Meiners takes step toward official candidacy for permanent diaconate

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Posted January 30, 2003

DEDHAM - Although Louis Meiners has completed the bulk of the requirements in the deacon formation process, the St. Joseph parishioner will soon become an official candidate for the permanent diaconate of the Diocese of Sioux City. Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo will lead the candidacy rite during the 7:30 p.m. Mass in Dedman on Feb. 8.

Meiners pointed out that he became interested in the diaconate while he was a parishioner at a parish in Audubon, in the Des Moines Diocese.

He was attracted to the permanent diaconate because it is a servant ministry. Meiners explained that he has been involved in parish ministry for a number of years, serving as a Eucharistic minister, lector and helping his current and former pastors in a variety of ways. In Audubon he also participated in a ministry where a father and son would serve at Mass together. Involvement in these ministries was enough to make him question if he had a call to the diaconate.

His interest in pursuing this call peaked when a priest was handing out applications for the diaconate at a Knights of Columbus meeting in the Des Moines Diocese.

"I thought that must be a sign, so I said I'd take one," said Meiners.

Not long after he was accepted into the diaconate program for the Des Moines Diocese, his wife, Judy, was diagnosed with cancer. They agreed that it would be wise to postpone the training.

"With everyone's prayers, my wife made it through very well," he explained.

In the meantime, Meiners moved back to his hometown in the Diocese of Sioux City, Dedham. Six to eight months later, he had enrolled in the Church Ministry Program.

Meiners noted that while he hadn't made an official contact with the Office of the Permanent Diaconate in this diocese right away, the thought of becoming a deacon was still on his mind. Not long after starting in the Church Ministry Program, he contacted Ron Forrest, the co-director of the diaconate.

"After I had started my studies, my wife had cancer again," he said. Meiners offered to quit school but she told him "to keep going. She said we'd get through this."

Three years later, she has had good reports.

"The fact that my wife survived, I can only think that God has blessed me tremendously and I wish there was a way that I can give him back even a little bit of service. To me this is like putting an eyedropper into the ocean, as far as what I can give back compared to what I have received," said Meiners, who is the station manager and works in pork procurement for Excel Corporation, a division of Cargill.

In the last 18 months he has fulfilled many of the official requirements - made an official application, met with the bishop and completed many of the formation classes.

The Meiners have three children: Frank and wife, Barb, of Ames; Jennifer Meiners of Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Cindy Geiselhart and husband, Erick of Las Vegas. The Meiners have one grandchild, Frank's son, Alex. They are also the full-time guardians of Judy's 12-year-old niece, Kristine Warren.

Meiners said he looks forward to becoming one step closer to the diaconate.

"In the parishes where I have been, I have always wanted to help," he said. "And I've always thought it was necessary for everyone to help in every way they can."

His ordination to the permanent diaconate is planned for June 14 at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Once ordained, he has no definite thoughts as to how he would like to serve. The Meiners have participated in the Sponsor Couple Training so that is a possibility if the pastor so desires.

"I am not focusing in on one particular area. I will do anything that is asked to be done," said Meiners. "In my mind, becoming a deacon does not elevate me to anything. As far as I am concerned, it makes me the third rung of the ladder. The priest is on the first rung, the people on the second and I am on the last rung. I will be open to whatever needs to be done."

On Dec. 7 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany, during the 25th anniversary celebration of Deacon Bill Berger and Deacon John Heffernan, Meiners was installed as a reader.