Meet our future deacons
David Henn
Who are the important role models in
your life of faith?
The first role models in my faith life
were, and continue to be, my parents. I
am blessed to have parents who devoted
themselves to raising their family in a
home filled with faith and love. The
second role model in my faith life has
been my wife, Mary Ellen. She truly is
the spiritual center of our home, keeping
me and our children grounded in our
Catholic faith. The third role model
in my faith life would be my pastor,
Msgr. Mark Svarczkopf.
What are your favorite Scripture verses,
prayers and devotions?
I have a particular devotion to
St. Joseph—a devotion which has grown
over the past several years. As our
children get older and more involved with
school and extracurricular activities, I feel
a strong connection to St. Joseph, who
was a husband, a father and a worker. I
know that, in many ways, he has walked
the road that I am on now, and I often find
myself in conversational prayer, asking
St. Joseph to intercede on my behalf,
seeking the guidance and strength of the
Holy Spirit to be a better father and
husband.
Deacons often minister to others in the
workplace. How have you experienced
that, and how do you anticipate doing that
in the future?
As an attorney, it is common to encounter
people who are facing problems in their
lives, their families or their work. People
come to lawyers seeking legal solutions to
their problems. As a deacon, it is my hope
that with the grace of God I can also make
present to those people the truth that Christ
loves them and is present with them.
How will being ordained a deacon have an
impact on your life and family?
Our children, Sydney and Collin, were 5 and
3 when we started this journey five years
ago. They cannot recall a time when their
Dad was not preparing to become a deacon,
and they have grown up in a house dedicated
to ministry. The children participate in our
ministries, such as accompanying me when I
take Communion to shut-in parishioners, and
we have fun as a family doing these things.
And the children share their experiences
with their friends at school. Perhaps hearing
Sydney and Collin talk about these things,
especially about how much fun they have
sharing this time with their Mom and Dad,
will carry the ministry of deacons to a new
generation. †
(Go to the Deacon formation homepage)