Diaconate his new beat

He has participated in the diocesan Formation for Ministry Program, earned a master's degree in theology from St. Bernard's Institute, and is spending nine months at St. John the Evangelist Church in Rensselaer with his mentor, Deacon Charles Hall. The experience is affirming Mr. Quinn's belief that joining the permanent diaconate was the right decision.

"It makes you feel you're doing the work of the deacon, and you're with the clergy of the Church. You become more comfortable, and it makes you see if this is what you really want to do," he told The Evangelist.

Badge years

He became a New York City cop when he was 21, and the work was exciting to someone his age. One night, when he was invited to a party by his partner on the force, he met his partner's niece, Nancy. After dating for two years, they married.

Eventually, police work lost some of its appeal because Mr. Quinn now had a wife and daughter, Christina, to think about when he was on duty. "While it was glamorous if you were single, now you had some responsibility with a wife and kid, and you were cautious," he said.

New life

"Everybody I knew were cops, and I had to sever those relationships," he said.

Feeling depressed after his injury and retirement, Mr. Quinn decided to move to New Lebanon, where his wife's parents had a summer home. His new rural surroundings was quite a change from what Mr. Quinn had known while living and working in New York City, but he was ready for something new.

His family joined Immaculate Conception Church in New Lebanon, and Mr. Quinn mentioned to his pastor, Rev. Joseph Halloran, that he was retired. The priest put his new parishioner to work as a parish council member, lector and religious education instructor.

Growing in faith

Mr. Quinn recommends that men who may be thinking about the diaconate speak with other deacons and their pastor. But the most important people who should be consulted are a man's own family.

"There's a lot of discernment to be done if you're making this kind of commitment," he said.

With fewer priests in the Diocese, Mr. Quinn sees the role of deacons continuing to grow in the next millennium. "The future, unless something changes in the Church, is more men going into the diaconate," he said. "I know there are deacons who would want to become parish life directors."

(04-15-99) [[In-content Ad]]