3 minute read
Meet Deacon John Nelson: Embracing A Divine Calling
On Aug. 29 at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Cleveland, the Most Reverend Martin J. Amos, Bishop-Emeritus of Davenport, ordained John Nelson to the diaconate, along with two other men. The story of how John unearthed the gem of his calling to the diaconate is inspiring, testifying to the capacious mercy of God, so alive in the world today.
“About 15 to 20 years ago, my pastor gave an incredible homily about what God is calling you to be in life,” John says. “As he spoke, it felt like the Holy Spirit was calling me that very day, and it built a fire up inside of me.”
Advertisement
Ultimately, his vocation story also shows us just how patient Our Lord really is, and how He makes His will known to each one of us in truly creative ways.
“However, it took me a long time to do something about this call,” John says. “In 2014, I went to a men’s retreat, and about three different times during it people told me I’d be a great deacon, but I just told them I didn’t think so. Following the retreat, I became more involved in my parish, but I never did do much about the idea of being a deacon. Then my wife, Raquel, asked me if I had given any more consideration to ‘the deacon thing.’ I wanted to ask her, ‘Did someone pay you to say this to me? Because that’s what the men at the retreat just said!’”
Soon afterward, John decided to go for “the deacon thing” after all, right along with Raquel at his side. He officially entered the diaconate formation program in 2015.
“We have picked up our cross and carried hand in hand all these years,” John says. “It has been such a wonderful journey! Every year, the diocese asks our wives to sign a letter saying they are supportive of us being in diaconate formation. The bishop also tells them at our ordination that there is ‘no way your husband could do this without you.’”
Throughout his years of formation, John enjoyed taking courses at the Center for Pastoral Leadership, as well as catching glimpses of what life as a deacon would be like.
“We are truly blessed in the Diocese of Cleveland by having such amazing professors at our diocesan seminary, and I really appreciated being able to learn from them,” John says. “I also really enjoyed my field assignments. Each year we would be placed at a different parish to help us gain experience. Wherever I was placed, the people made me feel very welcome and they treated me like they had known me my whole life. It has been so great to get to know new people and develop friendships. The guys I went through formation with are like brothers to me. They have made me a better person.”
After years of diligent preparation, John now approaches his calling to the diaconate with a hopeful, fervent spirit.
“I am just blown away that God called me to this!” John says. “Many don’t feel worthy to be called, and yet they are. I just hope that I can live up to the expectations that the Church has for me, and minister to others the way I am meant to do so.”
John looks forward to serving our parish community as well.
“I am eager to get to know the parishioners at Immaculate Conception,” he says. “Even though I’m not very good at learning names, I want to learn everyone’s! I also want to visit the various ministries and really be part of the parish community.”
As he approaches his newfound vocation, John bears a deep charity for Mother Church and her people in his heart.
“Throughout my formation, I learned that a deacon’s primary calling is to serve those around him,” he says. “I read a book called I Am Third, and it really inspired me. It is all about how God is supposed to come first in your life, then others, and thirdly, yourself.”
Raquel and John have been married for 29 years. They have three adult children, all of whom are married, three granddaughters, and one grandson on the way. John has been in IT Management for 20 years and is still working full-time at Cleveland Clinic.
