina) and jumped in with both feet and we bundled up.” into the Cursillo and charismatic reThe next move was to a warmer newal movements. climate in GeorI didn’t know about gia, and this was the permanent ditheir first exposure aconate before I to the Civil Rights came here, and Movement in the through our indeep South. “They volvement with lay had just taken down ministry, I wanted the ‘Colored’ and to continue to grow ‘White’ signs off of spiritually and to the water fountains. try to satisfy that It was so surprising desire in me to to me because we know God more.” weren’t raised in As with the it and hadn’t been charismatic and exposed to it. We C u r s i l l o m ove received a new unments, Rev. Mr. derstanding of a Ro n a n d B e t t e situation we were Steinkamp attendisolated from in Iled the formation linois.” classes together They were and enjoyed their transferred to time together Pennsylvania and growing in faith then to Virginia and commitment where Rev. Mr. Rev. Mr. Ron Steinkamp throughout their Steinkamp and his lives. wife began to par“We attended these classticipate in various activities. Rev. Mr. es and had we not been Steinkamp worked as a Scoutmaster together, we would not have grown toand in the Parent-Teacher Organizagether the way we have,” said Rev. Mr. tion, while both he and his wife became Steinkamp, father of two and grandinvolved in a Bible study group. That father of four and now vice-president same group decided to build a church and general manager of manufactursince there was not one nearby. ing logistics of Thomasville Furni“There was an outpouring of ture. “The diaconate has provided a spiritual growth in the parish, and the good foundation and has allowed me to building of the church created a lot of help people in a way that I never would spiritual roots. The spark of Cursillo have thought about through the RCIA hit the parish, and my wife and I were process, the annulment process, faith some of the first to make our Cursillo. formation and other ministries.” It is a time to really listen to the Gospel “The deacons are a vital need in message and examine where you are this diocese, and it is an ordained minspiritually.” istry, a special calling to Christ,” said After participating in what he said Mrs. Steinkamp. “We could lose it if