By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
Editor’s Note: Over the past couple of months, we conducted interviews with the newly ordained permanent deacons shortly before or shortly after the Aug. 8 ordination. Over the next few months, we will publish stories in The Message in the order the interviews were conducted. We will also post video from our interviews on our Facebook and YouTube pages.
Deacon Pete Barry said in his discernment leading up to the Aug. 8 permanent diaconate ordination, he “felt pretty confident that this is where God was calling me to go next.”
Deacon Barry was one of 16 men ordained to the permanent diaconate Aug. 8 at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville. Deacon Barry is assigned to St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville, where he also serves as the Director of Discipleship for the parish. Deacon Barry has been in that role for the past two years, which he says has been wonderful.
“The people here are great,” Deacon Barry said in a June interview leading up to ordination. “This is a vibrant parish, wonderful parish. And working alongside them and just growing in faith with them has helped in fostering and building up what it may take to be a deacon. I have no idea what it’s going to be like to be a deacon. I’m trusting in the Lord to be the catalyst there.”
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Deacon Barry attended college at the University of Evansville and has stayed in Evansville since then. Deacon Barry said growing up, he went to church on Sunday but “outside of that, that was the extent of the Catholic stuff in the house growing up.”
Deacon Barry said his transformation into an avid Catholic came after he made a Cursillo weekend in 1993.
“That point is when being a Catholic became a real part of who I was as a person,” Deacon Barry said. “It was in the background or non-existent really prior to my Cursillo weekend. So that was the transforming event that happened.”
Deacon Barry said he first considered joining the previous permanent diaconate class of 2022 but the timing was not right at that point. He cited family commitments and ministry work at that time. The ministry work included serving on the Diocesan Secretariat for Cursillo, a role he held for 13 years.
When the callout for this year’s class occurred, Deacon Barry said several people reached out to him and asked if he had considered the permanent diaconate.
“I kind of took that as this is something I really need to take the next step and go ahead and do it,” Deacon Barry said. “So I was excited. I had the support of Jenny (Deacon Barry’s wife). She was actually very supportive of me doing this. So I went ahead and dove in a little over four years ago now.”
Deacon Barry said the main role of the deacon is to serve, including serving the people of God, walking with people wherever they are in their faith journey and helping people to grow closer to Christ and serving the church in that way. He said he was excited to serve at the altar and to be “part of the action” in the holy Mass. Being a part of that and being able to bring Jesus to people in that capacity is really exciting, Deacon Barry said.
“But just serving. I love to be able to walk with people and serve with people,” Deacon Barry said. “We’re all on a pilgrimage trying to get to heaven and here we go. We’re just trying to get a little bit closer while we’re here on earth kind of thing.”
Back in June, Deacon Barry said the prospect of officially being ordained a deacon was becoming more real.
“I guess it boils down to when you feel the call that God is calling you to do something, who am I to say no to that? He calls us out. And we need to follow that lead. So it’s humbling,” Deacon Barry said in June looking ahead to the Aug. 8 ordination. “I’m a little bit nervous. I think I should be nervous. This is important work. Helping other people, helping ourselves. We’re all trying to get to heaven and so helping God’s people, it’s pretty important work. But it’s exciting. I’m excited to start.”