Meet our future deacons

Ronald Reimer

• Age: 47
• Spouse: Susie
• Home Parish: SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi Parish in Greenwood
• Occupation: Engineering Manager for Eli Lilly and Company

Who are the important role models in your life of faith?

My mother, my wife and various classmates from my time at the U.S. Naval Academy.

What are your favorite Scripture verses, prayers and devotions?

Mt 8:5-13 (the healing of the centurion’s servant); Acts 8:26-40 (Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch); Mt 28:18-20 (the commissioning of the Apostles).

Deacons often minister to others in the workplace. How have you experienced that, and how do you anticipate doing it in the future?

At [Eli] Lilly, some co-workers have asked me to explain some of the Church’s teaching. As a captain in the Navy Reserves, I have served as an acting chaplain for retirement ceremonies, offering an invocation and benediction. In Boy Scouts, I have sometimes acted as a moral compass, giving direction to the group on certain decisions and behaviors. I anticipate these experiences to increase in the future.

Why do you feel that God is calling you to become a deacon?

I feel that I have been given many gifts and talents, and I wish to share them with my fellow travelers. In the Gospel, I have found the pearl of great price. This treasure is not to be hoarded, but shared generously with others. In addition, as a deacon in the workplace, I hope to live a complete life. Too often, our society is asking us to leave religion and spiritually for Sunday mornings only. However, we are created as spiritual and physical creatures. We must live in an integrated fashion for us to reach our full potential. We cannot split our very selves.

How will being ordained a deacon have an impact on your life and family?

I am not sure of the impact. I still have a very significant vocation to my wife and my three teenage sons as well as a career with Eli Lilly and Company. Since I have not attended a parish with deacons in it, I do not have a good reference point to gauge the impact on my life and family. We can only trust in the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us on this journey to the unknown. †

(Go to the Deacon formation homepage)