William McCarthy ordained to  transitional diaconate

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Posted Oct. 24, 2002

HAWARDEN - William (Bill) McCarthy was brought one step closer to the priesthood on Oct. 18, the Feast of St. Luke, when he was ordained to the transitional diaconate at his home parish, St. Mary Church in Hawarden.

During the ordination, Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo pointed out that Bill had asked him to bless and sprinkle holy water as a reminder of baptism.

In the homily, the bishop told McCarthy that as he ministered to the people he had to be human and do so with an open heart. Bishop DiNardo told him to be sure to minister to the poor and those poor in spirit.

"It is my hope that through the gift of the Holy Spirit you will indeed draw strength," said the bishop. This strength would help the deacon serve as a minister of the word, of the altar and of charity.

Bishop DiNardo said he was very happy to ordain William to the transitional diaconate and noted that he had just ordained two priests earlier this year - "the sky's the limit. But friends, still, please pray because we need more members to come forward in our church for both the permanent diaconate, and we need young men to come forward to give themselves to the sacred Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ."

He commended St. Mary Parish for producing a permanent deacon and now a transitional deacon.

Some of the significant parts of the rite of ordination included the commitment to celibacy, promise of obedience, litany of saints, laying on of hands and prayer of consecration. The kiss of peace was reserved for the bishop and fellow deacons and did not include priests as with priestly ordinations. The liturgy of the Eucharist followed the ordination.

McCarthy, 44, is a 1976 graduate of West Sioux Community High School and graduated from South Dakota State University in December, 1979. He farmed with his parents, William Hugh and Virginia McCarthy, near Hawarden from 1980 until 1997. That's when he decided to explore theological studies.

"When I was in my 30s, I was looking at ways to make life fuller. I was single, so I began to look at how God was calling me," he explained. "It was through different relationships with other people that I encountered Christ in them. Through God's blessings I began to be drawn deeper into the church."

The realization that he was called by God to the priesthood, McCarty noted, did not happen overnight. It was a gradual process that occurred through much discernment.

McCarthy pointed out that he had been active in the parish as a lector and Eucharistic minister. He began to visit with his pastor about the priesthood, who then put him in contact with the Office of Vocations. McCarty began a time of transition, taking a few classes at Briar Cliff University in theology and philosophy. In college, he had focused on ag and bio science courses.

Finding success academically gave him the confidence to continue with studies. Father Brian Hughes, the vocation director, sent him to seminary at St. Meinrad in Indiana for pre-theology. McCarty earned a master's in Catholic thought and in May will have earned a master's of divinity.

"It kept fitting in like pieces to a puzzle," he described.

The combination of good instructors at seminary, classes and good role models helped prepare him for the transitional diaconate and for the priesthood in the future.

One of those good role models is his uncle. Msgr. Edward Burian, his mother's brother, is a priest for the Diocese of Sioux Falls who helped McCarthy don the stole and dalmatic during the ordination. The new deacon also had a great uncle who was a priest for the Diocese of Sioux City.

He finds them to be a great symbol of men who dedicated their lives in service to God.

McCarthy's family has been supportive of his decision to become a priest. Along with his parents, he has two sisters; Mary Koehler and her husband, Brad, have two children, and Patricia Haden and her husband, David, have five children.

Along with his family, he has found great support in parish communities. He has had the opportunity to work for a summer at both Holy Spirit in Carroll and St. Mary's in Storm Lake. Their tremendous support, he noted, helped to form him.

If all goes as planned, Deacon McCarthy will be ordained to the priesthood of Christ in the Diocese of Sioux City in the summer.

"My deacon experience will be brief in a sense, only about a period of seven months, but within that time I will have some great opportunities to share the Gospel message, occasionally do homilies and perhaps baptize or perform a marriage," said McCarty. "I am looking forward to whatever comes."

Most of the opportunities for ministry as a deacon will be in Indiana as he will continue his studies there through May. He also looks forward to visits at St. Mary's in Hawarden during that time.

"Becoming a transitional deacon is a very important step on the way to priesthood because you get to encounter people as one selected from the church assembly to lead," said McCarty. "For me, it will be a chance to gain experience."