April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
VOCATION STORY
New deacon's journey spanned two countries
New deacon's journey spanned two countries
That's pronounced with a long "o," indicative of the new deacon's Canadian heritage.
A native of Quebec raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Deacon Miles was ordained May 20 along with fellow permanent Deacons Anthony Cortese and Andrew Haskins and transitional Deacon Zachariah Chichester, who will soon be ordained to the priesthood.
Representing his "graduating class," Deacon Miles spoke with The Evangelist about his vocation.
The new deacon was raised Catholic, attending church every Sunday, but when given a choice as a child between playing football and attending faith formation classes, he admitted he chose the former.
Still, he said, he felt a pull toward some kind of ministry even in his younger days.
"I have always sensed a call to serve. I just didn't know how or in what way," he explained.
In his career with Air Canada, Deacon Miles worked his way up from clerical duties to information technology and management, focusing on using data from business operations to improve the airline's performance. Along the way, he became a Six Sigma Black Belt, teaching others about good business practices.
He also cast around for other ways to serve. He became a coach and joined the Knights of Columbus, eventually becoming a grand knight.
Then he attended a faith-sharing group called Alpha. Something shifted: People he met began spontaneously asking if he was a deacon or a priest.
"Wow! Where did that come from?" Deacon Miles thought; but he felt in his heart that they were right. He could see that Catholics wanted better spiritual lives, and he felt he could help with that.
He thought about pursuing the diaconate, but saw his lack of fluency in French as an obstacle. However, when he met an American nurse named Karin and the couple began to plan a life together, she supported his vocation.
"I didn't pursue the diaconate in Quebec, but did the moment I moved to the United States," the deacon recalled. In 2009, with the airline industry struggling, he took early retirement from Air Canada; by 2013, he'd become a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Deacon and Mrs. Miles now have a blended family of six adult children -- Kevin, Alexa, David, Anna, Nicholas and Thomas -- and a granddaughter named Sophia.
At vocation discernment sessions, Deacon Miles said, "it became most clear that God was calling me to serve His Church as a deacon. As my spirituality developed, the call became ever clearer, and as I have journeyed this path I have been blessed with remarkable affirmations and grace."
Having joined St. Mary's parish in Waterford, Deacon Miles became a sacristan there while in formation for the diaconate. He also served at Christ Our Light parish in Loudonville and at five different senior and healthcare facilities.
St. Mary's parishioners have been complaining, he said, that he's not likely to be assigned to his adopted home parish as a deacon. He did, however, preach at St. Mary's this past weekend to celebrate his ordination.
"It's a little bit of a mystery understanding what my apostolate will be," the new deacon remarked. "I continue to be open to the Holy Spirit."
Deacons are often asked to preach and serve in other public roles in parishes. While Deacon Miles will perform whatever duties he's assigned, he told The Evangelist that his business skills may come into play in his pastoral ministry.
"When you look at the Church, there is a certain business element to it," he said. "Everything is a process. [And] I'm always more comfortable behind the scenes, helping things run more smoothly."
The new deacon also hopes to work with senior citizens in hospitals, nursing homes or hospice situations.
"Just to be present, to be Christ for people -- that gives them comfort," Deacon Miles said. "Our greatest ministry is outside of the church. The deacon is there to serve the community, the people of God."[[In-content Ad]]
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