Deacon Tom Doran Reflects on
Discerning and Answering His Vocational Call
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f you walk into a Catholic Church in Texas relationship with Christ began deepening in a and find an Irish American giving the homily new way 10 years ago. with a crisp Bostonian accent, you can be “I was on a retreat and really had the sure that you are here in St. Michael Parish! opportunity to examine my relationship Indeed, our faith community is greatly with God,” he says. “He had always been blessed to be able to call Deacon Tom important in my life, but now I really felt the Doran one of our own. While we have had need for Him to be the center of my life. I an opportunity to get to know Deacon Tom began getting more involved in service and during his three-year internship in our parish, different ministries — I became a sacristan this summer we were able to “officially” and rediscovered the joy I’d had serving at welcome him as a newly ordained deacon in the altar as a child.” the diocese. Deacon Tom soon developed a As a young child, Deacon Tom could devotion to Eucharistic Adoration, and it never have imagined that the Lord would one was in the quiet solitude of prayer before This summer, we day call him to the permanent diaconate. Yet the presence of Christ that he first heard “officially” welcomed the experiences of his formative years — as a a call to the diaconate. At the same time, Deacon Tom Doran as a people began to mention the vocation to student in his parochial grade school and an newly ordained deacon in him — his pastor asked him if he had ever altar server for his home parish in Boston — the diocese. are what first opened the door to a vocation considered becoming a deacon, and even in the Church. his two daughters, teenagers at the time, echoed the Though Deacon Tom is a lifelong Catholic, his question. continued on back cover
El Diácono Tom Doran
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Reflexiona Sobre el Discernimiento y Su Llamado a la Vocación
i entra a una iglesia Católica en Texas y encuentra un descendiente irlandés dando la homilía con acento Bostoniano, ¡probablemente está aquí en St. Michael! De hecho, nuestra comunidad parroquial esta muy bendecida de llamar al Diacono Tom Doran uno de los nuestros. Hemos tenido la oportunidad de conocer a Tom durante su internado de tres años en nuestra parroquia y este verano le recibimos como un nuevo diácono, recién ordenado en la Diócesis. Cuando niño, el Diácono Tom nunca imaginó que el Señor un día lo llamaría al diaconado. Pero las experiencias en sus años formativos – como estudiante en su colegio parroquial y monaguillo en su parroquia en Boston – abrieron la puerta a una vocación en la Iglesia. Aunque el Diácono Tom es un Católico de cuna, su relación con Cristo profundizó en los pasados diez años. “Estaba en un retiro y realmente tuve la oportunidad de examinar mi relación con Dios,” dice. “Él siempre fue importante en mi vida, pero ahora siento verdaderamente la necesidad de que Él sea el centro de mi vida. Comencé involucrándome más en el servicio y en diversos ministerios – me convertí en sacristán y redescubrí la
Deacon candidate Tom Doran participates in the Ceremony for Sacred Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity along with 23 other Class of 2020 deacon candidates. (NTC/Juan Guajardo) felicidad de servir en el altar, como cuando niño.” El Diácono Tom desarrollo una devoción a la Adoración Eucarística, y fue en la tranquila soledad de la oración ante la presencia de Cristo que escuchó por primera vez el llamado al diaconado. Simultáneamente, otras personas comenzaron a mencionarle la vocación – continúa en la contraportada 7
